Chances for Top Schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am currently a junior at an extremely competitive high school that sends dozens of students to Ivies every year. If anyone has read Overachievers, by Alexandria Robbins, that's my high school. At my school, it is expected that you will be accepted to at least one Ivy. I once overheard an excited senior tell his friend, "I got accepted to the University of Chicago and I'm totally going!" His friend stared blankly and replied, "That's not an Ivy. Is it a good school?" Yeah, my peers are obsessed.</p>

<p>Personal</p>

<p>I'm a white female from upper middle class parents. Both are extremely well-educated: my mother has a PhD from the University of MD while my father has a masters from the University of Chicago.</p>

<p>I would like to major in engineering or possibly business (yes I know they're two totally different majors).</p>

<p>Test Scores</p>

<p>SAT I: 800V, 780M, 690W (6 essay)</p>

<p>Yes, my writing score is extremely low due mostly to the essay. I'm debating the value in retaking the SAT since many colleges do not place a heavy emphasis on the writing section.</p>

<p>I haven't taken any of the SAT II subject tests yet, but am definitively taking
1) Math IIC
2) Chemistry</p>

<p>I'm also debating taking
1) Physics
2) World History
3) English Literature</p>

<p>Academics</p>

<p>UW GPA: 4.0
W GPA: 4.64</p>

<p>AP Classes Taken:
1) US Government and Politics (10) - 5
2) English Language (11)
3) World History (11)
4) Psychology (11)
5) Chemistry (11)</p>

<p>Future AP Classes:
1) Comparative Government
2) Calc BC
3) Physics C
4) English Literature</p>

<p>I could also potentially add AP Biology in senior year if I dropped Anatomy and Physiology (which is not an AP class but is considered an advanced level class in my school).</p>

<p>Rank: My school does not do rankings at all. I have no idea how I compare to my peers. There are almost 2000 students attending my school, however. I assume I'm in the top 10% but I cannot confirm this.</p>

<p>ECs</p>

<p>1) Crew: 9, 10
2) DECA: 9, 10, 11
3) Chemistry Team: 11
4) Cross Country: 11
5) Tutor in Geometry and Chemistry: 11</p>

<p>Yes, my ECs are mediocre at best, however, it was extremely difficult to do anything else with crew in 9th and 10th grade. On average, it takes a 15 hour commitment per week in the winter and over 20 hours per week in the spring.</p>

<p>Awards</p>

<p>1) Mark Curtis Arts and Humanities Award, 2006
2) First Place Travel and Tourism for DECA, 2006, 2007
3) First Place Retail Math for DECA, 2005
4) Published in school's literary magazine</p>

<p>Internships</p>

<p>1) business internship at Ten Thousand Villages</p>

<p>I actually get credit for this at my school. However, I do this after school and commit approximately 10 hours a week to this internship. This has taken the place of crew in my junior year.</p>

<p>2) HHMI at NIH</p>

<p>This starts this summer and continues in senior year. It's a highly prestigious biomedical internship at the National Institute of Health.</p>

<p>Chances?</p>

<p>What are my chances to get into top schools such as MIT, UPenn, Cornell, and Stanford? I realize that with my average stats and lacking ECs, all of these schools are reaches for me.</p>

<p>Would Tufts, Berkley, or the University of Chicago be more appropriate schools to apply to?</p>

2

<p>Well MIT has the most prestige for engineering, but they are pretty affirmative action, so chances of your acceptance there are slim. However, the chance isn't impossible, just improbable.</p>

<p>Your SAT and GPA are suitable for the top 20 schools in the nation, Ivy or not. </p>

<p>Personally, I don't find you too unique as an applicant, EC wise. I can't help but feel like you're not truly passionate about your future major.</p>

<p>I think you should add Carnegie Mellon to your list.</p>

<p>Your lack of unique qualities may hurt you, but overall here's what I think.</p>

<p>My advice: Choose between engineering and business ASAP, Make your essay stand out by covering a unique theme that relates to you, and develop an enthusiasm for whatever path you choose for your undergrad future</p>

<p>Chances: Fair shots at all colleges except for MIT. There's no doubt you'll get accepted to at least two. However, if your goals are high and you develop a passion for a major or school, you're going to want to work on your essay to increase your chances for the schools that you really want.</p>

<p>Happy hunting ^_^</p>

3

<p>Thank you so much for your assessment. I actually do have Carnegie Mellon on my list and am visiting it this coming Monday, however, it isn't a top choice. I have a long list of colleges right now and am currently going through the process of narrowing it down. I didn't want to list every single college I'm considering, just my top choices.</p>

<p>I realize that I'm indecisive in my major which is why I decided to do one internship in business and one in biomedical engineering. I'm hoping that after I have a little experience in both careers, I will be better prepared to make a decisive choice.</p>

<p>As for my ECs, I've already come to terms that I'm not going to be a standout applicant in that regard. At this point, it's too late to join any ECs without it being obvious I'm just beefing up my resume. I'm hoping that my essays will help supplement my lackluster ECs.</p>

4

<p>Realistic chances at schools other than HYPMS & Caltech.</p>

<p>I really like how honest you are though. Most applicants try as much as possible to embellish themselves, but you seem very modest. If you let your personality through on your application, I think you'll get into at least one of the top top schools =)</p>

<p>Also, even though the schools don't really put much emphasis on your writing score, I think they are starting to put more emphasis anyway. So there is nothing to lose in taking the SAT again (except of course, a few hours of your Saturday morning and money :P) So if I were you, I'd take the SAT again and focus on the writing part. Since the adcoms take composite scores, you don't have to worry about math/CR reading at all :)</p>