<p>Hi guys,
I was wondering if you guys could assess my "resume" to see whether I have any chance of getting into Columbia SEAS.</p>
<p>So here it is:
School: Paramus High School, Paramus, NJ (not really a great school)
GPA: 4.1 Weighted (No ranking) (around 3.9 -4.0 unweighted?)
Courseload: Chemistry AP, all honors except College Prep English in freshmen year
Planning to take AP Bio and Physics next year, Spanish for two years
ACT: 31 (Not planning to send score)
SAT: 2050, 640 CR, 690 W, 720 Math (I'm taking it again, aiming for 2200+)
SAT IIs: Waiting for SAT Physics and Math Level 2, Chemistry 800</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
-High school band and wind ensemble for 4 years (hopefully a section leader or drum major next year) (also orchestra)
-All-state, regions, county band on clarinet and alto clarinet
-Math Club for 3 years (treasurer this year, probably president next year)
-Club that goes to nursing home frequently (secretary this year) (2 years)
-AMC 10, 12, and ARML participant (does this benefit at all?)
-ABRSM Piano Playing Auditions Level 5 and 6 (passed and passed with merit)
-ABRSM Theory Exam Level 5 (passed)
-Local community band for 2 summers
-school clarinet choir for 2 years
-peer tutoring math
-Church chamber orchestra for 2.5 years (have been temporary conductor for couple of months) (concertmaster role)
-New Jersey Science League (Chem I and II) (ranked 80th for Chem II) (is rank worth mentioning?)
-New Jersey Governor's School of Engineering and Technology
-Volunteer at a library
-possibly Columbia SHP</p>
<p>It's not much but i hope you guys can give me some feedbacks and tips.</p>
<p>Yeah, I was planning to raise my score. So what is the likelihood of me getting in?
On the update on the May SAT II scores, I got 710 on Physics and 800 on Math level II. Should I take the physics again?</p>
This isn’t exactly impressive either. If I remember correctly, ABRSM goes up to Level 8, and I am sure a large percentage of the applicants out there have finished level 8 or equivalent in other systems. Almost not worth mentioning, unless you simply want to emphasize interest in music.</p>
<p>
80th is usually nothing special… out of how many though?</p>
<p>any idea on potential major? music looks like your focus, but obviously you won’t be majoring in that.
SAT is slightly low, as mentioned earlier.
and race? Asian would make it decidedly more difficult.
I don’t see anything that stands out. ED might be nice to you, but I think your chances are low-ish RD.</p>
<p>nothing wrong, it’s just very hard to stand out among the crowd. In addition, nowhere does the OP state that he is majoring, or that he has any true interest (and emphasis) in, music. He is applying to SEAS.</p>
<p>Your GPA really doesn’t seem high enough - but maybe my school is different than yours. Our weighted GPA’s are out of 5. If that’s the way yours is too, then a 4.1 is not high enough to get you into Columbia - espc. if your school isn’t very good, like you said - then Columbia will wonder why your GPA isn’t higher if you aren’t going to as competitive of a high school. I go to a very competitive high school, and people get rejected from Columbia with 4.8’s. And, if you are in all honors and only have a 4.1, then you must not have gotten too many in A’s in these classes. Obv. I haven’t seen your transcript, but that’s what your GPA looks like.</p>
<p>You have great test scores - might want to raise the W and CR. </p>
<p>Unless you completely stand out for something, your chances at Columbia are not great. Even though your music is very impressive - you haven’t like played at Carnegie Hall, so I don’t think it will make up for your grades.</p>
<p>Still apply, but I wouldn’t count on it. Sorry.</p>
<p>Oh, I am planning to major in chemical engineering. I know I lack a lot of things, like GPA and SAT scores. But I am hoping my Governor’s School project would be good enough to enter Intel STS. </p>
<p>eastcoastlove:
thank you for the constructive criticism. I was only planning to apply to Columbia as a reach. I agree with fact that I rather have a slim chance of getting in --;; As of right now, there are couple of things I can’t really fix, and GPA is one of them sadly. </p>
<p>Also, if I find out that I got into Columbia SHP, how much would that boost my app?</p>
<p>I know people who have done it and gotten into columbia college. I imagine that it would be a significant advantage SEAS. so, yes, it will significantly boost your chances, ESPECIALLY if you apply ED.</p>
<p>abrsm actually goes up to diploma level right? im sorry but im going to have to agree with zephyr on this one… i believe a serious pianist would have completed abrsm by 13-14 at the latest, i know quite a few people who have.
plus you seem to play many instruments… but not really committed to any single one of them. not sure milking the music thing is quite the way to go. unless of course you’ve won some impressive state/national/international competitions. </p>
<p>80th at a state science contest is unfortunately not worth mentioning at all… sorry…aim for no. 1 next year or something.</p>
<p>sadly, being asian applying for seas puts you at a disadvantage… but since asians are all stereotyped as the seas, engineering, nerdish type, if you write an awesome essay, you might stand out :)</p>
<p>Epaminondas:
Yes, that is a possibility, but Columbia SHP starts in the fall. I would think it would be very difficult to get a good recommendation by the time I submit my applications.</p>
<p>rivergirl123:
I agree with you with the whole piano thing…my main instrument is now clarinet. I know my “music resume” might not look impressive, but are competitions the only way to stand out in music?
Also, with the essay, is it true that they compare the application essay with the SAT Writing essay? I am planning to get some help on the essay (possibly significant revisions), and I am afraid it’s going to differ greatly in terms of writing ability and style.</p>
<p>I don’t believe they consider the SAT essay. it’s a completely different breed of writing anyways. Getting help isn’t bad, but I would try hard to keep it within your own writing style/ability. I had a couple people edit my essays, but their only suggestions were “awkward wording here”, “this could be interpreted in a bad way”, “this is out of place”, and not significant changes to the writing itself. I think that’s the way editing should be.</p>
<p>Other thing is, many applicants will have music in addition to their other strengths. I know I played clarinet in many ensembles, as well as piano (RCM Grade 10), though I barely mentioned it in my app. It’s pretty standard with “stereotypical Asians”. No point worrying too much about it, just make your app as strong as it can possibly be and have no regrets.</p>
<p>competitions are like ap tests almost… you can say you are in such and such orchestra, first clarinet, but it wouldn’t mean a thing because they dont know if its a good or crappy orchestra, whereas good competitions put you up against every other talented clarinetist in the nation. you could send a music supplement, but thats pretty much a national competition too if you think about it. columbia doesnt need that many clarinetists.</p>
<p>and as zephyr said, sat is totally different. a friend of mine took it twice, first time wrote a 4 paragraph essay with delayed thesis and got a 6/12. second time wrote a 5 paragraph standard essay with a hook, thesis, topic sentences for each of the 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion, and he got an 11/12. seems like the sat graders just have a checklist or something. your columbia essay won’t have a checklist tho (i hope not!) so don’t lose your unique voice and style. too many people editing will make it dull and confusing because everyone thinks differently.</p>
<p>rivergirl123:
I completely understand what you’re saying…clarinet IS a common instrument. But would it stand out at all if I said I played the alto clarinet?
And I also agree with the whole essay issue, but I am afraid that my writing is going to look bad, since my native language is not English. I guess having unique voice and style is more important than writing “well”?</p>