[Insert Eye Catching Title Here] - Foreigner's Chances for HYPW

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Chances for Ivys; HYP and Wharton in particular!</p>

<p>Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Filipino (URM)
School: Public – Gifted Program
(Sends majority of students to top schools across Canada and USA. Nationally recognized in both academic and extra-curricular student achievement.)
Location: Canada</p>

<p>Academics</p>

<p>All Honors/Gifted Courses (9-12)
No IB/AP Offered</p>

<p>Unweighted Grades
Grade 9 – 3.3
Grade 10 – 3.7
Grade 11 – 3.9
Grade 12 – (Expected) 4.0</p>

<p>Upward trend and had medical complications during the majority of high school.</p>

<p>Standardized Testing</p>

<p>SAT (I)</p>

<p>Mathematics: 700
Critical Reading: 750
Writing: 740</p>

<p>SAT (II)</p>

<p>World History: 800
Literature: 750
Physics: 740</p>

<p>Extra-Curricular Activities</p>

<p>City Hall's Youth Cabinet– 2 Years
Director
Media Coordinator
City funded organization dedicated to bringing a voice to youth that don’t have one.</p>

<p>Choir – 1 Year
Lead Baritone Singer
I've taken opera classes and sung in an Opera</p>

<p>District School Board – 2 Years
School Representative
I highlight school issues and initiatives to the School Board</p>

<p>Environmental Club - 2 Years
President
I've run numerous recycling, tree planting, and fund raising initiatives.</p>

<p>National Volunteering Newspaper – 1 Year
Editor-In-Chief
Writer
We inform youth across the country about volunteering opportunities in their communities</p>

<p>Not-for-Profit Youth Academic Journal - 1 Year
Founder and Editor in Chief
We've created youth scholarships and donated money to several organizations through revenue generated from journal subscriptions </p>

<p>Public Speaking Club – 2 Years
Founder and President
I've invited multiple speakers to school to inspire students to strive towards academic excellence. I’ve also spoken to thousands of students at several conferences and universities across Canada inspiring them to take initiative in environmental sustainability. </p>

<p>Social Science Club - 1 Year
Founder and President
We cultivate the interests of students in the school by exposing and involving them in the Social Sciences.</p>

<p>United Nations Club – 2 Years
Founder and President
I've planned and executed an event in which panelists from the school board, government, and organizations debated international issues with students</p>

<p>Youth Environmental Organization – 3 Years
Director
I've helped raised and budgeted $15,000 for an environmental concert, featured in news multiple times, and gained national recognition. Currently working with school board and companies to install +$1,000,000 worth of solar panels, and wind turbines on schools across Toronto</p>

<p>Youth Business Program / School Liaison Program – 2 Years
President
Student Ambassador
I've founded and run 2 companies in their program; returned 400% revenue to stock investors to date. Won several awards in their program.</p>

<p>Work
Founded Graphic Arts Company
Worked at an Opera Company</p>

<p>Arts
Designed an Award-Winning Website
Published Poems in a National Anthology
Won 2nd in a Film Competition
Wrote and Co-Directed a Full Length Film Aired at Film Festival
Created an Economics Commercial Aired Nationally</p>

<p>Recommendation Letters:
Teachers
Principal/Vice-Principal
School Board Superintendent
Director of School Board’s Environmental Program
President and CEO of Youth Business Program
City Hall Official</p>

2

<p>u have good ecs, but u don’t show consistency with them. they only last 1 or 2 years. also, asian is not a urm.</p>

<p>good luck!! :)</p>

3

<p>That’s because of my medical complications. It isolated me for a majority high school. But I also learned from that experience. It motivated me to make most of my life, and change the world for the better.</p>

4

<p>It sounds like you’re in a good place now. Broaden your list, ther are tons of great schools, and focus on the ivies for grad school.</p>

5

<p>“Focus on the ivies for grad school”</p>

<p>Seems to me the OP can definitely think about them for undergrad.</p>

6

<p>Thanks DagnyT, I appreciate the vote of confidence =) and thanks for the input newyorka, but I plan on applying to other universities too, both in Canada and the USA.</p>

<p>Although, do you have any input as to what my chances are to get into them?</p>

7

<p>that’s a lot of recommendations…don’t they suggest 2 teachers and 1 counselor? imo, giving them 7 recommendations may be too much.</p>

8

<p>Ahah, those are just the ones I have available to use. I don’t know which ones I’m going to send yet. Perhaps I’ll mix and match them.</p>

9

<p>Obviously I don’t think there is a good chance at ivies, here’s why:</p>

<p>You don’t go to a strong school, no IB (very common in Canada) or AP yet you don’t have a strong GPA. I’m guessing you’re not near the top of your class. You have good SATs, but not ivy good, especially not HYPW good. 700 is an extremely below average math I score for Wharton where about half the class has an 800.</p>

<p>You have a laundry list of ECs which are not going to wow ivies.</p>

<p>That’s why my thinking is focus on getting into one of the many good schools that will welcome you, do well and go to HYPW when it matters most anyway, grad school.</p>

10

<p>

righttt…and the other half has won the pulitzer prize</p>

<p>@OP you should take the SAT Subject Test in Math (Level 2) especially since you won’t have AP Calc or something like that.</p>

