<p>@HvePassion Is there anything I can still do to improve my ecs? And will my rank (>5%) hurt me?</p>
<p>I feel like your ecs are all over the place. A history here, a math there, some French there – try to make it so that they are somewhat focused. </p>
<p>@HvePassion Thanks for your replies, and you’re completely right. I don’t really have a single area of focus or a passion that colleges love, and I feel that it’s too late to focus all of my ECs. How bad does this hurt me?</p>
<p>This is how I think: </p>
<p>Harvard: reach yet qualified.
Georgia Tech: match
UVA: match
Stanford, princeton, yale, columbia, duke: reach because I heard that this year it is going to become more competitive.
UC Berkeley: match
Carnegie Mellon: match
Lafayette: low match</p>
<p>Again, universities are no longer looking for “Renaissance” men or women anymore. Ivy leagues want to boost their prestige, and one of the ways they can achieve that is by admitting talented students. Society values individuals being good at a specific area now, so a focus area is important. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the major or field you want to go into – it just has to show that you are better than other people in an area.</p>
<p>It is a little late to rearrange your ECs now, so I would focus on essays and teacher/counsellor recommendations.</p>
<p>Bump, and I have a specific question:</p>
<p>I really like Duke, but I would still take a HYPS acceptance over a Duke one. Which is the better option?</p>
<p>1) Harvard SCEA, Duke RD (higher chance of getting rejected at both, but I would take Harvard over Duke)</p>
<p>2) Duke ED, Harvard RD (higher chance at Duke, but lower chance at Harvard and ED could prevent me from ever finding out)</p>
<p>^ Interesting dilemma. Do you think you’d be happy at Harvard or are you just applying because of the prestige associated with the Harvard brand? </p>
<p>If you’re just applying to Harvard because of the cachet of the brand you might end up unhappy. The excitement of attending Harvard will likely wear off with time. However, if you genuinely feel like Harvard is a great fit, then it makes sense to apply early. </p>
<p>At the end of the day, most reputable companies and elite graduate schools will prefer an exceptional Duke student to a mediocre Harvard student. Attend the school that makes you feel most at home. That’s where you will be able to perform optimally. </p>
<h1>thosestatstho</h1>
<p>I’d say this list is good for consideration, but I’d try to whittle it down before you actually apply.
EA: Harvard (reach, but everyone is), Georgia Tech (match), UVA (match)
RD: Stanford (R), Princeton (R), Yale (R), Wharton (R), Columbia (R), Duke (M), Cornell (M), Georgetown (M), UVA (M), UC Berkeley (M), Carnegie Mellon (M), Lafayette (M)</p>
<p>And the reaches aren’t high reaches either! I feel that any of the reaches I listed you could get in through EA/ED.</p>
<p>Chance me?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1669971-just-another-asian-chance-me.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1669971-just-another-asian-chance-me.html#latest</a></p>
<p>@anniesunshine chanced you. Thanks!</p>
<p>Your ECs seem a bit scattered, trying emphasizing one?</p>
<p>@AmbiD77 Can I say that community service/giving back is a passion? Or is that too cliche?</p>