Do I have a chance? Yale, Brown, UVA, UNC, etc...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi there! Please take a moment to let me know what you think, and I'd be happy to do the same for you.</p>

<p>Schools: Yale, Brown, Rice, UVA, UNC (Chapel Hill), UGA
I would love to go to Yale or Brown, but they are probably too much of a reach.</p>

<p>White Male
Competitive High School in Marietta, GA (Suburb of ATL)</p>

<p>Intended Major: Biology or History (Possibly double major)</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0/4.0; 4.588 Weighted
Rank: 4/500 (Top 1%)
Rising Senior</p>

<p>Taken all AP/Honors when possible.</p>

<p>Scores:
PSAT: 69 Reading, 72 Math, 67 Writing (208)
SAT: 710 Reading, 690 Math, 730 Writing (2130)
ACT: 33 Composite; 35 Math, 33 Science, 33 Reading, 32 English, 8 Essay</p>

<p>SAT II - US History: 740, Math II: 690, Physics 680, Literature: 610
AP - Physics B: 4
Currently awaiting US History and Lang AP scores (fingers crossed for two 5's)</p>

<p>Next year, I'm taking: AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP Lit, AP French, AP Gov, AP Econ</p>

<p>Clubs -
National Honor Society
Beta Club - President
Renaissance Club (Honor Society) - General Board
French Honor Society
Foreign Language Club
Student Government
Key Club</p>

<p>Sports
Competitive Club Rowing Team (Crew) - Varsity Men's Co-Captain (Next Year)
After graduating next year, I will have been on the team for 4.5 years or 9 seasons.</p>

<p>Most Valuable Oarsmen - Novice Men
Most Improved Oarsmen - Varsity Men</p>

<p>I would like to be a recruit, but my times are not good enough yet, so assume that I am not.</p>

<p>Awards/Honors -
Duke TIP Program
Principals Honor Roll
National Merit Semi-Finalist (thus far)
AP Scholar (hopefully)
Georgia Certificate of Merit</p>

<p>Community Service -
Organize and help with running a charity program where we take local underprivileged
kids shopping around the holiday season
Coordinate and Work Recycling program at school
Volunteer at local elementary school's after school program once a week
Work Relay for Life events through school clubs
3x Susan G. Komen Row for the Cure raising over $2000 to donate
3x Rivers Alive! - annual event to clean up the Chattahoochee River
Every summer I volunteer at my rowing club to help run the Learn to Row sessions, teaching the kids how to row (150 hours per summer)</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Are you going to apply for UGA Honors and/or Foundation Fellows (or whatever it is called)? You definitely have a good shot at Honors (which many people choose over UVA/UNC because of HOPE).</p>

<p>You have a good shot everywhere you apply. Yale and Brown are obviously going to be reaches. If you have another try at the SAT lined up, try your hardest to get the math above 700. </p>

<p>You don’t have killer ECs, but I like the fact that many of them center around one thing (crew). It shows you have a real passion for the sport. </p>

<p>Even if you don’t have the scores to get officially recruited, I would try to contact the coaches at Yale and Brown. Ask them for any advice/let them know you’re interested in walking on if you are admitted (if you are interested). Ask them if you could have a copy of their strength and conditioning program. They may say no, but you never know until you ask. </p>

<p>Other schools you may be interested in:</p>

<p>Vanderbilt
Texas
Southern Cal
Duke
NESCAC/Patriot League schools (look them up)
Penn
Northwestern
Michigan</p>

<p>UGA is a rock solid safety for you, assuming you haven’t been arrested/suspended/whatever. If you wouldn’t mind going to UGA, don’t be afraid to shoot for the stars as far as schools go.</p>

3

<p>I do plan to apply to the UGA Honors Program, and I absolutely would not mind going to UGA. I am also looking at UIUC, U of Michigan, Penn State, and Emory.</p>

4

<p>because you row that automatically makes you competitive for the top schools
seriously </p>

<p>i know an average kid who went to harvard just because he did crew and was good at it</p>

5

<p>My times aren’t good enough to get an admission help, though.</p>

<p>Anyone else?
I’ll chance back.</p>

6

<p>You’ve got pretty much impeccable grades, good test scores, awards/honors, leadership, ECs, sports, and community service. All that considered, I’d say you have some pretty good chances here. Yale and Brown are obviously gambles for everyone with such low acceptance rates. </p>

<p>What’s great and unique about your application is that not only do you have some significant involvement and dedication to something, but you’ve also worked that into your community service–using your talents to help other people. That’s really great. Even if you can’t get in as a recruit, you can definitely make crew the strong, stand-out point of your application. Just be sure that before that they understand you’re well-rounded, too. </p>

<p>Your match schools, as Knights said, are very solid. You’ve got a chance at your reach schools. Keep doing your best, and you’re going to be fine. Hope all goes well for you!</p>

7

<p>Thanks.
Also, I’m taking the SAT tomorrow hoping to push up all of my scores, but mostly math.</p>

8

<p>UGA is probably a match. The others are reaches, with the ivies being high reaches.</p>

9

<p>Brown is a reach, mostly due to SAT etc scores. Good luck on your retake! You might even consider ACT retake if you think you could get scores that would be much better, as some people just do better with that format. You might find out if there is a local Brown Alumnus who was on crew. (same re Yale) That can sometimes help you get a personal take on the school, as well someone locally to “root” for you. Also get the schedule for the teams away meets and see if you can get to one if it is close to you! Just ways to make connections.</p>

10

<p>You could have a shot at being recruited as long as you talk to the coaches. A buddy of mine is in close talks with the Yale team right now, and his 2k split is somewhere around 6:50 (maybe 6:52 or something).
Your GPA is of course excellent, but your SAT’s should probably be upped to roughly 2250 to really put yourself out there for the Ivies and other top-25 schools.
Also, my advice would be to get some more leadership positions. Your being president of the Beta Club and your leadership roles in Renaissance and Student Government are decent, but if you could become an executive officer in the latter two, that would really strengthen the college app.
Also, your community service is clearly phenomenal. However, one big thing that you could do, especially with your intentions in Biology, would be to do some research (it’s not hard to secure a spot) with bio professors at G’Tech or Emory. Having lived in Atlanta previously, it’s only like a 30 minute car ride or a similar MARTA ride to get there. That would really bolster your shots at these top schools.
Here’s how I would run it down for you:
Yale: High reach (as it is for everybody; getting some national recognition could really go far with helping you on this number)
Brown: Mid-to-high reach
Rice: Low reach
UVA: Match
UNC (Chapel Hill): High match (I’m not sure how the admissions for other Southern states, but for Pennsylvanians who are obviously out-of-state applicants, UNC is almost as hard as Duke)
UGA: You’ll definitely get into their honors program and get the Hope scholars.</p>

<p>Celebrate the start of summer break by chancing me back! [Where</a> to apply/Chance for Columbia ED - College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■/ChanceMe]Where”>http://www.■■■■■■/ChanceMe)</p>