Final List/Chances: Princeton/Stanford/UCB/UCLA etc . . .

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>This is my finalized list:</p>

<p>African American Male, Arkansas residence.</p>

<p>Big Reach/Reach</p>

<p>Stanford
Princeton
Berkeley (OOS)
UCLA (OOS)</p>

<p>Reach/Slight Reach</p>

<p>USC
Cornell
Vanderbilt
UMich</p>

<p>Match/Safety</p>

<p>University of Miami (Florida)
University of Arkansas</p>

<p>GPA:
(Umich/Stanford/Princeton): 3.6 uw/4.0w
(All other schools): 3.73uw/4.0w</p>

<p>*My GPA is lopsided, meaning all but 1 B in my high school career was made during the second semester of sophomore year and the first semester of junior year, and I have a legitmate explanation that the guidance counselor will confirm for that big difference in performance.</p>

<p>Rank-in-class:
47/502</p>

<p>SAT:
770 CR 780 M 750 W (Composite, 2300)
770 CR 720 M 710 W (Single Sitting, 2200)</p>

<p>SAT II (predictions):</p>

<p>Chemistry (680-730, retake if not at least 710)
Math IIC (740-800)
US History (710-760)</p>

<p>AP:</p>

<p>US History (4)
Calculus AB (4)
AP Language and Composition (5)</p>

<p>Senior Year Courses/Quarter Grades: (9 Honors and 9 AP when I graduate)</p>

<p>AP Chemistry (A)
AP Calculus BC (A)
AP French IV (A)
AP European History (A or B)
AP English Literature (B)
Debate IV (A)
ROTC IV (A)
Computer Business Applications (A)</p>

<p>*I'm striving for a perfect GPA this semester for the mid-year report</p>

<p>Extra Curricular:</p>

<p>Debate (4 yrs) (Captain)
ROTC (4 yrs) (Delta Flight Commander)
Piano (4 yrs)
Individual Events (ie, extemporaneous speaking, 4yrs)
Arkansas Commitment (Ldrship Organization, 4 yrs)
Student Congress (2 yrs)</p>

<p>Volunteer/Summer:</p>

<p>UAMS Hospital Volunteer (94 hrs)
Black and Gold Debate Tournament Volunteer (3 years, 15 hours each year)
Cornell University Summer College (3 weeks, 2 summers consecutively)
Marquette University Debate Institute (2 weeks, 1 summer)</p>

<p>Awards:</p>

<p>
[quote]
National Achievement Semi-Finalist
National Merit Commended
Ventures Scholar
AP Scholar
2nd place State Champion (2006)
8th place State Champion (2005)
6th place State Champion (Speaker--2006)
4 1st places - 1st Place Champ Debate - State
2 2nd places - 2nd Place Champ/Novice Debate - State/Regional
4 3rd places - 3rd place Champ/Novice Debate - State
1 1st place - 1st place debate speaker - State
2 1st places - 1st place Impromptu/Extemporaneous - State level
1 2nd Place - debate speaker - state level
1 3rd Place - Extemporaneous Speaker - state level
1/about 100 cadets recieves- Military Order of World Wars - School
1st - Superior Flight - School
1/ about 50 cadets recieves - Military Order of the Purple Heart
- School
1 of about 50 cadets recieves- Aerospace Education Academic Award
-Scohol
Only - Award of Academic Excellence/ROTC - School
Only - Superior Student/Debate - School
1 of about 20 - Dadaelian Award - School
1 of many - (5 promotions,
SAirman/TSrgnt/SSrgnt/MsSrgnt/Lieutenant)- school
One of few - National Merit Commendation - National
National Achievement - National
1 of few - Six different ROTC ribbons, academic excellence,
superior flight, leadership, good conduct, superior performance,
outstanding performance

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'm asking opinions on (1) if I have my chances properly categorized, (2) if I have a good range of schools I'm applying to in terms of chances of acceptance, and (3) if you'd recommend more schools in any category? I'm a prospective engineering major, aeronautical first, then mechanical if that's not around.</p>

2

<p>i dont know how competitive Arkansas is in debate/speech but you come across as a pretty passionate kid.</p>

3

<p>You've got one of the couple hundred highest black SAT scores in the Country, top 10%, under represented state, ROTC for dicipline. You're going wherever you want to go. Skip the UCs.</p>

4

<p>Are you a serious engineering type? If yes, add MIT, CIT and Harvey Mudd.</p>

<p>I'll get flamed, but Dartmouth has good engineering and an excellent college experience. Much more fun than Cornell.</p>

<p>You can go anywhere, do you know how many people want to switch places with you? </p>

<p>What are you really looking for?</p>

5

<p>Your Match/Safeties are very safe, your Reach/Slight Reaches are just about matches, and UCLA and UCB are more like your slight reach/matches.</p>

<p>Princeton and Stanford may still be too far for you, as your rank is barely 10% (most students at those schools are in the top 3%), but everything else is in your favor.</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
You can go anywhere, do you know how many people want to switch places with you?</p>

