Chances

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>I am an African-American female at an urban public highschool (in the gifted magnet) in Los Angeles but I am from an upper middle class family. My stats are:</p>

<p>Academics:
-GPA
<em>unweighted 3.95
*weighted 4.2
*UC weighted 4.4
-ranked in top 2% out of 990 (15th)
-mostly A's with the exception of two B's (in SPanish freshman year and an indepedent study life skills class)
-SAT I
*first time: 1340 (680v, 660m)
*second time: 2250 (790m,790v,670w)
-SATII
*Biology: 730
*US History 770
*will take math 2c
-APs
*Spanish 2 (oops)
*US History 5
*Eurpean history 5
*Biology 5
*English Literature 4
*to be taken:
*</em>AP Calculus AB
*<em>AP Economics (will take two AP tests)
*</em>AP Psychology
*<em>AP Government (will take two AP tests)
*</em>AP English Composition
-Honors filled the rest of my schedule with the exception of Spanish (not offered in honors) and my PE classes</p>

<p>ECs
-captain of the soccer team 2 years (only freshman on varsity since freshman year)
-Jack and Jill (cultural/service organization)
*member since age 9
*treasurer 2 years
*parlimentarian 1 year
-Science Bowl
*on team 3 years
*captain 2 years
-member California Honor Society
-member California Scholarship Federation
-Mentor 3 years</p>

<p>Summers:
-before 9th grade Traveled through Europe playing with soccer team
-before 10th grade Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth summer program in Maryland
-before 11th grade UC COSMOS summer program at UC Davis
-Before 12th grade
*job as office clerk 2 days a week
*internship at USC Keck School of Medicine assisting with research 3 days a week</p>

<p>Volunteering- 250 hours
-Test Sucess Tutoring underpriveleged youth
-Cooking for homeless
-Ronald McDonald House
-many small projects with Jack and Jill</p>

<p>Awards Received
-national merit commended student
-national acheivement commended student (as of now)
-Who's Who Among American Highschool Students (know it doens't count for much)
-Second All-League Soccer team (2 years)</p>

<p>What could I do this year to increase my chances of getting in?</p>

2

<p>you shouldn't do things just to increase your chances.. but other than that, i really don't think you should worry. you have a great shot (which is a rather low percentage still) of being admitted. I would suggest taking the SAT just once more and see how you do on the writing portion. try to break 720, then i dont think it'll matter anymore. there is no real big thing that seperates you from the rest of the group, but then again, that's a compliment in itself as the people who can distingusih themselves are like super-geniuses in everything... damn buttholes. well good luck!</p>

3

<p>I would say your case is quite similar to my case, and according to most people who replied to my "chances" thread, I am very typical. Although you very much qualify to get into Princeton, there are many others just like you. So the easiest way to get around that is to focus on your essay very much. Be yourself and show some personal side of you to stand out above all the other typical and well-qualified kids.
Also be sure to talk in detail about one or two of the volunteer experiences and how it affected you. </p>

<p>Something I might suggest to increase your chance is starting some sort of community project. Not necessarily volunteering, but something that incorporates what you have learned in school and activities into improving the society near you. This may sound far-fetched but if you look carefully there are lots of small things around you that you can do.</p>

<p>Of course, all this is just my humble opinion... I'll tell you though.. you came to the right site. The people here are awesome and will be much more helpful to you than I am :p. Good luck! Oh, are you doing ED or RD?</p>

4

<p>I don't mean to steal anyone's thread, but I haven't quite gotten the hang of creating my own, so I apologize in advance... lol</p>

<p>Anyways, I am also interested in my chances at Princeton. It's been my dream school for as long as I can remember.</p>

<p>NJ resident, Female. Mol. Biology/ Chem major. Applying RD
Rank: 6/278
SAT: 1930 (610 M, 610 V, 710W) I took these in March w/o studying, and am retaking in October with serious studying. Hoping to get around 2100. Still have to take SAT II's
Most challenging classes. AP English, Spanish, Chemistry, Biology, and European History (not many more available at my school). All else Honors entire HS career, including H Biochem.</p>

<p>EC's: Track (9- JV letter), Newspaper (9, 12), NHS (11,12), Peer Development Leader (11, 12), Spanish teacher for 3rd and fourth graders at local elementary schools (11, 12), Spanish NHS (10, 11, 12), History Club (11, 12- Director of Fundraising), Assistant CCD teacher (11, 12), Junior Volunteer at local hospital (10,11, 12- 100+ hours), Band (9, 10, 11, 12- competition in Toronto. One of four saxes in band who performed), and in 11th grade I was chosen to interview war veterans for the library of Congress. I also am an avid recreational skiier :-)</p>

<p>Work experience- Working at local restaurant since summer before 10th grade. Started out as food runner, now waitress.</p>

<p>Weird things about me- I immigrated to the US at the age of 5 and previously lived in Italy and Albania (a former Communist nation, even at time of my birth). Therefore, I speak and/or understand 3 languages. I travel to Italy frequently, and reside with and am very close to an ancient monastic community of Byzantine Basilian monks near Rome (my family is very close to the abbott of this order.) I also translate and write important letters for family members who are unable to speak English and take care of my younger brothers (one is 5, the other is a baby). </p>

<p>I know Princeton's a longshot, but I would be thrilled and honored to be offered admission. I have been working very hard to raise my SAT scores, and wonder if you guys think I have some sort of shot with higher scores... Thanks so much for the replies</p>

5

<p>I think you definitely have a shot if you can get your score up to 2100 like you aim to. But I wouldn't say the chances are great even then. I daresay you're an average student. Why don't you think about applying ED?</p>

<p>Also, to increase your chances mention your travels to Italy on your essay portion of the application. Something "weird" about you, as you put it, should bump your chances. If you can pull off a good essay out of the monk life, I'd say you have a good shot at Princeton.</p>

6

<p>i agree, you should deinfitely apply, even with lower SAT scores. Princeton looks for diversity remember, as ambiguous as it seems, and it seems you have it! :D</p>

7

<p>thanks so much for all the input :-) although I'm white, would my immigrant/ multi-lingual status make me an URM? or is that fairly ordinary?</p>

8

<p>I think bilingual would be ordinary but trilingual is definitely above that.</p>