Chances for UC Berkeley and (pause) Stanford?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>My two ideal choices would be UC Berkeley and (it's a stretch, I know) Stanford.</p>

<p>SAT I (breakdown):
Best Single Sitting:
CR: 800 M: 690 W: 720 Composite: 2210
Essay: 8</p>

<p>Super Scored:
CR: 800 M:720 W:720 Composite: 2240
Essay: 8</p>

<p>ACT: Did not choose to submit</p>

<p>SAT II: Have not yet taken them, but am planning on taking Math II and Literature (lets assume 700+ on both, although that is not a given)</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8
Weighted GPA (out of 5.0): 4.72</p>

<p>Rank: 16/786</p>

<p>AP: Computer Science A (4), US History (4), World History (4), English Language (5), Human Geography (5), Psychology (5)</p>

<p>Senior Year Course Load: 7 AP courses</p>

<p>Awards: 1st Place in Inter-District Java Programming Competition (twice), 1st Place in District Java Programming Competition (three times), AP Scholar with Distinction, Scholastic "Art and Writing" Finalist, Eagle Pride (best in class) Award for Human Geography, Eagle Pride Award for Physics</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Computer Science Club (officer), Programming Team (president), Nerd Club (founder), Mu Alpha Theta, Scholastic</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Manager and UPS/Fedex Shipping specialist for my mother's perfume company/store. (have been there since June 2010 with 25 hrs per week during summer and 15 hrs per week during school)</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service: 233 total volunteer hours spent as an unpaid TAKS (Texas's standardized test) tutor, library assistant and blood drive volunteer.</p>

<p>Summer Activities: Engineering/Comp Sci Camp in 9th Grade Summer, was an unpaid library assistant during 10th Grade Summer.</p>

<p>Essays: Most likely, just decent.</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendation: English teacher who I absolutely adore and have an amazing relationship with and a Geography teacher who thought I was her best student (but no genuine personal connection). Overall, very respectable but not amazing recommendations.</p>

<p>Other
State: Texas
School Type: Graduating from one of the top 100 public high schools in the US
Ethnicity: Caucasian (first generation European immigrant with 3/4ths French and 1/4th Spanish ethnicity)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $50,000 - $70,000 personal income
Hooks : First generation college student</p>

<p>To be honest, I'm expecting adequate (but not incredible) chances for Berkeley and a low, but still feasible chance to get into Stanford. What do you guys think?</p>

2

<p>Dude this is amazing. You are definitely into Berkeley. I had a friend who got into Stanford with much lower credentials than you - he was Hispanic. Given your hook of being a first generation college student, you are more than likely into Stanford as well. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>If you don’t mind, chance my own (lesser) resume. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1245813-chances-me-carnegie-mellon-cornell-johns-hopkins.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1245813-chances-me-carnegie-mellon-cornell-johns-hopkins.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>I would also add that your computer science credentials are very nice. If that is the field of study you indicated to them, you should be admitted.</p>

4

<p>Incidently, if it helps, I also have concurrent college credit (Dual Credit) in:
US Hist 101
US Hist 102
Govt 101
Engl Comp 101
Creative Writing 201</p>

5

<p>For UC Berkeley you definitely have a very high chance. First generation status and your computer savvy definitely helps. Your scores are high, not perfect but they are reasonable. </p>

<p>Most of your ECs are academic related…do you have any that are not academic related? not sports per se but something possibly quirky, to separate you?</p>

<p>I have a friend at Stanford whose resume was utterly similar to yours; aka you have a chance (while so does everyone else, luck of the draw).</p>

<p>Overall, you are an excellent applicant. You definitely have a chance at Stanford and Berkely (80%). </p>

<p>Chance back?</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1245689-chance-me-nyu-bu-brown-harvard.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1245689-chance-me-nyu-bu-brown-harvard.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>Unfortunately, I’m a typical nerd. So I can’t really say I have anything “quirky” in regards to ECs. I’d love to be able to use my film knowledge as an EC of sorts, but that’d be laying it on a bit thick I think.</p>

7

<p>I would say you are definitely in at Berkeley because you have great scores and EXCELLENT ECs. Chances at Stanford are great too. However, I haven’t heard much about Stanford’s computer science program. If you are not applying for computer science at Stanford, then those extracurriculars might not help as much. However, you have a great chance at both schools nevertheless! Good luck!</p>

<p>Chance me back please (:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1241354-decent-gpa-high-sat-1-weak-ecs.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1241354-decent-gpa-high-sat-1-weak-ecs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>I do not share the same “enthusiasm” for your chances at Stanford as my fellow posters. First, you said your essays were “just decent”. Second, you said that one of your recs was not amazing.</p>

<p>You are a “qualified candidate” for BOTH schools, however I do not feel your GPA, decile, and test scores, average/non-distinctive ECs, as well as your assessment of your essays and recs, will make you ultra-competitive at Stanford. On a positive note, I think your chances of acceptance at Cal are excellent. </p>

<p>Best of luck, at BOTH schools!</p>

9

<p>@jshain</p>

<p>Your assessment conforms much more closely with my own beliefs, however I am certainly ecstatic about the fact that I have a great chance for Cal!</p>

10

<p>I think you have a good chance at Berkeley. I’m not sure if the income you list is your parent’s because you say personal. Understand that Berkeley won’t give aid to OOS students, so you need to be prepared to pay over $50,000 per year.</p>

<p>In all honesty, I don’t see Stanford. All of the kids I’ve seen get into Stanford over the last several years have had something extraordinary. Both your rank and scores are on their low end for a student without a hook and your ECs are solid but ordinary for a top school applicant.</p>

11

<p>No non-academic ECs? That will really impact your chances at Stanford since you don’t have anything like Olympiads on there. Math score is somewhat low for your major (what major are you applying for, by the way?)</p>

<p>Your chances at Berkeley are good, though.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Do you mean about admissions? If so, admission is to the school, not by major at Stanford. Its computer science program is tied for #1, so you cannot go wrong with it.</p>

12

<p>You have no worries in getting into Berkeley… But Stanford is the unexpected b/c I know of some kid who got into Stanford (and yes, REJECTED it…) w/ not an impressive EC, low GPA rank, (2.7/4) and 1200 on the SATs and got into Stanford… I heard later from other people that it was because he was Hispanic… *Sighs…</p>

<p>Chance me back.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1245574-chance-me-rutgers-nb-moved-topic.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1245574-chance-me-rutgers-nb-moved-topic.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

13

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<p>Whoever told you this was lying. You can’t get into Stanford with a 2.7 or with a 1200/2400, and certainly not with both, and certainly not with either without amazing EC’s and having a parent who’s a bigtime donor.</p>