i need nice reaches/"close-enough-to-be-called-safeties"

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So far, I'm applying to UTD, Austin College, UT, Rice, Georgetown, Harvard, and Columbia. It's a pretty hefty list and I don't want to have to choose between Austin College and UT/UTD in the end. So, any good suggestions for near-safeties, nice matches, low reaches? I'm planning to study international relations.</p>

<p>SAT: 2170ish...i have to double check but it's in that ballpark
SAT IIs: spanish 700, us history 700, math II 700
very competitive public school in a suburb of Dallas
"white"...whatever. My parents are Middle-Eastern.
Muslim female.</p>

<p>resume:
WORK EXPERIENCE
August 2007-present
6 hrs/week Arabic School of Dallas
· Kindergarten level Arabic teacher</p>

<p>SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
3 hrs/week Amnesty International
Co-President, Plano West chapter (12th--appointed), Member (11th)
· Liaison between Plano West chapter and Dallas student chapter
· Posted human rights facts on daily announcements</p>

<p>3 hrs/week Shalom Salaam Social Movement
Founder, Plano West chapter (12th)
· Congregate Christian, Jewish, and Muslim students for recreational group activities
· Represent Muslim community</p>

<p>2 hr/week Muslim Student Association
Senior President, Plano West chapter (12th)
· Currently organizing first annual Plano Ramadan public student iftar</p>

<p>COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
June 2007-present
5 hrs/week, year-round Lebanese American Youth Leadership (LAYL)
Founder and Co-President
· Contacted over sixty humanitarian groups and banks to propose teamwork
· Planning “Project Lebanon 2008”, a summer trip to Lebanon to work with needy
· Created website for LAYL</p>

<p>October 2006-present
3 hr/week, year-round Shalom Salaam Social Movement
Texas Representative
· Worked as liaison between mosques, synagogues, and churches in Dallas
· Exchanged ideas with Harvard’s Shalom Salaam chapter for group activities
· Organized activities in the North Texas area, such as hikes and picnics</p>

<p>August 2007-present Islamic Institute of Learning in the Metroplex (IILM) Youth Group
Vice President
· Lead and plan religious activities for Muslim youth and interfaith projects</p>

<p>HONORS AND AWARDS
11th First Prize at Plano ISD District Fair
Special Award presented by the Meteorological Society of Texas at Regional Fair
· “Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful, Year III”: A third-year study of acid rain in the North Texas region</p>

<p>National Merit Commended Achievement</p>

<p>10th Third Prize at Plano ISD District Fair
Honorable Mention at Regional Fair
· “Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful, Year II”: A second-year study of acid rain in the North Texas region (continuation from 8th grade study)</p>

<p>Commended award for poem, “Untied, United”, by Arab American Institute’s Spirit of Gibran Contest</p>

<p>Third Prize for essay, “The Final Trickle of No Rights,” sponsored by HAMSA Hands Across the Middle East Support Alliance (HAMSA)</p>

<p>9th First prize in Microbiology at Shepton High School Annual Science Fair
· A study of halobacterium salinarium’s response to a variety of light pulses</p>

<p>SUMMER ACTIVITIES
11th Traveled to London, Paris, and Athens
· Visited modern political and historical sites, including Buckingham Palace, Arc de Triomphe, site of Princess Diana’s death, and the Acropolis</p>

<p>Self-studied beginner’s French
· Put skills to practice in entire stay in Paris</p>

<p>10th Student Peace Action Network Conference in Detroit, Michigan
· Traveled on a fully paid scholarship based on achievement
· Discussed political issues and brainstormed student involvement methods</p>

<p>9th Traveled to Lebanon
· Visited historical Roman ruins
· Observed political strain and an assassination in July</p>

<p>SKILLS, TALENTS &
ACHIEVEMENTS Foreign Languages
· Fluent and literate in Arabic
· Currently self-studying conversational Hebrew and continuing French grammar</p>

<p>Music
· Nine years of piano
· Participated in two annual multicultural talent shows, singing in Arabic</p>

<p>Composition
· Currently writing nonfiction memoir titled “Salt in the Wound”</p>

2

<p>Are you seeking financial aid? If you do not qualify for FA, consider Vanderbilt as they are aggressively seeking minority applicants and offering generous scholarships. Johns Hopkins University and Tufts Univ. have strong IR programs. However, based on your posted profile, you should expect admissions offers from almost every school to which you apply. Contact Princeton and try to get invited to their humanities week/weekend for prospective students. You may be one of the only U.S. students able to gain admission to Cambridge in the U.K. Also consider Stanford.</p>

