Do I have any legit chance at these top schools/second-tiers for merit scholarships?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2260 (Writing 800 | Critical Reading 660 | Math 800) planning to re-take and improve CR to 720+</p>

<p>SAT II (place score in parentheses): Math II (800), Physics (730)</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.92
Weighted GPA: 4.85</p>

<p>Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 6/425 - fairly competitive public school</p>

<p>AP (place score in parentheses): Calc BC (5), Statistics (5), US History (5), English Lang (5), World History (5), Physics C: Mech (5), Physics B (4), European History (4)</p>

<p>Summer Courses: took 2 courses at top state university in my state</p>

<p>Senior Year Course Load: AP English Lit, AP Human Geography, 2-3 classes per semester dual enrolled at top state University (calc 3, differential equations, linear alg, etc)</p>

<p>Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semi-Finalist (Likely), National AP scholar, Nominee and Winner of top STEM Student in my school for a state scholars program, AIME Qualifier, other small school awards</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Mu Alpha Theta (President), Physics Club (President and co-founder), Math team (captain and coach), Science Bowl (captain), AAU Basketball for 2 years on a good team - 2nd place in state, Varsity basketball on a very good team - went to states twice, youth group leader, basketball coach at camps, tutoring</p>

<p>Extracurricular Achievements and awards: tons of local and state math team awards, authored three 20+ page study guides for my schools math team as the coach of three of our divisions (geometry, alg2, pre-calc), various small awards in basketball, AAU all-tournament team awards, AAU team won several tournaments and placed second in state, captain of the only division of my school's math team to place at states, President of one of the largest chapters of Mu Alpha Theta in country (175+ members)</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Math Tutoring a few times a week</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community Service: Church Trip (75 Hours), Salvation Army (75 Hours), Math coaching/tutoring after school almost every day (300+ hours), Youth Group leader (25+ hours), basketball camp (60 hours), other various projects/activites (15)</p>

<p>Summer Activities: Various Dual Enrollment Classes at State Universities, lots of summer basketball, Mu Alpha Theta test writing, writing study guides for math team</p>

<p>Essays: Haven't written them yet, but I have some solid ideas. Should be very good.</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendations: One will be from one of my math teachers who I've known since elementary school and should be excellent, other from my English teacher who loves me</p>

<p>Counselor Rec: He likes me, should be good</p>

<p>Additional Rec: One from a basketball coach - I've tremendously helped his son in math through tutoring and he can attest to my hard work in basketball</p>

<p>Intended Major: Mathematics</p>

<p>Other
State (if domestic applicant): Southeast
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Upper-middle class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None really</p>

<p>Schools (please also include whether you think I can get one of the competitive merit-based scholarships at some of the schools):
Davidson
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Vanderbilt
Duke
Notre Dame
UChicago
MIT
Harvard
Princeton
Yale</p>

2

<p>Many of these don’t offer merit aid (e.g. HYP)</p>

3

<p>Thanks yeah it’s a bummer. The merit aid ones I was referring to were the first few on my list, sorry for any confusion.</p>

4

<p>Of course all of the schools that offer merit aid. Chance Back on profile?</p>

5

<p>Thanks. Anyone else?</p>

6

<p>Your credentials look solid but at those schools, there’s going to be 1,000s of applications that look exactly like yours- which I’m sure you’re already aware of. Your SAT scores are about the average of most schools you listed. Your GPA unweighted might put you at a disadvantage considering most applicants applying to Harvard, for example, are going to have a 4.0. Your awards and extracurriculars are good- hopefully you have been a part of those clubs all 4 years of high school. Despite the myth that colleges want “well-rounded students,” that isn’t always true. Schools such as Yale and Harvard want to see a trend and you have that. Math. It is weaved throughout your application. Harvard wants masters. They want to say that they have the best English, science, or math students in the world. By accepting a “math master” it is gaurenteed that their math scores will go up. As long as your math grades are A’s then that will make up for your lower-than-Harvard standard GPA. You can never be gaurenteed to get into universities of this prestige but you have a chance. All you can do is apply and know that you couldn’t have tried any harder. </p>

7

<p>Merit aid not likely at GA Tech.</p>

8

<p>Thanks. Hopefully I can find away to really emphasize the math and how it’s such an important aspect of my life in my essays.</p>

9

<p>bump. anyone else?</p>

10

<p>chance me while I get you please- <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1669277-chances-2nd-tier-schools.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1669277-chances-2nd-tier-schools.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;
You could get some Merit at WF and Davidson, the other seem unlikely
HYPSM UC, and Duke give great need based aid though
You should get into 1 HYPM</p>