Chances with Intel Isef Awards

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I recently won a 3rd place grand award in the medicine and health category at intel isef. How will this help with admissions?</p>

<p>It’ll increase your chances.</p>

<p>Really, what else would you think? It’s not going to guarantee you admission, but it’s better than not winning the award.</p>

<p>Bruno is right: there are no golden tickets (unless perhaps you are a President’s off-spring). But successes do increase your likelihood of acceptances, so it all depends on how you look at it: only one in fours valedictorians gets accepted, but that’s still triple the average acceptance rate.</p>

<p>Think of your award as a special kicker, maybe like being a legacy. It’s not going to get you in all by itself, but if the rest of your academic and EC “portfolio” is up to par with the top third of the applicants, it could well be the difference that gets you the admissions nod over someone else.</p>

<p>Would I have a strong chance with 3.9, act above 30?</p>

<p>You have a good chance! Good luck!</p>

<p>What else should I do to really standout?</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>The 3.9 GPA is fine, unless it kicks you out of the top 10% because there are 25 valedictorians with a 4.0 (happens).</p>

<p>An ACT of 31 is below the median acceptance rate at 7.1%; an ACT of 33-34 would be a better bet with a median 13.4% acceptance rate. Can you retake? You may get in either way, but your best odds would be to have the Intel edge plus fully comparable stats with your last-round competition, which I estimate to be the top one-third of the applicants.</p>

<p>[Admission</a> Facts | Undergraduate Admission](<a href=“Undergraduate Admission | Brown University”>Undergraduate Admission | Brown University)</p>

<p>@CallMeDukeUni‌ </p>

<p>Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but how does one even prepare for such a thing? What counts as research? </p>