<p>California Public School
API = 722
Asian Male
Both parents went to Berkeley
Middle-income</p>
<p>SAT Scores:
2020 (760M/650CR/610W)
(Chance me as if I had a 2150+, I'm planning to retake)</p>
<p>SAT II Scores:
Math IIC: 800
Physics: 740
Chemistry: 720
US History: 540</p>
<p>UW GPA: 3.86 (85/22)
W GPA: 4.46 (107/24)</p>
<p>Only received 3 B’s Sophomore/Junior year; the rest are A’s.</p>
<p>AP World History (3)
AP Calculus AB (4)
AP Calculus BC (5) (5)
AP Chemistry (5)
AP US History (2)
Honors Chemistry
Honors English</p>
<p>Hardest possible schedule (excluding AP Gov and AP Studio Art)</p>
<p>Freshman summer: Pre-calculus: A
Sophomore summer: Physics: A
Junior summer: C++ Programming: A</p>
<p>Senior: AP English, AP Stats, AP Bio, AP Physics</p>
<p>EC:
Varsity Swimming
300 Slave Labor hours</p>
<p>National Honor Society (’04-‘08)
California Scholarship Federation (’04-‘08)
Math Club (’04-‘08)
FBLA (‘06-‘08) President
Chess Club (‘06-‘08) President
Environmental Club (’07-‘08) President</p>
<p>Chinese school (12 years)
Piano (10 years, no awards)
Internship at my local dentist (’04-’06)
Youth Advisory Commission (’07-’08)</p>
<p>No competition awards. Most of the people at my school don’t even know what the USAMO is. It was too late to take it by the time I figured out what it was…</p>
<ol>
<li>Do you really like math and science and want to push yourself?<br>
If so you should apply regardless of your chances.</li>
<li> Have you done something to show that you really like math or science?</li>
</ol>
<p>The title was really a lure. I am going to apply regardless of CC's opinion. I'd just like to know my chance at getting into that school. The rumors I hear everywhere are daunting but won't change my decision.</p>
<p>@phlogistonfreak: I've taken AP Calculus BC... that's about all. At our school people don't even know about math competitions (like me for freshman to junior year). If I knew about these competitions a lot earlier then I would have applied.</p>
<p>Apply by all means, but what do you have besides mediocre [by Caltech standards] numbers? What did you do in Math Club for 4 years if you did not participate in any competitions? What are some of interests? What do you like to do for fun? These are some questions admissions committee will be likely to ask. So, it will be in your interests to try to answer them in your application.</p>
<p>You can't blame your school for this stuff.
Have you taken initiative to do math ? if you had, then you should have at least some awards. There are LOT of math contests big or small in California.
and Most people at most school have not heard of USAMO.</p>
<p>It's funny that you included the school's API lol I haven't seen that before.</p>
<p>grrr all these chance threads are VERY tempting for me to make one too. grrr</p>
<p>
[quote]
grrr all these chance threads are VERY tempting for me to make one too. grrr
[/quote]
This summer, just for fun, I calculated admission rates for people who created "Chance Me" threads Vs. people who did not. Although I don't remember exact numbers, people who did not asked to chance them got into Caltech at about twice the rate as people who asked. Of course, it's a silly statistics, but still :)</p>
<p>I'd have to second Hriundeli, unless there's something you've done inside or outside of school that suggests that you are devoted to making math or science the focus of your academic life. In one of the essays I'd try to focus on something you've done, or thought about involving science or math.</p>
<p>The thing with Caltech is that their admissions are less forgiving than other schools because if they're not, too many people would drop out, not being able to handle the academics. </p>
<p>Judging by those test scores, admissions would be too scared of the probability of you not being able to hack it at Caltech. And judging by your responses, they'd be absolutely correct.</p>
<p>Are his test scores alone really enough to give him a rejection? I see some less than great scores, but the worst ones are not in math/science. For SAT I he only got a 760 math, and when he retakes he'll probalby get even higher. The 4 on the AB Calculus is a little puzzling because he got a 5 on the BC and I think the other 5 means a 5 for the AB subscore. I'm guessing that those 5s will make the adcom tend to overlook the other 4. Admittedly, however, the SAT II scores could be a little higher. Although, it's hard to believe a 720 and 740 are grounds for denial. On the other hand, he doesnt have anything else truly amazing on his application that may outweigh the mediocre scores.</p>
<p>On another note, I'd have to agree with previous responses: if you don't have any devotion to math/science, then why do you even want to go to Caltech?</p>
<p>From what I've been able to discern, the admissions committee looks for both strong high school performance and your passion for math, science, and engineering. But feel free to prove us wrong in April.</p>
<p>Additionally, while your school may have had limited options, did it actively stop you from going beyond what it offered? (For instance, my school was limited: It only covered AB Calculus, so I took courses at local college to get through multivariable Calculus and took a course on writing proofs)</p>
<p>correct me if i'm wrong, but as far as scores being low, we're talking about the sat II sciences being low, and the verbal/writing on SAT I right? doesn't caltech care a lot more about the math scores which are ok for the OP?</p>
<p>For everyone dissecting scores and talking about "overlooking" them or not, let me repeat; a lot of people have traditionally dropped out, transfered, or taken longer than four years to graduate from Caltech, moreso than any other elite college. </p>
<p>That's something the school strongly wishes to avoid, which explains one reason why they don't put as much emphasis on diversity in their admissions. </p>
<p>If you barely cracked a 2000 on the SATs and you're not an international student, what does that say about your work ethic? What does a 720 in Chemistry, 740 in Physics, and 4 in Calculus AB say about your ability to hack the required courses in each of those fields? </p>
<p>Considering you mentioned not even having a passion for math and science to overcome your disadvantages in background, the probability that you won't graduate from Caltech in four years is too high.</p>
<p>Well I DID get a 5 on the AP Chem exam though that doesn't say much. I self-studied physics all by myself, though, which explains the 740. The introductory course I took in Sophomore summer merely taught that F=ma, nothing else. The 4 in Calculus AB was the teacher. He spent 4 months on Chapter TWO because the rest of the class wasn't motivated to do anything. I ended up being one of the only two A's in his three periods. That was in sophomore year remember. My junior year I got a 5 on Calculus BC and 5 for the AB subscore as well (the teacher rocked).</p>
<p>My SATs I took blind. I didn't study at all and I somehow broke 2000. I knew that my score sucked, so I spent the rest of that time studying SATs. Hopefully the SAT I took in November will show the fruits of it.</p>
<p>I say I have no passion because compared to mostly everyone on this forum, what I do seems like nothing. I took the AMC 10 and 12 but I didn't score high enough for the AIME. However, I do exert some passion for computer science. Summer of sophomore and junior year I self-studied two programming languages, BASIC and Python. I should and will try to incorporate this into my essays.</p>
<p>@sonofsam: My school DID have limited options, but not even knowing about popular math competitions did stop me from going beyond.</p>
<p>I know that this post was just excuses after excuses, but instead of screaming at me for stating how I didn't have any devotion (which I now regret), please chance me with your best ability. Thanks.</p>