Chances for Top Tier Schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm a senior and I'm applying to UM
UF
UVA
UNC
Boston College
NYU
UPenn
Georgetow
Duke
Notre Dame
Stanford
Cornell
Yale
Princeton
Harvard
Dartmouth</p>

<p>I know it's a hefty list, but I'm well into the application process and I'll finish them without a problem. My dream is to go to an Ivy League or a top tier school. My intended major is Business/economics. </p>

<p>Academics:
SAT: 2050/1340 (won't send if it's not required)
ACT: 33 (30 in English, 35 in Math, 34 in Reading, and 31 in Science)
SAT II: Spanish 780, Math II 640 (bad), Chemistry 650 (bad)
Class rank: 9/400 (more or less)
AP: World History (4), Spanish Literature (4), United States History (4), Chemistry (3), English Language (4)
Senior Class Load: AP Calculus AB, AP Biology, AP Macroeconomics, AP Government, AP English Literature, Physics honors, and Philosophy Honors.
10 AP courses in total.</p>

<p>Honors:
Principal’s Honor Roll (9,10,11,12)
National Merit Candidate (10,11)
Invited to attend National Student Leadership Conference (9,10,11)
AP Scholar with Distinction Award (12)</p>

<p>Honors Societies:
Vice President for Spanish Honors Society: 2+ hours weekly tutoring (11,12)
National Science Honors Society: (11,12)
National Honors Society (11,12)
Mu Alpha Theta: 20 hours yearly tutoring (11,12)
Historian for Rho Kappa Honors Society: 20 hours yearly tutoring (11, 12)</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities:
Altar served in St. Mark Parish (8,9,10)
Captain Basketball Team (9,10)
Key Club member; local service projects were planned on a regular basis to better the community (9)
Treasure of Pre-Med club; count money for all fundraisers throughout the school year benefiting five charities in total (11,12)
Science Club; bi-monthly experiments were performed in an effort to further scientific knowledge (10)
Rosaire Service Project; 3 day long project aimed at improving a local retreat center (9,11)
Tekesta Study Center Project; enhanced infrastructure in a religious center (9)
YMCA Recreational League Basketball; Head coach for eleven 12-13 year old boys for three months in which basketball fundamentals were implemented along with proper sportsmanship (9)
Tekesta Survival Camp; monitored 90 children between the ages of 8 and 14 for one weekend in the middle of the woods where religious values were instilled in the children (9)
• Leadership Camp, Pennsylvania; 3 week long program in Scranton, PA designed to instill Catholic virtues in 5th-8th grade boys through sports activities, Mass, prayer, and talent shows. Have completed over 600 hours alone through this program sponsored by Youth Service International (YSI). ( Summer 2010, 2011, 2012)
• Campus Ministry; member of the Peer Ministry class where 6 retreats were planned throughout the year for 9th and 10th graders aimed at improving retreaters’ lives and spirituality. Completed 150+ hours planning and executing each of the retreats. (11)
• Bloodvein, MB Service Project; built a Church and tutored children in an Indian Reservation for one week in Manitoba, Canada. Lived in rustic conditions, slept on the gym floor of the local school, and was exposed to the harsh realities and social problems of Bloodvein. It was a physically and mentally demanding project. (Summer 2012)
• Aristotle’s Ethics; participant of a week-long deep study of Nicomachean Ethics in Pittsburgh, PA. Program consisted of 8 hours of daily study in Ethics and Relativism. (Summer 2012) </p>

<p>I want to put an emphasis on campus ministry, the Canada Service project, and the Leadership camp. I feel like these activities really set me apart from the crowd. I've completed a total of over 1,000 service hours since Freshmen year. I've incorporated these in my essays to highlight what makes them unique and how they've affected me. </p>

<p>I also want to send a video of me playing two advanced Mozart pieces (Sonata K. 545 in C Major and Ronda Alla Turka). I've been playing since 4th grade and I'm very proficient.</p>

<p>I was born in South America and Spanish was my first language. Maybe being Hispanic can help me out somewhat? Thoughts on this would be very appreciated.</p>

<p>I've taken the hardest courses offered at my school since Freshmen year and I've done everything possible to be as well rounded as possible. I've made an effort to make my summers as productive as possible; hopefully the admissions officer will see that! I feel like I'd be a perfect fit for these schools and I'll hopefully get accepted!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for all your responses and I'll be happy to chance you all! Good luck to everyone!</p>

