<p>User Name: tu160m
Gender: M
Location: Memphis, TN
College Class Year: 2012
High School: Public
High School Type: sends many grads to top schools
Will apply for financial aid: Yes</p>
<p>Academics:</p>
<p>GPA - Unweighted: 3.50
GPA - Weighted: 4.70
Class Rank: top 10%
Class Size: 450</p>
<p>Scores:</p>
<p>SAT I Math: 750
SAT I Critical Reading: 800
SAT I Writing: 740
SAT II World History: 800
SAT II Math Level 2 (IIC): 660
SAT II Biology - M: 800</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:</p>
<p>Significant Extracurriculars: Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences (4 years)
Knowledge Bowl (3 years)
Science Olympiad (3 years)
Model UN (4 years)
Mandarin Classes (2 years)
Political Campaigns (2 years)
Leadership positions: Captain of Knowledge Bowl Team
President of Model UN Club
Class Representative
Athletic Status - list sport and your level: Soccer - Club
Badminton - Club
Table Tennis - Club
Volunteer/Service Work: Volunteered in Political Campaigns - 500 hours
Volunteered at a local Hospital - 50 hours
Volunteered at local library - 50 hours
local old age homes - 30 hours
Math tutoring at school - 25 hours
Honors and Awards: National Honor Society
Mu Alpha Theta
Knowledge Bowl Champions 3 years in a row ($22,500 scholarship)
Awards in Science Fairs
Model UN awards
Science Olympiad awards</p>
<p>Colleges of Interest:</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
Cornell University
Princeton University
Georgetown
Georgia Tech
MIT (I’m crazy, I realize)
NYU
U Chicago
U Georgia
U Michigan (Ross BBA)
U Southern California
Yale
Vanderbilt (safety)
UT Knoxville (safety)</p>
<p>You are going to have to explain to me how you are 3.50 unweighted GPA but 4.70 weighted GPA (since it is impossible for these two to be more than 1.00 apart).</p>
<p>Please recompute these and then we can chance you more accurately--thanks.</p>
<p>My school does a wierd system where the Honors courses are worth 5 and AP is worth 6, so thats why my weighted GPA is much higher than my unweighted.</p>
<p>From a visit to Cornell, I know the Adcomm really stressed grades as the first thing they look at. So I'll have to say that Cornell would be a slight reach. As for Carnegie Mellon and Georgia Tech, those would be matches (assuming you're not going for CS at CMU). My guess for the others is:
Princeton: Far reach
Georgetown: Slight reach
MIT: Far reach
NYU: Match
UChicago: Slight reach
Yale: Far reach</p>
<p>I don't know enough about the other schools to say.</p>
<p>You're in the top 10, which is enough for me to think that you have a shot at all of the schools you mention. Especially if your school regularly sends the top 10 percent of kids plus to elite schools, I think you would know better than we would what your chances of getting in are.</p>
<p>A question about UChicago, though: I see you're applying to a lot of b-schools and I assume Chicago interests you because of its econ program. You should know, though, that Chicago is extremely academic and not very pre-professional, and while a econ degree WILL help you get where you want to go career-wise, you're going to be doing a lot of liberal arts along the way.</p>
<p>At the same time, UChicago looks like a good fit from you, judging by your EC's. Two of our best and most popular clubs are Model UN and Quiz Bowl, both of which are absurdly good here. If you like challenging yourself intellectually like that, I'm inclined to think that you'll really enjoy Chicago.</p>
<p>Yea, I am ok with both pre-professional and liberal artsy stuff. I visited Chicago and it seems great, I am a very broad person and it would fit me. At the same time, while I like learning about everything around me, I also want to focus on Finance, which I can do on my own I'm sure at Chicago.</p>
<p>collegekid, I have no clue as to what you're talking about, my ECs are easily the strongest aspects of my application:
I've been one of the top High School researchers in my state, I've won the regional academic bowl three years in a row (its a big deal in the midsouth because of $7500 dollars in scolarships for each team member), I've been involved in a lot of political campaigns (my Congressman knows me by name), I'm the president of MUN in a school which wins plenty of awards in all kinds of places, and I could keep listing my qualifications.</p>
<p>However, my GPA is kind of low and I see that, but I really want to convey my passion for the things I do and learn. This is going to be my main point in the application.</p>
<p>Oh sorry, I missed the important stuff on the first read. National debate champion, published author, art showings. My eyes were playing tricks on me and I read school MUN pres and regional knowledge bowl.</p>
<p>I think that you have a really good chance at Chicago if it is where you really want to go and you feel that it is a good fit for you. You will have to let the school know how much you want to go there and why you would fit in. This is really important to them. I would advise applying early action and paying a lot of attention to your essays. Also go to campus and have an interview there. My child had similar stats to you, with lower SATs, but really wanted to go there and let them know. She also had great recommendations from teachers, showing passion in her studies, as well as strong recommendations from her primary EA, music. Play up one or two of your EAs to show passion in something and I think that you have a great shot.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon--Match
Washington University in St. Louis--Reach
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)--Slight Reach
Cornell University--Slight Reach
Princeton University--Reach
Georgetown--Slight Reach
Georgia Tech--Match to Slight Reach
MIT (I’m crazy, I realize)--Reach
NYU--Match
U Chicago--Match to Slight Reach
U Georgia--Safe Match
U Michigan (Ross BBA)--you are a Match at Michigan--I think you'll have to apply to Ross as a freshman (for sophomore admittance) if you get accepted to the university--I doubt you will get preferred status (only 100 get it)
U Southern California--Match to Slight Reach
Yale--Reach
Vanderbilt (safety)--Vanderbilt a safety?, I don't think so--Match to Slight Reach
UT Knoxville (safety)--Safety</p>