Good scores + grades, weak ECs chances at top schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I have been told based on my grades and scores that I am a competitive student at top national school. I would appreciate verification from strangers.</p>

<p>SAT I</p>

<p>Reading 760
Math 800
Writing 690 (8 Essay)
Overall 2250</p>

<p>ACT</p>

<p>English 31 (7 Essay, 35 w/o Essay)
Math 32
Reading 31
Science 34
Overall 33</p>

<p>SAT II</p>

<p>Math I 730
Literature 700
World History 550 (Should I retake? Most schools only want 2 anyway)</p>

<p>PSAT 216 (Selected as Nat. Merit commended student, no word yet on further selections)</p>

<p>GPA 3.91 (No APs yet, will have 4 senior year)</p>

<p>ECs</p>

<p>Jazz Band (2 yrs. so far)
Concert Band (Every year since 4th grade)
Pit Orchestra (1 yr. so far)
FANS club (1 yr.)
Charitable volunteering 2-4 hrs./wk. @ Cradles to Crayons
(No NHS because of lack of ECs)</p>

<p>Schools I am looking at:</p>

<p>Penn (Legacy, probably ED)
UVA
Georgetown
Cornell
Cal
Columbia</p>

<p>Reaches:</p>

<p>Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Stanford</p>

<p>Safeties:</p>

<p>Penn St.
Pitt</p>

<p>Any input or suggestions for other schools to look at would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

2

<p>Penn (w/ Legacy) ED should be the optimal choice for you. Because all of the schools you mentioned except for your safeties are reaches. (what’s cal btw?)</p>

3

<p>Your college choices indicate a lot about the strength of your application</p>

4

<p>Cal is UC-Berkeley.</p>

5

<p>georgetown “recommends” 3 SAT IIs, should still be ok</p>

6

<p>The 3.91 GPA is unweighted. Weighted it is around 4.7.</p>

7

<p>i love that line “i would appreciate verification from strangers”</p>

8

<p>Everything is a mid/high reach with your ECs</p>

9

<p>I also just visited Penn State and found Schreyer Honors College pretty interesting. Could you also chance me for that? Thanks.</p>

10

<p>I need more specific information than whether or not these schools are reaches. I will chance back if requested, but I want to know if there is anything I can do to improve my chances before applying or if I should apply to less competitive schools. Thanks.</p>

11

<p>For Penn I am applying ED, EA to UVA. I am also applying EA to Tulane. I have been named a National Merit Semifinalist.</p>

12

<p>It looks like you already know what you’re doing and i think I you’re fine, do good on essays + recs.</p>

13

<p>Columbia is a reach, Cornell is probably a low reach too. Your EC’s are fairly weak.</p>

14

<p>Your ECs and mediocre test scores are going to make it really difficult. Most everything but your safeties is a reach. You might have something of a shot at UVA, Cornell, and Georgetown with fantastic essays/rec. Penn is also reasonable. The rest are going to be a crapshoot, depending on the quality of your subjectives, who knows where you’d get in.</p>

<p>Care to chance back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1215821-chance-long-shot-top-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1215821-chance-long-shot-top-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

15

<p>“mrspiffy”… 1570 SAT scores are in no way “mediocre”…if you are referring to the Subject test scores, they will have minimal impact on admission. The problem is with the EC’s, no leadership or excellence.</p>

16

<p>I’m pretty sure the OP realizes how weak his EC’s are, I just hope (s)he realizes how higher those reaches actually are, Don’t Apply to schools you’re not 100% interested in. Harvard and Stanford are quite different schools, don’t waste your money on applying to schools that don’t appeal to you.</p>

17

<p>Many of the schools I listed are out of the picture now. I might apply to one of the schools out west (in California), probably Cornell, and maybe Georgetown. I visited Harvard and loved it, but I realize that the reach is too far for the upper ivies other than Penn. Should I consider UNC and/or Duke? Any recommendations? Thanks.</p>

18

<p>Should I put a school that offers national merit scholarships and that I will apply and get into for my first choice National Merit school or my actual first choice school, which does not offer a NMS?</p>

19

<p>You look really great, but you should have taken APs junior year! Other than that I’d say you seem qualified enough! Penn ED should be no problem for you! Good luck!</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1196782-chances-brown-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1196782-chances-brown-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

20

<p>All of your choices are reaches or high matches.</p>