2

<p>For the highest tier schools I don’t think you have that great of a shot (Stanford, HYP) but I’m pretty sure your class rank will pull you into the lower tier ivies. I’m really not that sure about UP though. The only problem that I can see with your app is your EC’s. Sure you’ve done a lot and its clear that your interests are broad but that doesn’t really attest to leadership. Quality is always better than quantity and to an admit officer, it just feels like you participated in so much “just to get into college.” I go to Stanford and a lot of my peers did one or two comprehensive projects throughout their highschool careers. The point is to show the admissions officer that the projects you did are a testament to your passion. Many of my classmates founded their projects and organizations because they really loved what they were doing, not because they wanted to go to Stanford. Not trying to be to harsh but top tier colleges really look could care less if you were a member in 30 clubs. You have a good shot at many of those schools on your list but idk about Harvard, Princeton (maybe, ACT kinda low), Yale and Stanford.</p>

3

<p>Oh wait i didn’t see you were Hispanic. Nvm. Your’e getting in.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for e response Cmoles and also for your honesty. I’m looking for things I can improve on and your point is very well taken. I could see how it could be a “problem” that I am involved in many things but I haven’t necessarily devoted most of my time to one thing. I have been a counselor at a camp for three consecutive years and I plan on going there for years to come. Maybe that will help my case?</p>

<p>So you honestly think that being Hispanic will make up for my weaknesses on my application? Thanks again for the response; it’s very much appreciated!</p>

5

<p>Bump bump bump</p>

6

<p>Bump! Bump, bump</p>

7

<p>Cmoles assessment is quite accurate, and I’d like to add something too. I’d suggest NOT sending an arts supplement with the pieces you mentioned, because they are two very easy and basic songs. For the arts supplement to help you at top colleges, you want to be performing some higher level songs with more variety too, i.e. not two Mozarts.</p>

8

<p>“So you honestly think that being Hispanic will make up for my weaknesses on my application?”</p>

<p>There is at least one web site where you plug in your information, and based on past acceptances it calculates the % of people with your qualifications who got in. With minor variations among the colleges, when you change the ethnicity from white to Hispanic-white, the acceptance rate goes way up–significantly. Like from 8% to 50%, 20% to 75%, or 30% to 99%. So, if that web site’s stats are accurate, you’re IN.</p>

9

<p>I agree with you Wildcat. I didn’t want to do it but my parents are really encouraging me to so I’ll talk to them.</p>

<p>Oivoiv: I really hope that website is accurate. Dolan you tell me the name of it?</p>

<p>So overall how do my chances look? I’m really hoping for the best</p>

10

<p>Bump, bump, bump</p>

11

<p>I’d like at least one more opinion please!</p>

12

<p>Heatfan:</p>

<p>Looking at your statistics, without regard to your URM status. With a 33 ACT and top 2-3% of your class, there is not a school in the US that I would not recommend that you apply to. My view is that those numbers put you in the group from which these schools choose the bulk of their Freshman class. With the miniscule acceptance rates, nothing is guaranteed, but these are the schools you should be focusing on.</p>

<p>Being Hispanic will only help your cause. However, again, nothing is guaranteed.</p>

<p>My only advice/questions – what school on this list do you view as your safety school. Though I see several that I’m pretty sure you will get into, I don’t see any that are real safety schools. </p>

<p>Also, since you indicated you were born in South America – are you currently a US citizen – if not, you need to research how your application will be viewed (I assume you are not in the international pool, but don’t really know). </p>

<p>Finally, you don’t mention your financial situation – standard advice, if you will need financial aid, make sure that the schools you apply to will provide what you need – most of the ones on your list will. Your safety should be both an academic safety and a financial safety.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

13

<p>Bump bump!</p>

14

<p>Those are great points. My safety schools would be UM and UF since they’re in state. I have done lots of research about financial aid and what every school offers. </p>

<p>Only thing I’m not sure of is how I’ll be looked at since I’m a permanent resident with a Spain Citizenship. I’ll have to do more research on that…</p>

15

<p>Does anyone have any insight on how colleges will view me? Can it be an advantage, a disadvantage, or neither?</p>

16

<p>Bump bump bump</p>