Chances!! Princeton ED for artistic new immigrant student (2 years in the US)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>go to one of the top public high schools in the nation (sent 6 people to Harvard last year)
changed 4 different schools since 9th grade (2 in Taiwan, 2 in the States)</p>

<p>senior year class load: AP drawing, AP English (big challenge to me), AP bio, AP Econ/Gov't, Japanese 3, multivariable calc, biotech & genetics (CC)
GPA 4.5w 3.97 uw
SAT: reading 620, math 790, writing 610 (going to retake in oct but i don't think my reading & writing are going to improve too much)
SAT IIs: Math IIC 760, Bio E 780, US History 730, Chinese 800
AP's (all 5's): US History, Calc BC, AB sub score 5, Chem, Stats, Enviro
all of the AP's are taken in 11th grade because i went to a crappy LA school in 10th grade
NIH Cancer Research Training Award
NIH summer intern program award
participate in NIH poster day, NCI frederick poster day, gave a pretty serious talk in the lab meeting (there were about 30~40 PhD's)
interned at NIH: going to publish a paper & enter westinghouse/intel
treasurer of Amnesty club
outstanding scholar of the school
student of the month in japanese class
President of the Science & Math Gifted Magnet in Taiwan
president of school debate team (tw)
national calligraphy awards in Taiwan
various art awards in taiwan (design, water color, engraving, chinese painting etc etc)
was in a science & math magnet in Taiwan (very very heavy class load. 7 hr of physics, chem, bio, math each and 4 hr of earth science and research classes)
interned at a plant pathology lab in Taiwan
1st place in reginal science fair(tw)
2nd place in magnet creative math competition (tw)
was in a school preparation program for international bio olympiad in taiwan (but i can't do it now because i'm in the US)</p>

<p>recs: good recs from two teachers and counselor, outstanding rec from my mentor in NIH (he's very happy with my work), great rec from the dean of my high school in taiwan
family income: <$18,000 (4 people)
going to submit an art protifolio (my art works include a lot of science related paintings, drawing about my summer project in NIH, chinese painting, calligraphy, watercolor etc)
essays: about my immigration experience (i was told 6 months before i moved here. big big shock to me and also my family is very very poor and faced a lot of problems in the US), my love toward art and science (i'm going to tie them together)</p>

<p>I know my SAT really sucks and so far don't have very significant awards/grades in the States, but I am really passionate and motivated. I really want to go to Princeton because of their visual art program + good bio department. I'm especially interested in a art & science competiotin thing they have in Princeton.
Could you guys give me some advices? Should I even apply?</p>

2

<p>id say you have an excelent chance...but your sat score holds me back. its really gonna hurt you a lot. i recommend studying your butt off for october...if you get over 2250 you will have a good chance</p>

3

<p>thank you!! oo i really need to get serious about SAT. I'm also going to take TOEFL & ACT in oct</p>

4

<p>Here's an idea:</p>

<p>Take a look at Carnegie Mellon. It is both one of the very best science and very best art schools in the US, and you would be a very competitive applicant with your current GPA, SAT and SAT2 scores, AP scores and impressive ECs. You should also take a look at Washington University in St. Louis. Although your SATs are just a bit low for that school, all your other test scores and your ECs would make you competitive. And Wash U has an excellent bio program - one of the best in the U.S. - and a very good art school.</p>

<p>Also, do not apply ED anywhere. If you are accepted, then you must go there, even if the financial aid package is inadequate. If you must apply early, apply EA. Generally, if you apply EA and you are accepted, you can still apply elsewhere with the idea of getting a better financial aid deal. I'm not sure if Princeton offers an EA program, but if the school does, check out the details and make sure that acceptance is not binding, so you can apply to other schools.</p>

5

<p>does a binding ED makes it easier than Princeton RD?
Carneigie Mellon and Washington U sound pretty nice. Just that Princeton has always been my dream when I was in Taiwan (some books' influence) and I was so happy when I figured it out that they had this "art and science" competition which is exactly what i really like
anyhow..i need to work my butt of for SAT. seems like it's the thing thay pulls me back</p>

6

<p>Admissions in all the top colleges need a bit of luck. This means that you may get into Princeton if you do your best. Good luck.</p>

7

<p>"does a binding ED makes it easier than Princeton RD?"</p>

<p>At Princeton, no. But whether you apply ED or RD at Princeton, you will be competing with kids who have stellar stats. Unless you get your SATs above at least 2200, your chances there - which are no more than than 10% on average - will be slim.</p>