3

<p>I’m not going to be overly-optimistic but that was quite a nice reply. I’m actually confused…Cambridge? I’ve never considered applying for all four years of my undergrad outside of the USA. Why do you think I have a chance at Cambridge?</p>

<p>Crapshoot at Columbia, anyone?</p>

4

<p>In my opinion, every school in the western hemisphere is looking for a student like you. Language fluency, diplomatic skills, organized, energized and highly intelligent. Your posted profile presents you in a highly positive, yet humble and sincere light. You will be getting lots of thick envelopes in April. Cambridge usually only admits one or two Americans per year. The application process is quite rigorous and lengthy and with your likely U.S. options, you may decide on a Princeton, Yale or Georgetown. And you might let your preferred Presidential candidate read your profile. This post is quite serious. Please take my very experienced advice and call Princeton’s admission office,share your accomplishments and interests, and ask for an invitation to their humanities seminar. Once folks know you and your background, many opportunities will come.</p>

5

<p>um, good thinking to include your GPA.</p>

6

<p>Without the GPA it’s hard to say, but presuming you want IR programs easier to get into than Georgetown’s but tougher than Texas, here are a few choices:</p>

<p>Emory
George Washington
USC
UC Berkeley (though tougher OOS)
Tufts</p>

<p>P.S. I don’t know how the other poster things that a 2170 SAT I test score with three 700 SAT II test scores is getting you into Cambridge from the US. Plus, I only see one first place award (for piano)–and your National Merit stuff. I don’t want to seem rude, but you have lots of smal stuff that adds up to make you look impressive, but no giant awards anything similar to UNAMO or Intel or Siemens competitions–which is what it takes to get into Harvard and Cambridge.</p>

7

<p>Sorry,
GPA: (weighted) 4.2
Top 5% of highly-competitive Dallas suburb public high school</p>

<p>Forget Cambridge, I’m not willing to go that far. Harvard…well, no kidding. I just hate to give up on things. I’ve been dreaming of Harvard since I was a kid. So I might as well apply. Thoughts?</p>

8

<p>Emory and Tufts are not significantly easier to get into Georgetown, fyi.</p>

9

<p>Emory and Tufts are not easier to get into than Georgetown, but their IR programs are significantly easier to get into than Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service–which is almost as tough as getting into Harvard–and Georgetown’s regular IR program is only slightly easier to get into than the SFS program.</p>

<p>It’s hard to say from what was posted here, but I am under the impression that the OP is planning to apply to Georgetown’s SFS program based upon her background.</p>

10

<p>I’ve never considered Emory…it doesn’t quite stand out to me yet. </p>

<p>Calcruzer, you’re correct. I sent in my information form a few weeks ago with the intention to apply to SFS at Georgetown. Tough, but that’s why I need a few extra schools that are mid-range that I could probably get into and be happy with their international relations program as well!</p>

11

<p>I feel like some of the stuff you listed shouldn’t go on an application. Was your 9th grade trip to Lebanon just a vacation? That’s what it looks like.</p>

12

<p>I thought (at the time) that going to Lebanon was pretty significant because it was the same year that the PM Rafic Hariri was assassinated and there were actually A LOT of riots/protests/demonstrations/political tension that I thought was fascinating. </p>

<p>Should I include it in my essay(s) and take it off the resume? It would help to narrow down my resume. It’s treading near a page and a half.</p>

13

<p>bumpppppppp</p>

14

<p>awww c’mon guys and mid-range schools? i’m desperate now. i need to finish narrowing my list down.</p>

15

<p>i added UChicago to my list.</p>

<p>so now it’s:</p>

<p>UChicago
UTexas
UTexas-Dallas
Rice
Austin College
Georgetown (SFS)
Harvard
Columbia
Barnard</p>

16

<p>Wait, am I considered a URM? Of course, I’m an American and I take that to heart but since my parents came straight from the Middle East, and I’m Arab-American…I don’t know. I know Lebanese are technically “caucasian”. But that’s too broad. </p>

<p>Any commentos? :)</p>

17

<p>Inshallah you get into all of them.</p>

18

<p>If you’re looking for another safety-ish school, try SMU. Or for a safety, the University of Dallas.</p>

19

<p>Thanks everyone. Any more thoughts? Actually, the last list I posted is my final one. How about some last minute chances?</p>

20

<p>Beirut, we’ve talked before about how we’re basically the same person, just your passion towards your Muslim heritage is ironically similar to my passion for my Jewish heritage. If it interests you, my list of schools is Tufts, GW, Georgetown, Brown, and WashU. You should really really look at GW and Tufts. Both fantastic in IR. Best of luck to you!</p>