Do I have a decent shot?!?!? Please be honest (I can take rejection)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>First, I am a 17 year old (going into senior) multiracial male from New Jersey. I put PAcific Islander on the SAT.</p>

<p>PSAT: 209 - C:67, M:62, W:80 (National Merit Commended)</p>

<p>SAT: 2200 - C: 750, M: 680, W: 770</p>

<p>I have been homeschooled up to my senior year. Next year, I will enter a prep school for one year and take: AP Calculus AB, AP English Lit, AP World History, AP Latin Vergil, and Physics Honors. During homeschooling, I had a 96 GPA out of 100 for my freshman, sophomore, and junior years.</p>

<p>I have taken math and science courses at the community college because these subjects are my weakness. I have gotten A's in Chemistry I, College Algebra, and Pre-Calculus. I got a B+ in Intro to Chem, and will probably get a B in Calculus I and Calculus II this summer. I'm not thinking at all of engineering, but I'm taking the hardest math courses available anyway! My GPA at the college has been a 3.88 out of 4.00.</p>

<p>ECs: I have played classical piano for twelve years. I'm not Juilliard material, but I'm very very good. I have accompanied many musical productions, worked in local clubs as a ######## pianist, and placed in many music competitions in Princeton.
I completed three Toastmasters Youth Leadership Programs, public speaking programs, winning best speaker in all three.
I am a member of a Navy program run for youth called the Naval Sea CAdet Corps. Through this program, I have gone to and successfully completed boot camp (two weeks of living hell), advanced training aboard the Battleship NJ, and marched on the Color Guard of my division, the Trenton Division.
Altar server at church for eight years. Play tennis and basketball recreationally, but may play varsity tennis next year at the prep school.
Counselor at camp for youth in 2003.
Completed paid internship at Merrill Lynch in 2004.
As you can see, I've never been abroad or gone to some ridiculously expensive Conference or People to People summit. Will this help me or hurt me? Most of my ECs have been within the local community.</p>

<p>Stanford is one of my dream schools. If it works out financially, I would go (that or Princeton.)
Schools:
Stanford
Princeton
Columbia
UPenn
Notre Dame
Rice
UVa
UNC-Chapel Hill
Penn State (Schreyer Honors)
Villanova
University of Dallas
St. Joseph's (PA)</p>

<p>PS: Will it help that I'm out of state? Should I play up my musical talents or my military "career"? Should I also play up my background in education (Homeschooling, community college, AND prep school)? Any advice would be great.</p>

<p>Thanks so much.</p>

2

<p>Your GPA definetly puts you as part of the qualified pool. Your SAT score is fairly good- but you might want to bring up your math score (680 is below average). Piano seems to be a big thing for you- so stress it in your application (i.e. show your passion for it). And the answer to your question- by no means do you need 'a ridiculously expensive Conference'- just do what you like, and you are passionate about- not just to put it in your app. </p>

<p>Your EC's are pretty good (piano, navy program), but my thoughts are they are a little scattered (i.e. stress the main ones on your application). You defintely have a chance at Stanford, and a lot of the other schools (its good you have a variety- not just the elites and reaches). </p>

<p>If you are not majoring in engineering, why did you take all those classes in the commuinity classes- again, take classes, and do things that interest you. btw, just curious, what are you planning to major in? dont worry, you have a good chance....but then again, so do many people. Just write an awesome letter- rememer, statistics arent everything. These are just my thoughts- I myself am only a rising senior. Good luck to us!!!</p>

3

<p>Thanks, thesush. Which of these schools do you see as matches, reaches and safeties for me? I appreciate your input, I don't have a college counselor so I figure this stuff out on my own with the help of friends!</p>

4

<p>First of all, I dont profess to be an expert (i am a rising senior also)- so dont take my word for everything. Get other people's opinion too. But I do know that for HYPSM and other elites, the process is really a crapshoot....people w/ perfect scores, 4.0s, dont get in. </p>

<p>But hmm, i would say the safties are (however, I do not know that much about these schools- I might be wrong):
UNC-Chapel Hill
University of Dallas
St. Joseph's (PA)</p>

<p>The matches:
Penn State (Schreyer Honors)
Villanova
Notre Dame
UVa
Rice (~borderline between reach)</p>

<p>and the reaches:
Stanford
Princeton
Columbia
UPenn</p>

<p>those are just my thoughts
btw...What do you plan to major in?</p>

5

<p>I think your chances at Stanford and Princeton are slim at best. You have a decent chance at getting into Upenn or Columbia, especially if you apply early.</p>

6

<p>Acceptance. Two words: Pacific Islander.</p>

<p>Affirmative Action sucks, except if you are beneficiary.</p>