Hi, I’m a junior right now and I’m wondering where my chances stand currently and how I can maybe improve my chances. I know it’s always a crapshoot but hey you try your best
Here we go:
Background: white male, mom went to Harvard, live in Northeast
Intended major: chemistry
Stats: 3.98 GPA, 800s on SAT Bio, Physics, Math, Chemistry, 780 French and English, 1570 SAT, 35 ACT, no APs yet
Extracurriculars:
Harvard Summer School
Youth orchestra first chair trumpet
Student body vice-president
Took chemistry classes at a local community college
Math club, science team, quiz bowl (co)president
STEM camp counselor
Attended a trumpet masterclass with a world class trumpet player (there’s a good chance he will write a rec)
Awards:
national chemistry olympiad with honors (top 150)
AIME
National History Day national prize winner
All state orchestra
A bunch of trivial awards from local math/science competitions
I think I’m going to receive very good teacher recs and I’m thinking of submitting two more recs: the trumpet guy, and a Yale professor I worked with on my NHD project
DUDE Your ECs are so freaking amazing. You seem SUPER qualified academically, like your subject tests, GPA, and SAT are top-tier :DD I’m not too familiar with certain ECs like Harvard Summer School or the trumpet masterclass, so I can’t comment on that. However, although I’m not an admissions officer, I think writing good essays are SO SO SO important–probably the most important. Since you’re a junior, you should draft your main essay over the summer! You should also consider sending an arts supplement!! I sent a visual arts portfolio to Stanford that increased the legitimacy of my awards and passion. If you claim to work with such an amazing trumpet player, you might be good enough to show admission officers. I know some schools also let you submit your research on Common App so you can submit your NHD project too. Overall, you are pretty qualified in my eyes no matter where you go, and I seriously mean that.
I couldn’t find a CalTech’s website for Arts Supplements, but I think you can put your portfolio on a website and link your music in the additional information section on Common App if all else fails.
I hope you’ll verify all your targets’ policies on LoRs, from whom, their openness to extra letters, and the timeline.
And that you’ve poured over the MIT admission blogs.
You have a little variety in the ECs, but they boil down to stem and music. The tippy tops like depth and breadth. (The breadth shows your willingness to engage beyond just your own interests or comfort zone.) Are you planning on music activities in college? Did you omit other ECs here, thinking they don’t matter? They do. Btw, any community service (and not just stem again?)
Take the time to try to understand what all your targets value and expect to learn about you, as a potential community member, which is more than about your major. (What the colleges say- and show.)
It’s work. But the perspective and fine tuning are worth it, for these reaches. Imo, then you can have a strategy.
Ps. In general, summer school and DE aren’t ECs. Look at the Common App. There’s a section for ‘courses taken at another college.’
