How to improve my chances to top schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi there, I am looking for feedback on my application and possible ways to improve my chances.

I am currently a Junior at a top public school in California. Asian (Indian) male.

Intended major: Chemical and biomolecular engineering

SAT: 1560 (790 math - I’m really pissed about that- and 770 reading/writing)
SAT Subject tests: 760 Spanish and 800 Chemistry so far (will take Physics and Math II in June, Biology in August)
PSAT: 1500 (750 math, 750 reading/writing, 225 selection index)
GPA: Cumulative = 4.49/4.00
**A note about GPA: while I have never gotten a B, I have gotten 3 A-'s, but I didn’t factor a +/- in the calculation.

AP’s:

  • None freshman year (freshmen are not allowed to take AP courses)
  • AP Spanish sophomore year (only 2 AP’s available to sophomores, can only take a language if you skipped a grade, which I did)
  • AP Stats/AP Chem/APUSH junior year
  • AP Calc BC/AP Macro/AP Bio/AP Physics/AP English Lang senior year

EC’s (Not including clubs):

  • Captain and founding member of a community FRC robotics team (plan for all 4 years)
  • Piano since 2nd grade (Have passed the MTAC level 10 exams with honors)
  • Varsity tennis (2 years)
  • Volunteered at a local community center the summer after 9th grade (over 125 hours) (not super important, but it is something)
  • Intern at a local peptide synthesis/biotech startup in the manufacturing sector
  • Self studying a lot of higher level chemistry (just for fun, not really an extracurricular)

Future Plans:

  • Currently applying to a couple of summer programs (SIMR, RISE)

Schools I am looking at (still early in the process so this is part of a long list):
Also no particular order

  • Stanford (Top choice)
  • UPenn
  • Princeton
  • Yale
  • MIT
  • Caltech
  • Northwestern
  • Purdue
  • WPI
  • RPI
  • Carnegie Mellon
  • Harvey Mudd
  • Purdue
  • Boston University

Letters of Rec:

  1. My AP Chem teacher - Loves me, we have a good relationship, personally asked me to come back to be a lab assistant for her (10/10)
  2. Undecided

I will gladly provide any additional information you will need.

What do you think are my chances?

2

I don’t really know that much as I’m an applicant myself, but you seem like a pretty strong applicant for all these schools. Are you still on the varsity team for tennis? Even if you’re not great, you could try contacting the coaches from D3 schools (for example, Caltech is kinda known for having weak sports and having a coach on your side could give you a boost in admissions). Your rec letters are super important, so I’d say to try to form a strong relationship with another one of your teachers so you can ask them for a rec letter at the end of the year and they can give you a good one. Your essays will also be really important when you start applying so don’t make the mistake that so many people do and start writing them early!! When you write them, I personally think that it’s really important to just genuinely be yourself (letting your passion for chem and engineering show is a huge plus of course) and answer the questions honestly without overthinking them too much. Good luck!

3

When will you find about the summer programs? What will you do if you aren’t accepted to either?