11

<p>For more then half of my highschool career I’ve been under a medical condition, perhaps they might take that into consideration. In terms of my extra-curricular activities, I’m sure aquiring over 1 million dollars for the purchase of renewable resources for my school, and even more for other schools in the province is a noticeable EC. I’ve added small discriptions to the EC’s so if you would take your time to read them, it might give you more insight as to my dedication and contributions to them.</p>

<p>Does anyone else have any input?</p>

12

<p>Why do people post these things if they don’t want honest feedback from people whov’ve had the benefit of the world’s best counselors and who really know this subject. But, but, but you must not have really read my post because if you did you would know I’m the special one who will get into HYP with scores in their bottom 25th percentile! So what that I don’t play football or basketball and haven’t given $10MM, I’m going to be the low stats one!</p>

<p>Sorry OP, read how many people on CC alone claim medical reasons for low GPAs. Do you really think colleges say oh, let’s take this kid nowhere near the top of class at an average school over the many thousands of 4.0/2400s we must reject for lack of space?</p>

<p>If you, and you alone conceptualized some amazing green idea and spread it throughout your country would that overcome mediocre GPA and SATs? There would be some chance in that event if absolutely everything else fell into place-teachers check the best in career box, brilliant essays…but the chance would remain small.</p>

<p>The fact is colleges do not make exceptions for all of the kids claiming illness, death in family, divorce, mental issues and all the myriad things that make most of the world not fall at the top.</p>

<p>I had way higher stats than you and strong ECs and 2 of the world’s best counselors told me and all just like me not to bother with HYPW, but best of luck!!</p>

13

<p>uh oh…its gettin hot in herre…
I say go for it…if u can explain it well enough (the medical condition and its drawbacks, effects on you ect) you should make some of your schools. Even without the GPA issue, the schools you are going for are hard to get into espeically since you are from south-east asia…(you arent a URM sadly)
apply though, write amazing essays and you should be successful. I hope you make wharton! I think you should make wharton…</p>

14

<p>I didn’t mean to make it “hot” but defensive posters annoy me no end. If you post, accept peoples opinions without arguement while feeling free to dismiss the if you so chose.</p>

<p>Just one question Sid, do you have any ideas how few kids get into Wharton with a 700 math SAT. Now add in that this is an unhooked Asian international and they are overwhelmed with Asian candidates. He may even require financial aid which matters at Penn. Why do you think he’ll defy all odds and be accepted at Wharton.</p>

15

<p>I completely get what your saying newyorka, and I am taking it into consideration. I’m just clarifying things, in case it was a bit hazy at first. I’m not attacking you or refusing your advice at all.</p>

<p>Also, just to add, I believe UPenn is need-blind.</p>

16

<p>I say go for it. It seems like the OP has a lot of passion for service. Raising “1 million for the purchase of renewable resources” is definitely an impressive EC, and will not be overlooked. This is the kind of stuff admission officers like.</p>

<p>And newyorka, I pity you for having guidance counselors who would discourage you. Have these “world class” counselors explained the basis behind their advice? If you really are more qualified than the OP, I see no reason why they would try to prevent you from applying to the top schools other than for political reasons. No one should stop you from going to the schools you want to go to. If you feel that you have the right package, why not apply? Why let two people tell you where you can or can’t spend the next four years of your life?</p>

17

<p>I’m hardly a victim and my parents paid a lot for the advice. I ended up at a wonderful ivy.</p>

<p>The counselors looked at the whole picture-the fact that there were many HYP legacies in my class, the fact that theres were several already in at those schools as athletic recruits, the fact that I was from NYC and those schools quota kids from the city and concluded I would not have much of a chance.</p>

<p>They told me to apply if I wanted but to put my energy and soul behind schools that were still reaches but where I had a fighting chance. </p>

<p>When I look how things turned out for my classmates, I was glad to have followed the advice. Glad to not have had HYP on my list the other ivies saw. Many of our truly exceptional who applied to HYPS (top 8 in class, 2300 plus) did not get into the next tier of ivies either. They ended up at great schools-Williams, Amherst, Duke…but would have probably had a better shot at schools they wanted with a better strategy.</p>

<p>The OP has to realize these schools will only take so many from Toronto. First to contend with are the power elite schools like UCC and B-S among others. They have many legacies and the kids of the rich and connected. Then he has to understand the city has a slew of very talented Asian immigrants who are all looking at the same schools. If he feels he will stand strong among this competition, he should apply.</p>

18

<p>Thanks for clearing that up, newyorka. </p>

<p>However, I still think the OP should apply. Despite the fact that the odds are stacked against him (I won’t repeat what you said, but I refer to the last paragraph in your previous post), he does have shiny points in his resume that I predict few others will have. His service and leadership is consistent; he has contributed much to his community, it appears. I think the fact that he hasn’t participated in his activities for all four years will be forgiven not only because he has had to overcome a medical problem, but because he’s performed so much service in a limited amount of time. </p>

<p>Furthermore, the OP’s scores are nothing to laugh about. They’re well within the threshold for accepted students.</p>

<p>Provided the OP writes strong essays, I have a feeling he will receive good news come next spring – perhaps not from all his favorites, but at least one.</p>

19

<p>Hmmm – I just noticed the GPA. Although it is not too low, it is definitely a “red flag.” But as noted, there is an upward trend. I think the OP still has a darn fine shot.</p>

20

<p>Thanks for the useful input lobgent, I really appreciate it =)</p>

<p>Does anyone have any input as to my chances in the other Ivys?</p>