<p>What are you really looking for?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
Princeton and Stanford may still be too far for you, as your rank is barely 10% (most students at those schools are in the top 3%), but everything else is in your favor.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Thanks for the input. To answer suze, I added BandTenHut's comment. As you can see, his opinion differs from yours, and this dissent is usually what makes me curious--I often find people saying different things, especially in regards to my (relatively) low rank/uw GPA, and the potential effect of the explanation that goes with my GPA being as low as it is on admissions.</p>

<p>If it's school experience you mean, then I'm not looking for anything in particular besides a good engineering program and an active campus.</p>

<p>Since there's disagreement, it'd be more helpful to know why one thinks my biggest reaches are a bit too far out and another thinks I can go anywhere with either examples or stats links. Anyway, thanks for the input.</p>

7

<p>I'll go out on a limb here and say Band is misinformed.</p>

<p>Your scores are competitive for anyone at any school, but they are highly unusual for a black candidate. When combined with your rank, ECs and state, you are a much sought after candidate. If you're low income, they will especially pant. Regardless, a high stats black candidate from a public school in Arkansas will be fought over.</p>

8

<p>Big Reach: Stanford Princeton
Reach: Cornell
Match: Berkeley (OOS) UCLA (OOS)
Safety: Vanderbilt UMich USC</p>

<p>Cross-out of the list (you will not need them):
University of Miami (Florida)
University of Arkansas</p>

9

<p>hey why are there two gpa's?</p>

10

<p>Believe Suze. Period.</p>

11

<p>Don't cross off U Miami and U Arkansas...bad advice from datadriven. It's always good to have definite safeties. You have a great chance at every school. Good luck.</p>

12

<p>you're black. you have a 2300. you're in.</p>

13

<p>You are a very compelling applicant, but please don't list to the posters who are saying don't apply to U Arkansas and U Miami. While black students with test scores like yours are rare, it does not garuantee anything. Race is considered in admissions, but it is not the magic key that unlocks the door to all the colleges in the world.</p>

<p>So, I would keep your list the way it is right now.</p>

<p>Here is how I would categorize your schools:</p>

<p>UC Berkeley and UCLA: Reach. They do not consider race in admissions. The acceptance rate for OOS students is higher than in state, but the admissions is also more competitive. I think the only things you have working against you here are your class rank and GPA. Write good essays, and you should be able to get in, though, because neither your class rank nor your GPA are terrible.</p>

<p>Princeton and Stanford: Slight Reach. I almost never say this for any applicant...but you do make a strong case, and Princeton and Stanford considering race in admissions last I heard. That being said, they are competitive schools, so anything could happen.</p>

<p>Cornell: High Match. SAT's are good, they consider race (I believe, you'll want to double check that), and their competitiveness in admissions isn't totally impossible. It is a good fit for your academic profile, but again the GPA and class rank are working against you some. This is a case where improving a lot first semester senior year will help, so go for it!</p>

<p>University of Michigan: Match. Test scores are in range, but your GPA ranks in the 15 percentile of accepted students for the class of 2006. However, as anyone who follows the supreme court knows, race is considered in admissions here, and that should help you some. However, I believe they consider single-sitting for SATs, meaning your less compelling SAT scores will be given to them. But, you have good EC's, and a good essay should get you in.</p>

<p>USC: Safe Match. I'd say you are in here, since your SAT scores are above average, and they definitely take people with lower GPAs, especially when there are special circumstances.</p>

<p>Vanderbilt: Safe Match. They look for students from Arkansas I believe, and do consider race in admissions. Your SAT scores fit the profile, and your GPA is good enough. Same dealie.</p>

<p>The other two are labelled safeties by you, and you are correct: if you did not get accepted to U of Arkansas, file a law suit. I would expect you'd get into U of Miami too, although weird things can happen.</p>

<p>Best of luck to you!</p>

14

<p>You could get into MIT and CalTech if you wanted to go there. Want to add them to your list ? </p>

<p>You will probably get a lot of merit monet at Vanderbilt (if that matters to you).</p>

15

<p>Your stats are excellent, you seem genuinely driven, and you're an URM... relax for a bit and do some research about where you really want to study, because it's pretty much all open to you. good luck!</p>

16

<p>Thanks for the explanations and recommendations. Why might I want to skip applying to UCLA and/or Berkeley?</p>

17

<p>You wouldn't want to at all, unless you were extremely misguided. My guess is those guys don't think as much of the schools because they don't have the same reputation/prestige with everyone as Princeton, etc. do. UCLA and UC Berkeley offer programs of the same or better quality as many of those in the other schools you listed. Like I said, do some research about what YOU want, and in the end, go for what school draws you the most.</p>

18

<p>I think you should apply to all those schools on your list</p>

19

<p>Murasaki:</p>

<p>UCB/UCLA: Reach (out of state, Engineering)</p>

20

<p>Another noticable range in opinions . . . I guess I'll see what happens this spring--thanks for the input everybody.</p>