Chances for Princeton, Harvard Brown, Penn, Chicago, Tufts, CMU, etc...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello all! So I’m an anxious rising senior who is planning to apply to:
Princeton (SCEA)
Harvard
Brown
UPenn
UChicago
Tufts
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
Dartmouth
Northwestern
Duke
Wesleyan
Swarthmore
Middlebury
UNC Chapel Hill
UVA
UMich
UC Berkeley/LA/SD/Davis
Boston College
Haverford

Here are my stats:

GPA (UW): 3.975
GPA (W): 4.4
SAT I: 2040 (superscored, will probably retake in the fall)
SAT II: pending
ACT: pending
Rank: 2/402 (in the running to be valedictorian by senior year)
AP scores: AP World History (4), AP Environmental Science (5), AP Human Geography (5), AP US History (pending), AP Calculus (pending)

Class schedule:
7th and 8th grade: Algebra 1, Geometry, Spanish 1 and 2 (all A’s)
9th grade: all A’s (H English, Algebra 2, AP World History, PE, Bio, Study Tech, Spanish 3, Painting) except 1 B first semester (Painting :/)
10th grade: all A’s (H English, Pre-Cal, AP Human Geo, Ap Environmental Science, Tennis/PE, Photo, Study Tech, Spanish 4)
11th grade: all A’s (DP Language and Literature HL, DP Math SL [shows up as AP Calculus on transcripts], DP History of Americas HL [shows up as AP US History on transcripts], DP Visual Arts HL, DP German ab [shows up as German 1 on transcripts], DP Chemistry SL [shows up as H Chemistry on transcripts], TOK, Tennis/Journalism)
12th grade: basically the same as last year, except German will be German 2, Chemistry will be AP Chemistry, and I’ll take AP Psych instead of Tennis/Journalism

EC:
Tennis 10th-12th grade, varsity since 11th grade; karate 4th-10th grade (brown belt)
President of grant writing program (high school students partner with USC students to submit a grant application that will provide $ for our school)
Member of mentoring program between middle school students and high school students since 10th grade; board member since 11th grade
Class officer since 11th grade
Journalism editor since 11th grade
Member of college readiness club since 11th grade
Member of amnesty international since 11th grade
Member of CSF since 10th grade
Volunteer work: ~220 hours (church, grant writing, convalescent home, etc)

Awards:
Nothing major except AP Scholar, High Honor Roll, IB Diploma Candidate. Does perfect attendance count? Because if it does, I’ve had perfect attendance since 3rd grade haha.

Summer activities:
-Eco-Interns program (revitalization of the Los Angeles River; study DO, pH, turbidity; spread awareness about keeping waters clean/safe, community forum to address the public about our findings), tennis practice to train for varsity
-will do JSA at Princeton this July (yay!) for the international relations class, tennis practice

Other:
School type: Mid-sized public (I’m magnet/IB, and my graduating class will be the first in our district to graduate with an IB diploma)
State: CA
Country: US
Race: Filipino
Gender: F
Intended major: Sociology
Income: will qualify for substantial FA

I’d very much appreciate a list of potential safeties/matches. I’d like to attend a school in the east coast that has an intellectual environment. Thanks!

2

Most of the Ivies (except Cornell), UChicago, Haverford and Swarthmore are probably not realistic, even though you are an URM unless you can either increase your SAT to at least a 2250 and/or attain at least a 32 or 33 on the ACT. The other schools are probably not safeties, but are all close to likely territory for you. JSA is not a big deal unless you hold a national office or really do well in competitions. While your activities are many, nothing quite POPS OUT at this time. I sense the passion and determination in your resume. Do you have teachers, counselors or employers that are quite impressed with you?

3

yeah my former AP Environmental Science teacher/current IBDP counselor is definitely going to write me a rec letter. He says I’m one of the hardest-working students he’s seen in 15 years

4

Those EC activies are decent, but not great. Test scores will be a drag on your application unless you can bring them up. With that said, you have a chance at any school on that list, though I wouldn’t set my heart on an Ivy.

I’m curious as to why your school won’t list IB courses as such on your transcript. Taking 6 IB classes is generally considered more difficult than taking 6 APs.

If you’re looking for schools on the East Coast, I suggest you find out more about Georgetown, BU, Northeastern, GWU, and Emory-all seem like good fits for you (though some, like Georgetown, will be reaches).

5

You have a diverse list of schools - what is the common thread of all of these that appeals to you? If you are just reaching for a highly ranked school but don’t really know why, they will sense that in your application. If you have a story and direction and specific interest that you are pursuing, your list will change and your “why this school” essays will be more focused and authentic. Narrow down your focus on why, where, what you want out of college. Be able to express what you will add to each community you are considering being a part of, and why that specific school is good for you. If not, you look like one of many thousands of driven and talented kids that is shooting high, but doesn’t quite know why, and it greatly reduces your chances. Seems you have great qualifications and will be able to succeed wherever you go.

If financial aid is needed/desired, schools will see what other schools you are applying to on the FAFSA. If you have chosen all schools with great programs in X it makes sense to them, if you are just applying to all ivies, top 20, etc., it works against you. There are schools with guaranteed merit aid for your stats.

Also, review the threads on this site regarding merit aid, full ride, etc. and your list might change. If you are planning to go to grad school you could get an excellent undergrad degree for very low cost, more individual attention to your academic needs and interests that will help propel you into a grad program at the school of your choice.

Good for you for starting the process early and aiming high, good luck!

6

@BarristerDad118 if Swat and Haverford are both reaches wouldn’t Middlebury and probably Wesleyan also be reaches?

7

OP, what are your safeties? I don’t think that Filipino is a race. I suggest you start to narrow your list down with Safety, Match and Reach categories. Your list is reach heavy.