Chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Junior from a very small high school in rural IL.
Ethnicity, gender, etc: Male, White(middle-eastern) Son of 2 Immigrants
School:Just under 400 students total, 70 some in graduating class, (one of my pals was admitted to brown last year)
Gpa/scores/class rank: 1st in class, perfect 4 unweighted (school doesn’t weigh might be around 4.3 weighed) Act 33 (I think there is a very good chance I will apply with a 34, I have a few more shots at the test) E35M36R30S32 Subject tests: I predict a 800 on math II and probably a mid 700’s on physics. AP test for Calc AB should be a 5, I score very well with math.
Class history:
(only listing academic courses.) (excluding things like band orchestra and PE)
Freshy: Bio, Honors Geometry, Honors English, Government,

Sophomore: Chemistry, Honors Algebra II, Honors English II, Illinois History, Ancient world history, Arabic(Online)

Jr: Honors English 3, AP Calculus (online), Physics, Arabic II(Online) US history,

Senior(projected): English 101 (duel credit course from local community college), AP Calc BC or Equivalent course from local 4 year college, Social concerns, Intro to Politics, (doesn’t look like I’ll have time in the day for a science course)

Band and orchestra were in my schedule all 4 years.
These may seem weak, but these are the most difficult courses offered at my school, and most of the “difficult ones” I took by some other means.
EC’s (fairly weak)

Jazz band section leader (4 years)
Scholastic Bowl (2 years)

Co-founder Politics Club (2 years)
Robotics Club (2 years) (joined when it was founded)
Band and orchestra section leader in both (4 years) if you want to count them
WYSE academic challenge team (2 years) (state finalist in math in junior year, obviously don’t know for next year)

Awards:

Wyse State finalist (Math)
“Semper Fidelis” Outstanding musician award
“Best of the day award” (Best solo performance at local solo and ensemble competition, estimated about 100 people there)
Academic excellence award (for 4 gpa)

Hooks: First generation college student, URM(kinda) Initiative to go far outside school’s base curriculum to take challenging courses.

Essays prediction: I think I can write very good essays, I have plenty of interesting things to talk about.
Interview: I think I’ll be great talking to the alumni from these colleges, I’m sure we can have some interesting conversations.
Main story: Math enthusiast, really enjoy the ins and outs of theoretical mathematics, especially proofs. Pretty talented musician, plays 3 instruments fluently, 1 of them exceptionally well. Lax and curious personality, constantly looking for justification, or meaning to actions and behaviors.

And Finally, Schools.

Reach: MIT, Princeton, UChicago (perhaps more we will see)

Target: Mellon, Berkeley, Harvey mudd

Safe: UMichigan, Case Western

These are not at all fully thought through.
So, thoughts?

2

UMich is not a safety if you are not in state. Berkley is also more of a low reach because you’re OOS.

3

Does it actually make a significant difference? Also, other thoughts?

4

I agree with the UMich and Berkeley comments. I also don’t think that CMU or Harvey Mudd are matches, but would categorize them as reaches. As a white male, you are not a URM. The only hook is a first generation college student. Neither parent received a college degree at all, correct?

I think your list is very reach-heavy.

Also, can you afford all of these schools?

5

Neither parent with a degree, I agree on the reach comment, I would like to add some more schools in the 40-25 range of acceptance rate. Money shouldn’t be a problem, the top of the list tends to provide generous financial aid, and father is a successful small business owner if I were to go somewhere not as giving. Middle-east white is not on the same level as European white Imo, I mean, my skin is barely that color, but they have always fallen in the same category though…

6

I would add University of Illinois as a safety. It’s your state university, so you have a really good chance of getting in. I think you need some lower-level schools on your list, as almost all the schools you listed are reaches.

7

It’s not half bad, but I really want to get out of cornfield territory. :stuck_out_tongue:

8

dayum cc is brutal;
dont worry bro, i think you definitely got some solid chances

9

If you want to get out of cornfield territory (I know how you feel lol), think about maybe Boston University? You seem like you’re interested in a city school, which is as far from cornfield as I can imagine. Look up various schools with high acceptance rates (around 50% is a good area) that still have great academics (that’s why I recommend your flagship state school, since they typically are the highest ranked). You have a great shot at all the schools listed, but you always want to be sure that you have one school that is a guaranteed acceptance.

10

I feel like regardless of how you feel, you should apply to safer schools than those. If I had your confidence when I applied, it would be pretty bad… Anything 30%ish and below is not really “safety” regardless of what you have.
I hope you best of luck! Really isolate the few reaches you truly love and go with those, then pick 1 other with nearly 100% you will get in (I would say schools w over 50% acceptance rate). You seem pretty fabulous, so hopefully I wish you the best.