Final Chances Thread (Submitting Tonight)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Gender: M
Location: Florida
College Class Year: 2012
High School: Public
High School Type: sends some grads to top schools (IB School in a poor public)
Will apply for financial aid: Yes</p>

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>GPA - Unweighted: 3.92(3.94 ish after first quarter report
Class Rank: top 5 students
Class Size: 425</p>

<p>Scores:</p>

<p>SAT I Math: 760
SAT I Critical Reading: 770
SAT I Writing: 800
ACT: 36
SAT II U.S. History: 780
SAT II Math Level 2 (IIC): 780
SAT II Spanish: 720</p>

<p>AP's:
Microeconomics (Took over summer at Duke TiP) -4
Macroeconomics (Took over summer at Duke TiP) -5
World History -5
US History -5
Physics B-5
European History (Self Study)-5
US Government (Online with Florida Virtual School) -5
Comparative Government (self Study) -5</p>

<p>(AP National Scholar Before Senior Year)</p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule:
IB History of the Americas HL
IB English A1 HL
IB Chemistry HL
IB Mathematics HL
IB Theory of Knowledge
IB Spanish A2 HL
AP Psych
AP Art History (with Florida Virtual School)</p>

<p>EC:
9-12
FIRST Robotics Team 180, Florida Regional Champions 2006, Wrote state winning essay in recognition of mentor: Robot Driver for 2 years, On Field Coach Senior Year. (20 hrs. a week for 9 weeks)</p>

<p>10-12
Quizbowl: Captain for 2 years, 2nd place individual at University of Florida state qualifier (5 hrs. a week for 36 weeks)</p>

<p>9-12
Young Democrats and Teenage Republicans - President 3 Years (1 hour a week for 36 weeks)</p>

<p>10-11
Mu Alpha Theta- Co-Founder and Vice- President ( 2 hours a week for 36 weeks)</p>

<p>12
Community service (robotics related) mentoring a junior Lego league of elementary and middle school kids (3 hours a week for 8 weeks)</p>

<p>Honors:</p>

<p>National Merit Semi-Finalist
AP National Scholar
Intel ISEF Finalist : 4th Award in Animal Sciences
AMC School High Scorer</p>

<p>Other:
Duke TiP Program for 4 years, taking economics and political philosophy courses</p>

<p>Harvard Summer School: Econ 1050- A minus, Span 27 - A</p>

<p>Colleges of Interest:</p>

<p>I'm applying to Duke University ED and Emory at the same time for the Emory Scholars Program. If I am deferred, rejected from Duke, I'll probably apply to:</p>

<p>Georgetown
UPENN
Princeton( ha)
Stanford (ha)</p>

2

<p>Your academics are excellent. Great class rank, GPA, and standardized test scores. IB is always nice.</p>

<p>However, your ECs are extremely sparse. Your academics are the only thing going for you. That being said, Emory is a match. Duke is a slight reach / high match.</p>

<p>Georgetown - High Match
UPenn - Slight Reach
Princeton - Reach
Stanford - Don't waste your money</p>

<p>If Duke defers or rejects you, you need to apply to some safeties, not schools more difficult to be accepted into than the ones you applied early to.</p>

3

<p>Your stats are excellent, and I think you definitely have a chance at all of those schools. I agree that you need more safeties, but I wouldn't in the least call Stanford a "waste of money to apply" for you</p>

4

<p>"However, your ECs are extremely sparse"</p>

<p>I don't think his ECs are 'extremely sparse'...two year captain for quiz bowl, prez of a poli club and co-founder of another. I think you can make at least two out of the three - Emory, Duke and Georgetown. The others are unlikely. Add safeties!!</p>

5

<p>Robotics is possibly a bigger time commitment than that short phrase lets on, here is my common app short answer about it:</p>

<p>When Dr. Woodie Flowers of MIT coined the term "Gracious Professionalism" to describe his vision of the pinnacle of competitive achievement, he could not have foreseen the tremendous impact it would have on the 30,000 members of FIRST Robotics the world over. Every year, I have the invaluable opportunity of working with local engineers and fellow students to put together not only a competition-ready robot, but also a team that best represents the integrity under pressure that is so essential to our organization. Over the past three years, I have been proud to drive Team 180 to two international championships and a Florida Regional Title. More importantly, though, I have been incredibly honored to be selected as this year's on-field coach, a position usually reserved for adult mentors, as well as to have written the state-winning essay in recognition of one mentor who best embodies the spirit of Gracious Professionalism</p>

<p>It's like a varsity sport for me.</p>

6

<p>bump 10char</p>

7

<p>Princeton is still a Reach, but it is for everyone. Stanford also.
Match for Georgetown and Low Reach/High Match for Penn. </p>

<p>Great scores. EC's are good too, so I'd apply to all those schools. </p>

<p>
[quote]
However, your ECs are extremely sparse. Your academics are the only thing going for you. That being said, Emory is a match. Duke is a slight reach / high match.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>ISEF Finalist... AP National Scholar... how is that sparse??? </p>

<p>I'm sure you'll get into atleast one. Good luck!</p>

8

<p>Duke: Deferred</p>

9

<p>AP National Scholar is not an EC. How is that anything but academic?</p>

<p>ISEF is somewhat in between academics and ECs, but colleges are inclined to view that as an academic honor.</p>

<p>I was not aware of how much a commitment Robotics was, and if the OP can demonstrate that to colleges, it will definitely strengthen his application.</p>

10

<p>Scientific research is an extracurricular activity. It may be a more academic one, but it is still a VERY significant EC. It's INTEL. Quite a big deal to become a finalist.</p>

11

<p>The disparity of the responses is disconcerting.</p>

12

<p>
[quote]
The disparity of the responses is disconcerting.

[/quote]

You'd undoubtedly find the results threads equally disconcerting. People were being accepted at Duke but rejected at Georgetown, accepted at Harvard but rejected from Cornell, etc. The process has become so competitive that pretty much any preconceived notions about chances or selectivity should be thrown out the window.</p>

<p>That said, I'd say you're a borderline admit/defer applicant. I don't think you'll be rejected. I suspect a lot will depend on your essays and if you can make a case for you being a good match for Duke.</p>

13

<p>I think I made a good case for myself at Duke on their Supplement. The two (optional) essays were Why Duke? and a description of any major research. Having been at Duke for 3 summers in a row and gone to ISEF, the questions fit me pretty well.</p>

14

<p>I think people are being a little hard on this guy. ISEF finalist, 36 ACT, I'd say you have an excellent shot at Duke and a good shot at the rest of the schools on your list (in at Georgetown for sure).</p>

15

<p>dont get down, i think you have a great chance at duke, you have some pretty stellar stats even for CC. good luck!</p>

16

<p>all ib subjects in HL level is insane</p>

17

<p>Thanks for the encouragement. Oh, also, I'm applying to Emory Scholars, which has a notification date of Jan 1st.</p>

18

<p>bump bump bu</p>

19

<p>I think you have an excellent shot at all those schools.</p>

20

<p>I kind of wish I could see if I would get into the other schools, but now is not the time to be taking chances with not applying ED to Duke.</p>