Help me review my list/chance me! Will chance back!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I've been reading CC for a while, and as I'm starting to write applications essays I want to make sure my list is well balanced. I'll chance back everyone who chances me!</p>

<p>I'm a white male from a wealthy New York suburb going to a medium sized public school that usually gets several kids into the ivies every year. I'm interested in careers in finance or engineering but idk yet.</p>

<p>GPA: 93.86 (all honors/AP)
Rank: 31/478
SAT: 2400 super score, 2370 single sitting (took it twice)
PSAT: 214
ACT: 34
SAT II: Chem 800, Math II 800, World History 770, Spanish 660
APs: World History (5), Music Theory (3?), Spanish (5?), BC Calc (5?), English Literature (5?), Comparative Gov (5?)</p>

<p>Senior Courseload: AP Physics C E/M, AP Econ Micro/Macro, AP US Government, AP English Language, AP Spanish Literature, Honors Multivariable Calc, AP Stats</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
- Varsity Track and Cross Country
- Captain of Math Olympiad Team
- President of History Club
- Piano (30 hours of playing at volunteer concerts at different places (hospitals, retirement homes, etc...))
- Level 7 ABRSM after only 5 years of playing
- Hospital internship
- Former camp participant, now instructor for 2 years (in France)
- Fluent in French
- Recruit students from my high school to tutor at elementary schools in my area (20 students so far)
- TONS of private and volunteer tutoring
- Mission trip to Haiti (with my church and entirely self-fundraised)
- Volunteer doing marine bio research and public education at a museum (50 hours every summer)</p>

<p>Awards:
- Honor Societies (Math, Spanish, NHS)
- Book Award
- Some good team Math Olympiad results
- A couple random awards from my school (essay contests, scholar award)
- Honorable mention in statewide essay contest
- Bronze medal on National Spanish Exam</p>

<p>Schools I'm applying to:</p>

<p>EA: Harvard, Georgia Tech, UVA
RD: Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Wharton, Columbia, Duke, Cornell, Georgetown, UVA, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Lafayette</p>

<p>So before I toil on essays for all of these schools...
Is this too many schools?
Do I have enough safeties (Lafayette, GIT)?
Am I wasting my time applying to so many top 10 schools without legacy, URM, or any hooks whatsoever?
And lastly, chances for these schools!</p>

<p>Thanks in advanced and I'll chance back as soon as possible!</p>

2

<p>Is one of those safeties your state school? I’d definitley reccomend at least applying there (with the SUNYs and the CUNYs you have many options. You are very competitive for the Marquis Scholarship for Lafayette. If costs are a factor, then UC schools may not be the best choice and you may be better off replacing it with a school strong with what you are studying but have a good merit scholarship system. Most of them are reaches, but you seem to be highly competitive for most of them so you never know what is going to happen and part of it is just how the adcom reads your application. Good luck!</p>

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<p>@shawnspencer‌ Thanks for the reply! No SUNYs or CUNYs, but I could easily tack Stony Brook on, I only removed it because my list was so long. Cost is not factor.</p>

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<p>Ok! See my comment about possibly replacing UCB with Stony Brook. You need at least one “for sure” financial safety regardless of what happens.</p>

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<p>Those are some very impressive stats! However isn’t Harvard’s early action --single choice so i dont think you can apply to other schools in the early action program. But other than that you should be able to get into UVA easily and hopefully into Harvard as well! </p>

6

<p>You have amazing stats that easily qualify you for every school on your list. Your EC’s and awards are stellar. Even with those, it’s very risky to apply to all those top schools without a major hook. However, I think that you should definitely apply to each and every one of them, and I would throw in your state flagship (UGA) for good measure. I’d say you’ll be accepted to all of them, but the Ivies are a MASSIVE crapshoot. Best of luck :)</p>

