How are my chances? Help please?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>I'd really like to get a better idea of where I stand (tread water? drown?) in the applicant pool.. thanks!!</p>

<p>I go to a STEM-focused magnet school that's fairly rigorous and prestigious (nationally ranked).. my main goals are to study astrophysics/astronomy, philosophy, and economics in college and see what happens from there. I'm Asian and female.. and therefore am really trying to stand out from my cohort.</p>

<p>GPA: high 97
SAT: 2400
APs: Calc BC, Chem; Physics, Stat (taking these two this year) - my school is small and doesn't offer many APs at all
self studied: Human Geography, Biology, Micro/Macroeconomics, US History, Psych
(all 5s)
SAT IIs: Bio, Physics, Chem, Math II, History (800)</p>

<p>ECs:
Academic Team (we do very well), Science Bowl (competed at nationals), Technology Student Association (numerous top 10 awards, including a couple 1st places.. vice president of my chapter), Science League (we do very well), Math League, Key Club, NHS, Creative Arts Club</p>

<p>misc:
3rd place in the top 6 at Moody's Mega Math Challenge
1st place team in Deloitte-sponsored SPILL! Virtual Team Challenge (business-related)
regional gold key for photography, scholastic arts and writing awards</p>

<p>community service:
volunteered as a teacher's assistant or tutor in numerous capacities.. taught english in Beijing for a few weeks; tutored at a local learning center; volunteered as a research mentor to younger kids</p>

<p>I've done independent research and competed with it.. not as much recently, though. I attended the Summer Science Program (merit-based selective science program) and was a TASP finalist (didn't get in), if that counts for anything. Currently at an internship at a local DOE physics lab.</p>

<p>I'm still working on a portfolio for submission.. kind of hard to see, but you can see the general merit of my work here: <a href="http://bit.ly/omNbOb%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://bit.ly/omNbOb&lt;/a> I realize that I am going to need more pieces... whoops.</p>

<p>Thank you if anyone read all of that! Feedback would be much appreciated :) I'm really working hard to show who I am as a human being through my essays, not just some robot..</p>

2

<p>Dammm girl. Do you even need to make a chance thread? Of course you’ve got a chance. </p>

<p>The only weakness I can see (and this is a very very microscopic weakness) is that a lot of your ECs are academically geared. Play u your art and stuff so you seem like a cool teenager and not a study-til-midnight nerd (I mean this in the least offensive way possible).</p>

3

<p>Don’t send an art portfolio. While I can’t see the link you’ve posted, unless you’re a stellar artist it will likely only hurt you. Admissions reps don’t want to sift through piles of material, especially if it isn’t related to your application or the school. And Columbia has a pretty amazing art program, so you’d have tough competition if you did want them to concentrate on that.</p>