Decision: Accepted
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 35 (36 Writing, 35 Math, 34 Reading, 36 Science) (31 ELA)
SAT II: Math II: 800 US History: 760
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 6th out of 523
AP (place score in parenthesis): Physics: 3, Euro: 3, Art History: 3, Capstone: 4, US History: 4, Chemistry: 4, Calc AB: 5, Lang/Comp: 5
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Research, AP Human Geo, AP Calc BC, AP Biology, AP US Government, AP Literature and Composition
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): First Place (Picket Fenced) in Informative Speaking at the CSU Fullerton High School Middle School Invitational, First Place (Picket Fenced) in Impromptu Speaking out of 100 or so people at the Redwood Region Forensics Speaking Competition, First Place in the Paderewski Youth Piano Competition, Guest performed several concerti (one with over 4000 people attending and one of a self-composed/orchestrated piece), a bunch of other small and similar things to these.
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Piano (performer), Philosophy Club (President), Speech and Debate (member)
Job/Work Experience: I give piano lessons
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteered at the local Boys and Girls Club
Summer Activities: Boys State California, Moral Life and Classical Traditions Seminar at Princeton, Thomas Aquinas Great Books Summer Program, BUTI Young Artists Piano Program, CSSSA Music Program, Music Academy of the West MERIT Program, Paderewski Festival Youth Exchange Program, performed a bunch of big venues as well
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common Application Essay: 8/10-I wrote about a piano performance, and as stereotypical it is of me to do so as an Asian, I believe that I added a twinge of originality as I discussed the sentimental implications of the performance rather than just the performance itself. Nothing insanely good though.
Why Dartmouth Essay: 7/10-I basically tried to show the Dartmouth admissions committee what activities I would be doing when I got there. I made it pretty clear that I did my homework on the school itself. Nothing special about this essay.
Dartmouth Supplement: 6/10- It’s about me being in an airport by myself and pondering my love/hate relationship with philosophy. It’s here that I discuss why I love philosophy. This essay was, I think, pretty lackluster aside from the fact that I explained my particular reason for loving the major that I intended.
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 5/10-Pretty unremarkable, it certainly didn’t hurt me, but there are way better letters out there.
Teacher Rec #2: 7/10-I didn’t read the letter but I really had a beautiful relationship with the teacher. I’m assuming at least a 7.
Counselor Rec: 3/10-I don’t know my counselor that well and I don’t think that she likes me that much.
Additional Rec: 10/10-My peer recommender wrote the most beautiful, perfect letter possible. She herself is a prodigious and talented writer. This, in my mind, helped my application a considerable amount.
Interview: 4/10-I had a very bad interview. My interviewer was very nice about it but I really could have prepared better.
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Philosophy
State (if domestic applicant): California
School Type: Public as hell
Ethnicity: Asian (East Asian)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 100,000ish
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Perhaps a hook of mine is that I am neither from Los Angeles nor San Francisco. I live in a rural area with farms and migrant workers all over the place, so maybe they wanted an admit from my area for once?
Reflection
Strengths: I suppose a strength of mine would be that I focused specifically on one or two activities that I really liked throughout high school rather than spreading myself thin (sorry, I know you hear this all the time).
Weaknesses: I’m Asian and middle to upper-class, additionally, my letters of recommendations, in general, were pretty unremarkable. Also, my AP Scores were pretty awful as far as Asian and white applicants go. I didn’t have that much concrete demonstrated interest in my intended major (philosophy) either. My activities were pretty stereotypical of Asians as well, I played piano and did Speech and Debate.
Why you think you were accepted: I think I was accepted, in part, because I am from a rather rural part of California and that I applied as a philosophy major: I wasn’t an Asian that applied for Biology or Chemistry. Aside from that, I don’t think anything about my application, in particular, made me stand out like crazy.
Where else were you accepted: This is the only school I applied to
General Comments: I still can’t even believe that I was accepted into such a competitive school. Honestly, when you apply, be genuine in writing your essays, these admissions officers have read hundreds of applications and can tell if you are being a fake. Like I said, a lot of my activities are typical of Asian applicants, however, I do believe that I worked and achieved at those activities at a higher level than most. Good luck on your admissions process!
