Chances

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Alright I am going to be a Senior in high school and need to decide if I have any chance at many of the schools I am applying to. I probably will end up majoring in Bio or Chem but I don't want to limit myself to a tech school because I also really love literature, history, and political science.</p>

<p>I have:</p>

<p>Grades:
GPA (Unweighted) 3.92
QPA (Weighted) 4.82
Class Rank - 10th/500
Taken hardest classes offered each year.
Attend a large, very competitive, suburban public school (usually gets a student or two into each of the following: MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown, Stanford) </p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule:
AP BC Calculus
AP Chemistry
AP English Literature
AP US Government
AP Biology
2 Honors levels history electives taught by the two best teachers in the school
Concert Band during Lunch</p>

<p>SATs:
Math - 760
Critical Reading - 740
Writing - 700</p>

<p>SATIIs:
Math IIC - 780
US History - 760</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
-4 years of Percussion Ensemble. We played at the Music Educators National Convention my Sophomore year (one of 30 groups nationwide, one of only 15 highschool groups, and the only percussion ensembe) and the National Percussion Festival my Junior year (one of 12 groups nationwide) and will probably play at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association my Senior year. Keyboard Ensemble Senior year (group made up of the 3 best players out of the 60 in the program)</p>

<p>-4 years marching band in the Percussion Front.
Senior year Percussion Front Captain</p>

<p>-4 Years concert band - Senior year Principal Percussionist</p>

<p>-District Band Junior Year (hopefull regional or all-state senior year)</p>

<p>-President of the Chemistry Club Senior year</p>

<p>-3rd place in a Western Pennsylvania Chemistry Competition Sophomore year</p>

<p>-Ultimate Frisbee team Junior and Senior year</p>

<p>-Volunteer once a week at a local hospital for about 4 or 5 hours</p>

<p>-Started a program in a local middle school that monitors the students' activity, gives them chances to play sports after school/be active, brings in a nutritionist to talk to them about eating correctly and teaches about how rewarding an active lifestyle can be. </p>

<p>-Every summer for the past 5 years have traveled for at least one week to another city to work at homeless shelters or on Habitat for Humanity-style trips.</p>

<p>-Attended Governor's School for Health Care summer between Junior and Senior years</p>

<p>I am looking at...</p>

<p>Princeton (3 generations of legacy)
Brown
Tufts
Wash U. St. Louis
Amherst
Northwestern
U. of Michigan
William and Mary
Penn State</p>

<p>I don't know where I am going to apply early yet. Princeton, Amherst, Tufts, and Wash U. are my favorite schools I have seen.</p>

<p>Do I have any chance?</p>

2

<p>Princeton (3 generations of legacy)--Match (mostly because of the legacies--they have to count for something here)
Brown--Match (closest school statistics-wise of all your choices)
Tufts--Match
Wash U. St. Louis--Slight Reach
Amherst--Waitlist/Slight Reach
Northwestern--Match
U. of Michigan--Safe Match
William and Mary--Safe Match
Penn State--Safety</p>

<p>Normally, your 10/500 ranking would be a killer at Princeton. But considering you have a 4.82 W GPA, and only two Bs, you obviously are up against the toughest competition in the toughest courses possible--and the 3 legacies should make a difference. Write some good essays, though--because without them you could be in trouble there.</p>

3

<p>I'd pull Brown and Tufts down to low reaches because your stats on qualify you and Tufts and Brown are both more individual oriented than stats oriented.</p>

<p>But you've got a great shot at Princeton with your legacies and your solid academic record. If they still had early decision, then you'd be in under that program.</p>

<p>Best of luck.</p>

4

<p>The thing is...</p>

<p>My family has never given a cent to Princeton</p>