<p>Male - American Indian - Public, Oklahoma
Finishing up Junior year</p>
<p>SAT 800 M, 800 CR, 780 W (2380)
ACT 35
SATII 800 IIC, 800 Physics, 760 Spanish</p>
<p>GPA 4.0 UW
Rank 2/571
Junior year: 6 AP's
Senior year: 6 AP's
AP Exams:
=>Physics C: Mech (expecting 5)
=>Physics C: E/M (expecting 5)
=>Biology (expecting 5)
=>English Language (expecting 4)
=>US History (expecting 5)
=>BC Calculus (expecting 5)
=>Spanish Language (expecting 5)</p>
<p>EC
Student Body President
Volunteer Hours (200+)
Two years work experience (25 hrs/week)
Chess (2436 ELO rating, could be IM rank if I were to pursue a chess career)
4 year Varsity Football
Founder of Astronomy Club
Founder of Debate Club
Founder of International Club</p>
<p>Financial Aid - Yes, please ($25K income)</p>
<p>you need to improve your test scores and rank; those aren't ivy league level numbers.</p>
<p>but seriously, is this a joke? your ecs/stats seem a little too good to be true.</p>
<p>Sounds like high school wasn't challenging enough for you. Congrats, you're just like a large % of columbia applicants, and you've gotten yourself seriously considered. As an american indian you'll have a boost there, but any reason you're not listing your Junior year AP scores? Those are a good way to prove that your coursework is as rigorous as a good college might want to see, and that you're truly academically prepared.</p>
<p>Do students from your school typically apply to top colleges? What is the profile of your school, in other words.</p>
<p>Talk a bit more about your accomplishments in those clubs you founded. what all did you do, did you get any recognition or hold any events etc?</p>
<p>Basically, tell me something that would make you stand out from the pack. Think about what that would be. Heck, how are you spending your summers? How have you spent your summers in the past? What do you do in the evenings besides homework?</p>
<p>American Indian = Guaranteed acceptance with stats MUCH lower than yours.</p>
<p>You're one of the most locked candidated I've ever seen.</p>
<p>Seriously, you're an incredibly impressive candidate.</p>
<p>Junior year AP exam scores have not yet come in...</p>
<p>Therefore, I listed the scores I am expecting...I apologize for making that confusing.</p>
<p>The school which I currently attend hardly sends students to OU, let alone Ivies.</p>
<p>On the topic of summers...</p>
<p>I've mainly worked full-time, nothing too out of the ordinary or too eventful. Denzera, what I feel makes me stand out from the pack is the chess rating - 2436. A hair over two thousand people in the WORLD have a rating over 2400...just throwing that out there.</p>
<p>oh, i'm aware. I met an IM the other day, columbia masters student by the name of Ilya (goes by Eli) Vovska. Smart dude.</p>
<p>The thing is, you just throw it out there, there's little explanation of how passionate you are about chess. talk about your tournaments, or the friends you've made through it, or the ways in which it's taught you to think and what you want to do with those skills... I suppose there may be essay potential there, but you've given us very little context.</p>
<p>But yeah, answer the rest of what I asked... what do you do in the evenings? What accomplishments or achievements do you have outside of classes and chess? (not that chess is unimpressive, just a little one-dimensional). What of those other clubs?</p>
<p>In the evenings, eh?</p>
<p>Well, let's see, I work, read a good bit of literature, and work out...</p>
<p>As for accomplishments, nothing really; I'm not your typical "does everything" type of guy. I've had numerous Employee of the Month recognitions, two Student of the Year honors, and that's about it. If you're wanting me to say that I worked on stem cell research at my local research center and made some incredible discovery, I would have to be lying. I really don't have any stupendous achievements outside of chess.</p>
<p>that's ok, but that's part of the profile we'd need to give you decent advice. It's not just about what you accomplished, but what you did with what you had available to you.</p>
<p>Ordinarily, the best way to set yourself apart is to demonstrate passion in one or more areas of intellectual study. Chess is certainly one, and a respectable one. Academic subjects you're particularly enthusiastic about, you'd see passion in going above and beyond the call of duty. Doing great in the class and on the AP is a first step, and some people with the resources may have gone several steps further, but nobody's going to expect that you can move mountains without being given anything.</p>
<p>But think a bit about how you want to present yourself as a passionate and talented individual. That you are hardworking and smart is beyond question, it seems. But I know a lot of hardworking and smart people who I couldn't even carry on a conversation with. What gets you fired up? What could you talk about all day long (you know, besides chess, and girls)? The reason this is important to think about is because it's essay fodder.</p>
<p>Another relevant question I have for you is, what other colleges are you considering, and how much do you care about columbia? Because knowledge of the school, as reflected in a "why-us?" blurb, is another good place to differentiate yourself.</p>
<p>incidentally, which school do you go to? i used to go to jenks, which you may have heard of. ha.</p>
<p> I think you can get in. It too, depends on your essay. </p>
<p>I think instead of chess you might write an essay about your Native American heritage. There are a lot of chess players, fewer Native Americans. Because you are from Oklahoma, I am assuming you are Cherokee descent. How strong is your tribal affiliation, and what has it meant to you? The essay has to be really creative, not predictable.</p>