<p>Do I stand a chance at any top schools? (I'm applying as an Chemical Engineer)</p>
<p>ACT: 34 (M:35, W:33, R:31 :(, S:35)
SAT Subjects: Math II: 800, Chem: 780
AP: Calc BC 4 2009, Chem 5 2011, US History 3 2011
GPA: 3.95 (unweighted) (1 stupid B in BC Calc), top 10% of class
Courses taking right now: Advanced orchestra, 4 APs (Lit, Physics, Stat, and Gov) and Diff EQ
Special circumstances for schooling: have taken Vector Calc and am currently taking Diff EQ</p>
<p>Extracurriculars
Eagle Scout
Varsity Tennis: 9th-12th Grade. Captain of tennis team since 11th grade.
Varsity Cross Country: 12th Grade. I did this to supplement my tennis playing.
Advanced Orchestra: 10-12th Grade. We got 3rd in State and 1st in state. I am co-principal Cellist.
Corvallis Youth Symphony: 9th-12th Grade
Tons and tons of community service
Participated in an exchange program to Shanghai: 9th Grade
Internship in Chemistry and Physics: 11th Grade
ARML: 9th Grade
Cofounded MUN club and president: 9th Grade</p>
<p>Awards:
AP Scholar
I-Sweeep regional finalist
As I had said above, Eagle Scout</p>
<p>I mean really, stop. I am not sure why with stats like this, you would need to get reassurance from this blog or anyone. Not sure if you embellish your qualifications, but if the point of posts like this is to scare some of us, you are wasting your efforts. I am already feeling this whole process is pretty desperate and have little hope of being accepted anywhere I really want to go.</p>
<p>Again, choose your school carefully. I do not know why you are looking to the Ivies for Chemical Engineering. You will not get what you need there. Go to a Chemical Engineering School. The only ones among your choices are MIT and Princeton. Harvey Mudd is for general engineering and liberal arts education. Chemical Engineering will not be the focus there. Harvard and Yale? Not for your major. Where you really need to focus on is MIT, Berkeley, Princeton, Cal Tech, Stanford, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of Texas Austin, UC Santa Barbara, University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Delaware, etc. Focus on the major not the prestige (even though some of these schools have tremendous prestige). If it were me? UC Santa Barbara!</p>
<p>One piece of advice. Unless you have unlimited deep pockets or are so desirable to a university that they are willing to give you merit scholarships or a full ride, go to a cheaper public school or a private school that will give you $$$$. Your grades and scores are really nice, but not good enough to get you money for MIT or Princeton unless there are circumstances that qualify you for aid. The pay you will get in the workforce as a Chemical Engineer from Princeton or Santa Barbara will essentially be the same. The debt will just be very, very different. You can expect to garner a 6 figure salary someday, but unless you invent something or go into management soon (difficult at your age) you’ll have a boatload of debt with the same income Ivy League or state school.</p>