<p>Chance me back: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1662008-2-8-gpa-2000-first-time-sat-urm-umass-amherst-others-ea.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1662008-2-8-gpa-2000-first-time-sat-urm-umass-amherst-others-ea.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I think you’re good. Here’s what i think
UVA: safe
Lafayette: safe
HYPS: reach but you have a good chance so definitely apply
Wharton: low reach
Columbia: reach
Duke: low reach
Cornell: low reach
Georgetown: match
Cal: high match
CMU: match </p>

<p>I also think that your safeties are safe enough that you don’t need anymore on your list
chance back? </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1664491-chance-for-umich-wesleyan-vassar-cornell-and-u-of-richmond-will-chance-back.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1664491-chance-for-umich-wesleyan-vassar-cornell-and-u-of-richmond-will-chance-back.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>While you are a superb candidate with excellent scores and outstanding extracurriculars, most of the schools listed are those with low acceptance rates that receive thousands of applicants similar to you and have to turn some down. They should be considered high matches if not reaches and I think you should include some less prestigious schools as safety schools just in case.</p>

<p>Can you chance me back?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1664493-please-chance-me-common-app-coming-up-soon.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1664493-please-chance-me-common-app-coming-up-soon.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I would say you are a match for all of them( congrats on these stats btw) and a low match for the ivies(its a crapshoot, so its hard to accurately chance), but I have no doubt you’ll go to an awesome school!</p>

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<p>@lbad96‌ @shockwave457‌ @marilo12‌ I just chanced all you guys. Thanks for posting! </p>

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<p>Great match for all schools! Esp. UCBerkeley, CMU, and Lafayette.
Sorry for the weak response, but the other CC users hit straight to the point haha…
Chance me? <a href=“http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1665715-chances-for-me-big-schools-mediocre-test-scores-high-gpa-many-ecs-happy-to-chance-back.html#latest”>http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1665715-chances-for-me-big-schools-mediocre-test-scores-high-gpa-many-ecs-happy-to-chance-back.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>@Kokko2k15‌ Chanced you. </p>

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<p>UVA: match
Lafayette: safety
HYPS: reach but you have a good chance so definitely apply
Wharton: reach
Columbia: reach
Duke: low reach
Cornell: low reach
Georgetown: high match
Cal: IDK
CMU: match/high match
chance back-<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1665744-accounting-chances.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1665744-accounting-chances.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>@RugbySingh‌ Chanced you! </p>

<p>To any future posters:</p>

<p>Is 15 schools too many?</p>

<p>How much will my rank hurt me in admissions (outside top 5%)?</p>

15

<p>@PMLAPA for your stats I think that 15 might me too much. My friend had similar stats to yours and applied to two safeties (Arizona U, and ASU) and all 8 reaches. She had 10 (All RD) schools on her list with 8 reach and 2 safety. She eventually got into Vanderbilt, Berkeley, Cornell, UCLA, CMU, and NYU. She was rejected from Stanford, and Princeton. Currently attends Vanderbilt.
You should apply to 2-3 safety/low match and 7-8 reaches (9-11). 15 might be to much to write supplementary essays though.</p>

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<p>If you play an instrument that should seal the deal for harvard. I would say its a match, cornell at your level is probably a low match…</p>

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<p>@SlipperySLope‌ What? Just because someone plays an instrument does not make Harvard a match… And Cornell is never a low match for anyone. </p>

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<p>@Rugbysingh think he would have about a 30%-50% chance at harvard which is my defionition of a match, and Harvard LOVES instruments (I dont know any1 from harvard who doesnt play 1). And I may be incorrect about cornell, although i may be incorrect as to how difficult cornell is to get into…</p>

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<p>Your ecs are not up to par for top ivy leagues like HYPS. I don’t know why people are saying that they are outstanding. However, your stats are very impressive.</p>

<p>Also, Wharton is definitely NOT a low reach.</p>

20

<p>@HvePassion‌ Is there anything I can still do to improve my ecs? And will my rank (>5%) hurt me?</p>