Chances for Stanford? (also applying to MIT/Caltech/JHU/UCBerkeley/Princeton so maybe useful here?)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Yes I know there are too many of these. Just doing this for fun/curiosity. Also just kind of as a nerve calmer.

Currently junior in high school.

Age: 15 (yes, somewhat young)
Grade: 11
Race: Indian
State: TX

GPA: 4.0 unweighted, school does not do class rank nor does it do any weighting for APs. Also APs are not offered until junior year (yes, I tried to get this to change but it was unyielding)

Courses: all honors or AP for 9th,10th, 11th (max honors and AP courses my school allows)
11th grade: AP Chem, AP Calc BC, AP French, AP English Literature, Honors Latin Advanced, Honors US History, Honors Biology, Art

School: very small private, strict on AP limits (only 4 and only in junior year and above)

Planned senior year courses: Honors Multivar Calc, AP Physics C, AP Statistics (self-study), AP Latin, AP World History, AP Computer Science, Art (school requires art every year)

PSAT: 234
SAT: 2400 (800/800/800/9 essay)
Taking SAT subjects in math 2, chemistry, and biology M in June.

EC’s and Service:
Robotics team (notebook leader 9th and 10th grade, team leader 10th grade)

1st degree black belt taekwondo

10 years piano, 3 years violin (multiple awards for piano)

Robotics/interdisciplinary biotechnology research project regarding harmonic drive gearing systems (hopefully will be published assuming all goes well)

Math club/Mathcounts coach: founded this club at my (middle and high) school this school year, sent team to Mathcounts

Yearbook: Chief Editor (9th grade)

Student Council: secretary (9th grade), vice-president (10th grade), treasurer (11th grade)

Music Composition: will be submitting a composition for a competition although submission time isn’t open yet (sort of just for fun)

Texas French Symposium (more about this later)

Biochemistry protein/drug design research project: has only just started (i.e. I started in the lab at TAMU this month), but will hopefully have large implications and will submit for Siemens and/or Intel next year (?)
– this should also count as work experience because of lab internship

100 hours community service: pieced together from helping at summer camp (helped teach robotics and programming), StuCo-organized events, and other random bits

Stock Market club: 9th grade

Summer programs:
Baylor University Piano Institute (summer 2014)
TAMU BioForce Academy (summer 2014, got me interested in biochem especially)
Chamber music program (done 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 summers as a pianist, will go back this summer)
– also summer 2015 lab research project (see above)
– also accepted to Summer 2015 Camp Euclid math research (to work on an unsolved math problem; I have chosen one in the field of topology and will be working with a few others)
TX Gulf Coast HOBY participant

Academic awards:
2 time AIME qualifier, 6th place overall as individual at Texas French Symposium 2015 (placed ranging from 1st to 5th in 8 events), National Latin Exam gold and silver medals over all high school years, numerous school awards (historically, first SAT perfect scorer from my school), likely national merit semifinalist (but not confirmed)

Non-academic:
Many piano awards including state-level honors, won $300 from local competition, 7 years Piano Guild national winner

So that is it! What do you think about my chances at Stanford next year? Also I may start a small business with my cousin but I have yet to set this up.

EDIT: Also I will probably get good recommendations as several of my teachers really like me (not to sound conceited XD)

2

You’re obviously competitive. Essays and recommendations will be critical. I’d be surprised if you’re not accepted to Hopkins. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were accepted to any of the others.

3

Oops, I forgot to mention that I am a double legacy at Berkeley (mother went there for master’s, father did PhD there) so not sure how that will stack up. I don’t really know if I have any other hooks.

4

Nice stats, you have a chance at all of the top schools. Make sure your essays are very good- looking back at the application process, I definitely overestimated the value of extracurriculars and underestimated the value of good essays.

Cal should easily be in the bag (unless you apply EECS, my friend with a 2400/4.0 was waitlisted), and you have a very solid chance at JHU. For the rest, they are reaches, but apply broadly and you will probably make one.

5

You should have some great admissions. Check-in with your parents about how much they can pay as these schools give very few or no merit scholarships. Add a few schools that are not quite as super selective. You should have your pick of majors and honors programs at Texas public universities.

6

Of course, this is the sampling of the most selective schools for which I will apply! I have some others that are less selective and I have UT and TAMU as in-state just in case.

7

An off the wall idea for you: try a sport - or something else you might not be good at. Maybe write about the experience as a way to differentiate yourself from the 10,000 others with the same stats and similar ECs. I was at a breakfast recently that honored top students from around our area and the difference between a couple of ORMs (over-represented minorities) who clearly focused on padding their academic resumes and another student who was involved in musical theater and a couple of sports was striking. She was going to Yale, one of the other kids was going to Northwestern, and the kid who was taking Calculus in 7th grade was hoping to win the wait list lottery. Her personality and public speaking ability was mesmerizing and I suspect her voice shone through in her essays.

8

I see what you’re saying – I didn’t mention this because I haven’t done anything notable, but I have participated in musical theatre and theatre productions at school since 10th grade-- I even got a lead in The Mikado this year, despite the fact that I can’t act or sing. At all. So I believe this qualifies!

This gives me a good essay story as well; I used to absolutely HATE theatre and now I’ve actually grown to somewhat like it. Sure, it is still not my favourite and always feels very unnatural, but I think it has helped my personality.

9

Sorry, bump.

10

Holy cow I really wish I was you right now…
I think you have a really great chance and I’d be shocked if at half of them didn’t accept you! Nice job

11

Bump. Thanks everyone for suggestions so far, keep them coming!

12

@sciamusica:

  1. FYI, as a matter of policy, none of the UCs provide any “legacy” advantage.
  2. CONGRATULATIONS, you’ve done a great job – in doesn’t get much better than 4.0/2400 – and obviously you will be entirely competitive for ANY undergraduate school. However, several of the institutions you mention (and their peers) rather routinely deny applicants with particularly distinguished recored (like your). I do not indicate this to be discouraging; rather, to caution you: (a) to apply to a few true safety and match schools and (b) to not become overly “emotionally wedded” to an “elite” admission. I believe you’ll probably receive one (or more), but this entire process is tough enough, without adding additional and unnecessary stresses.
13

Thank you for the replies (although it has been nearly 1 month.) Anything else?

14

Bump. anything more?