Chances for UC's, Stanford, ivies?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I've already posted this but since it's getting really close to application time I'm worried. I'm not sure if I should apply to the ivies; I really want to, but I don't want to waste my time if I'm not going to be accepted to any of them. My most realistic choice is probably UC Berkeley (great school, good location, not too big of a reach). If I got into Stanford, it would definitely be one of my top choices. Here are my stats: </p>

<p>Demographics: Asian male
Low-Income family, from poor neighborhood (don't know if this makes a difference. From SF Bay Area. First generation immigrant (from Vietnam) and first generation college student.</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.95
Weighted (only grades 10 and 11, core classes): 4.27
Class Rank: 2 or 3 out of 415</p>

<p>9th grade classes (unfortunately I chose a lot of fluff classes, no Honors or AP available):
-English 9
-Geometry
-Biology
-French I
-Piano
-Prep for College
-Academic Readiness (required for incoming 9th graders)
-P.E.
All A's</p>

<p>10th grade (my school switched to period schedule; only Honors available was Chem):
-World History Acc
-Chemistry Honors
-French II
-Alg II/trig
-English Acc
-PE
All A's except one B second semester in English</p>

<p>-11th grade (basically I took the most difficult classes I could, my school is quite limited):
-Anatomy/Physiology H
-Physics
-French III
-AP US Hist
-English H
-Precalculus
Grades: A's all first semester, second semester I had one B in anatomy</p>

<p>Summer of Junior year I will take an Art class at a community college so I can get all my classes I want for Senior year.</p>

<p>Senior year classes (changing back to block and AP's go the whole year):
-AP Literature
-AP Calculus AB/BC
-AP Environmental
-American Gov't/Econ H
-French IV H
Don't know about my grades as I haven't taken the class, but I think I will get mostly A's.</p>

<p>EC's:
-Not much I must admit. I will have done a state-wide piano exam for 4 years, and the last year I will be participating in the Panel, somewhat like a competition. Also, I probably will be competing in a regional piano competition. I play classical piano.
-Playing keyboard for church band.
-3rd degree brown-belt in karate.</p>

<p>SAT I score: 2020 (will retake October and hopefully get 2100+)
730 CR, 680 M, 610 W</p>

<p>SAT II's:
-USH 770
-Will take math level II and literature</p>

<p>AP Scores: 4 in USH and 4 in English Lang.</p>

<p>I know I will be applying to all the UC's. What do you guys think my chances are at Berkeley, LA, and San Diego? Should I spend my time on ivies? Stanford?</p>

2

<p>You should be in at UCB no problem, Stanford and the ivies will be hard.</p>

<p>Your SATs are not in range and 2100 really isn't either. While your school may not have had a lot of APs, there's endless opportunities in the Bay Area. CCs, EPGY and all sorts of programs. No reason for the weak ECs either.</p>

<p>Low income is a plus, but being Asian the competition is huge. I'd throw in an app or 2 at a lower ivy, but I don't see Stanford level schools.</p>

3

<p>Suze is silly. If you want to try you should. For all we know you write fantastic essays and your personal story is compelling.</p>

4

<p>Alumother, I'll continue to be too polite to say what I think of the quality and varacity of your posts.</p>

5

<p>Suze, I like your posts. But I think it's veracity.</p>

6

<p>virtuoso_735:</p>

<p>UCB/UCLA: Match
UCSD: Safe Match</p>

7

<p>UC Berkeley/UCLA: Match
UCSD: Match/Safe Match</p>

<p>If you can get your SAT up a bit you should deffiantly apply to Stanford and other Ivies. They are tough, but you have excellent stats and with a bit higher of a sat you could possibly gain admission to one of a few of them.</p>

8

<p>Thanks. Any more thoughts?</p>

9

<p>Suze can be tough in her grading, but the facts are that she's correct in your case. You need at least 2100 and preferably 2150 for Stanford and all of the Ivies but Penn, Brown and Cornell. </p>

<p>Even for these three schools, the problem is your "fluff" courseload and limited ECs. I mean--I don't get it. You say your school offers no APs, then I see that you are taking 3 in your senior year--2 of which are kind of unusual. (why did you wait to take all of these until senior year?--why didn't you take at least two in your junior year?) If you had taken more APs in your sophomore and junior years, I think your odds would be much better.</p>

<p>As it is, you will qualify easily for the UCs--all of them. The cost at them is reasonable and you can pick the one you want to go to--so go that route and have a great life.</p>

10

<p>No AP's are offered Freshman and Junior year. Yes, I could have taken AP Art History in my Junior year, but I was stupid and decided to take Anatomy instead.</p>