<p>Hi everyone- I really need help deciding where I should apply early- and if I even have a chance at these schools. I would be very grateful if you could tell me my chances at these schools early or what you think of them. thanks!!</p>
<p>Here are my stats:
Standardized Tests
SAT I: 2200: CR:700 M:740 W: 760
Hope to retake in October
SAT IIs: Chem: 710 Bio: 760 Math IIC: 800
APs: Taken: Chemistry, Biology, Statistics, English Language
Taking next year: Physics, BC Calc, English or Spanish (only allowed 3/year)</p>
<p>Grades
Weighted GPA of 4.0
Taken almost all honors and AP classes available
Never gotten below an A- on my transcript- may have gotten 1 B+ this year
Attend exclusive private school- one of the most competitive in the country</p>
<p>Academic Achievements
Member of Cum Laude Society (like national honor society, except only 5 members per grade)
High School Scholar (won $10,000 merit scholarship to high school)
Commended Scholar (not sure if semifinalist)
Honor Roll all grades all trimesters
National Spanish Exam: 3rd place state level I, 8th place state level 5
Acheivement Awards in History every year, Spanish Junior Year
Recipient of Book Award (from prominent national university)
Local University award in Science and Technology
Participated in IBM High School Honors Program</p>
<p>Extracurricular Activities
Cancer Research at Yale Children's hospital at one of the most prominent cancer research labs in the world
Discovery to Cure internship at Yale
Four year science research program
Volunteered for Leukemia/Lymphoma society
Participated in Peer Leadership program for middle school
Editor-in-Chief of award-winning Literary Magazine
Model UN- attended conferences at Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown
Piano since 3rd grade- play for charity events
Volunteer for School Sisters of Notre Dame Motherhouse Retirement home
Volunteer at St Vincents Hospital Emergency room (inner city hospital)
Participated in TEDD TV program- prevent teenagers from drinking/driving
Photographic Editor for Yearbook (member of executive board)
Member of Gaelic-American Club (all 4 grandparents born and raised in Ireland)
Recreational Squash and Irish Step Dancer
Went to pilgrimage to Lourdes summer before senior year
Eucharistic Minister</p>
<p>So here are my schools- please help me- ive grouped them into reaches, targets safties as people have advised me</p>
<p>Reaches-
UPENN
Duke
Columbia
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Georgetown
Northwestern
Berkeley
UVA
Amherst </p>
<p>Targets
Notre Dame
Vanderbilt
USC
Tulane
Hamilton
Emory </p>
<p>The Ivies are super reach for you. Geaorgetown is a slight reach. You need to adjust your colleges according to your stats. Holy Cross seems like a match for you :)</p>
<p>If you like places like Amherst, Duke, Northwestern, Princeton, and Stanford you will love Dartmouth. You will hate Columbia (I know, I attended both).</p>
<p>slipper, i loved columbia, didn't get in however, what didn't u like about it so much, i mean, it just seems like such a fabulous school in such a fabulous location and the kids that attend seem pretty cool.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the info guys- but could you please tell me which school it would be most strategic for me to apply early to? I love all three of them- which one do I have the best chance at. And by the way- I got my report card and got all As- not a single B ever on my high school transcript! Not to brag or anything- just I hadnt known that when I wrote out my stats. Anyways- if you could please tell me where to apply early, and make suggestions of how to change my reaches/safeties/targets that would be great- thanks!!</p>
<p>You should go visit all three of the schools and learn about the programs and courses that they offer that you are interested in. With your stats, you will have as good a chance as any to be admitted early to any of those schools. If you want an urban envrionment, look at Columbia and Penn, if not, look at Duke. If you want a smaller liberal arts school, look at Amherst. It seems that everyone who applies to all of these schools has great grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, so what really seperates an individual is his/her essays. For all of your schools, there will be some essay, even if its as short as 300 words, on why you want to be at the school that your applying to. This essay carries more weight when you apply early decision. If you really want to go to a school, say Columbia, and are applying early because Columbia is the only school for you, it will show through in your essay. If you are only applying early just to help your chances, that will also show through and it will work against you. Basically, with your stats, you should have a decent chance regular decision to any of those schools. If there is one in your mind that you "must" go to, for any reason, then apply early. Good luck.</p>
<p>I did apply ED to Columbia after a pretty heated internal debate with myself about SCEA to Stanford. What I found, and am extremely happy about, is that one can only apply ED to a school because you have a strong affinity for it. Ask yourself this question: If you got into every school you applied to, where would you go without any hesitation? That school is your ED choice. The key phrase in the question being "without hesitation." It has to be an immediate response. You have to truly love a university to apply ED and have no regrets.</p>
<p>That being said, apply where you feel you have a great affinity for. Do you want an independent environment in the largest world city in the United States? Then you like Columbia. Do you want a more social environment with great academics in a historic city? That's Penn. Do you want a more rural environment with a classic college student body feel? Then that's Duke. All are great schools. Go to where you feel more comfortable.</p>