<p>What do you think my chances of getting in next year are?</p>
<p>Gender: Female
Race: White
School: Public, NJ
Current Year: Junior
GPA: 4.74 (weighted); 4.0 (unweighted)
SAT I: 760 M, 760 CR, 770 W Total 2290 (I had the flu when I took them... I think I can raise these scores a bit)
SAT II's: 740 Bio, will take more
ACTs: not taken yet
Rank: 3/320
AP: Bio-5; French Language (not taken); English Composition (not taken); AB Calc (not taken); Chem (not taken); US History (not taken);
Courseload (Junior year): AP French, AP English, AP Chem, AP Calc, AP US History, Physics H, Accounting I H
(Senior year): AP Java, AP English, AP Physics, AP Calc BC, AP Euro, AP Econ, Research in Molecular Biology (in conjunction with Rutgers Univ.), AP French Literature (self-study)</p>
<p>Academic Decathlon (3 awards, Most Valuable Team Member last year)
FBLA (1st at states in Accounting I; going to nationals; will get officer position next year)
Drama Club/Fall Play (extensive involvement since 7th grade; Crew Liaison officer position)
Fencing
French Honor Society (President)
National Honor Society
History Club (Roving officer, 10th grade; Public Education officer, 11th grade; History Club Member of the Year 11th grade; President next year)
Math Club (qualified for AIME)
Science League (Top 10% in state Chem I-10th grade, and Chem II-11th grade)
Treasurer of Temple Youth Group for 4 years
Mentoring (a lot... community service)
Lead Mentor (a lot of leadership)
Hebrew School Teacher's Helper- 2 years
Girl Scouts- 12 years, Gold & Silver Awards
Summer: Stanford Summer College (A+ in Latin); ASA Oxford; Something for this summer...
Other: I've taken 3 online courses with CTY, as well as taking Spanish I and II at a local college.</p>
<p>I am a parent of a son who was accepted into more than one ivy---I do not think you should or need to repeat your SATs. Your scores are great just the way they are.You are within range for EVERY top school in the country,do not make yourself look neurotic!</p>
<p>You must've read all the other posts like this. Everyone usually has a 4.5+ with beastly SAT, GPA, and EC's. Honestly yea you're a beast, but I'll say exactly what I said to the last person: the Class of 2012 will be the hardest class of all time to get into. That is a fact. Even though being a waitlistee doesnt give me much credibility, I would GUESTIMATE (C02) that you have a 60% chance to the College and 85% chance to SEAS. Actually yea you'll most likely get into SEAS if you apply there.</p>
<p>You're kidding me right? You had the flu? Haha! Those scores are perfectly fine and you're in the top group of applicants in terms of SAT. </p>
<p>SATs (and a good GPA) are not enough.</p>
<p>I think the essays and recommendations make a real difference - spend more time on those. I can't see much of a distinct thread within your ECs - make it clearer. Maybe when you're describing your ECs, put them into distinct categories - make them correlate with each other. You've got a whole year to spend quality time on one or two of your EC passions. </p>
<p>Columbia gets a *****load of applicants with your academic stats and EC lists - I cannot stress how important the essays and other personal literature are.</p>
<p>I think in reaching the nirvana of a 'balanced class' gender does have an impact. I believe the female gender is a positive in SEAS.</p>
<p>For CC I would like to know the percentage of males and females in the applicant pool but still the variable associated with the 'balanced class' would make an analysis there virtually impossible.</p>
<p>I think that's a shame. To pursue gender balance at the expense of qualified girls (or guys). Sure there should be some sort of foresight, but not to the point where there is a definite positive being a girl in SEAS or a guy in CC.</p>
<p>But I think you are missing the point of the Ad Com's discretion in creating a balanced class supported by the discretionary an intrinsically biased notion what is a 'qualified student' by embracing the concept that gender balance is at the expense of a 'qualified student.'</p>
<p>A qualified student is in my opinion one that supports the direction the College chooses for itself. A progression towards a social goal can create a 'qualified student' that may not have the highest SAT's or GPA's. And it's important to remember that most Ivies were until very recently all male institutions.</p>
<p>The fact that you brought up how Ivies were previously all-male institutions does little to help your stance.</p>
<p>I agree, a qualified student is one that supports the College's movements. But, FEMALE or MALE - regardless - I still think if you had a female who is more qualified on paper and as a person, than a particular guy, then it would only be right to choose the female even if there were more females in the cohort. The same would apply to the converse. I think that's also quite valid.</p>
<p>Caltech admissions policy would conform to your defintion of 'qualified student'. Caltech of all upper tier univerisities adheres to a rigorous admissions policy which relies almost exclusively on standardized tests, grades and rank in class.</p>
<p>African-Americans are notably absent at Caltech.</p>
<p>The Century Foundation found that three percent of freshmen at highly selective colleges came from the bottom socioeconomic quartile, compared to 74 percent from the top quartile. </p>
<p>Consquently, several of the upper tier schools are now working to admit a larger percentage of low-income students. </p>
<p>Beauty is in the eye of the beholder/Adcom and I think females are very attractive to Columbia SEAS ... just my opinion but hang around Columbia very long and you do recognize a strong attempt to be diverse in admissions which is very unlike Caltech.</p>
<p>And during the transition period from all male institutions to coed institutions obviously there was a female admission rate which translated into a zero sum end game for male applicants.</p>
<p>Admissions is by its very nature a zero sum process.</p>
<p>dude, when you've been in the MechE lab for 10 hours straight, and all you want out of life is to see some hot college chick walk by, you'll understand :)</p>
<p>More seriously, to the OP, you have a good chance. Don't retake the SATs, there is no functional or impression difference between your score and a 2400. You've beaten the test, you're smarter than the test, the adcom knows this from your current score. that's all you can try to say.</p>
<p>As for what you should do, the answer is be extraordinary in something. Something you're already good at, work hard and really try to shine or win something. Over the summer, </p>
<p>But the real difference, as VV said, is the essays (and interview, if you get one). You want to impress with your maturity and character, not just your vocabulary and resume. You want to show that you're capable of deep thinking, not just hard work. The difference between the people i've interviewed who got in vs those who didn't was a spark you could see in them when they got talking about what really excited them. I could challenge them with off-the-wall questions and they would stay calm, focused, and give me a thought-provoking answer. Not all of those who fit that description got in, and not all of those who got in fit that description, but the correlation was pretty strong.</p>