<p>Hey guys,
I remember when I was preparing to apply for schools, I always wondered how accurate CC’ers’ predictions would be. Well, here are what CC’ers predicted for me and what the actual results are. </p>
<ul>
<li>My Stats *</li>
</ul>
<p>International (South Korean citizen studying in Canada)
Wanting to major in engineering
No ED/EA/SCEA</p>
<p>GPA: 95~99 over the 4 yrs
Rank: 1/109</p>
<p>SAT I: 2260 (R 710; M 800; W 750)
SAT II: Math2c 800; Physics 800; Chem 790</p>
<p>Extracurriculars put on the apps</p>
<li>NABIS Youth Organization - Vice-President Operations and Finance</li>
<li>School/Church Basketball - All-star</li>
<li>CBS Youth Committee - Vice-President Operations</li>
<li>Science Olympics / Math Club - Team Captain; Club President</li>
<li>Sanofi-Aventis Biotech Research - Research Team Leader</li>
<li>Grad Council - Treasurer</li>
<li>School Orchestra - 1st Trumpet</li>
</ol>
<p>Awards
- Honors with Distinction - Grade 7 ~ 11
- Highest Academic Honours - Grade 11
- Highest Subject Achievement Awards - Students with the highest mark in each subject in their grade receives these awards
Grade 11
- Art 20, Chemistry 20B, Mathematics 30B, Physics 20B, Social Studies 20B
Grade 10 - Biology 15B, Chemistry 25B, French 20B, Mathematics 20B, Science 10B</p>
<ul>
<li>Mathematics Competitions</li>
<li>Alberta High School Mathematics Competition Part I - Top 50 in Alberta</li>
<li>Alberta High School Mathematics Competition Part II - 13th in Alberta (book prize)</li>
<li>AMC 12B - score: 113.5</li>
<li>AIME - score: 5</li>
<li>2004 Edmonton Junior High Math Competition Invitational - 2nd place in Edmonton</li>
<li><p>2004 International Kumon Mathematics Challenge - Top 10 in North America</p></li>
<li><p>Science Competition</p></li>
<li><p>2006 APEGGA Science Olympics - 1 gold</p></li>
<li><p>2005 APEGGA Science Olympics - 2nd in Edmonton (1 gold, 1 silver)</p></li>
<li><p>2004 APEGGA Science Olympics - 2nd in Edmonton (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)</p></li>
<li><p>National Michael Smith Science Challenge - 1st in Alberta</p></li>
<li><p>Other Awards
Grade 11</p></li>
<li><p>School Service Award</p></li>
<li><p>2006 Maurauders Basketball Tournament - Team’s Most Valuable Player</p></li>
<li><p>2005~2006 Varsity Basketball Team - Most Improved Player Award</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Grade 9
- School Wellness Award - one student per grade, voted by peers</p>
<p>Work/Job Experience
- Summer Research at a local university
- Tutoring</p>
<p>Excellent essays</p>
<p>Teacher recs: One good, one excellent
Grade counsellor rec: great
One supplementary rec from my volunteer organization: excellent</p>
<p>Interviews: Harvard, MIT, and Princeton</p>
<p>Asked for a lot of financial aid</p>
<ul>
<li>What CC’ers said *</li>
<li>my international status + need in financial aid would kill my chances at most of the schools</li>
<li>my SATs are too low, esp. for an international</li>
<li>my EC’s do not really help me stand out</li>
<li><p>some said that I have great chances at all schools, and some said very average chances at all schools except Cornell (match, low reach); Generally though, most seemed to agree that I had very average chances (so basically close to none) chances at HYPSM and Caltech.</p></li>
<li><p>Results *
Accepted:</p></li>
<li><p>Princeton (with $38000/yr financial aid)</p></li>
<li><p>Cornell (I was one of those who received “very likely to be admitted” emails)</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Waitlisted
- Yale</p>
<p>Rejected
- Harvard
- MIT
- Stanford
- Caltech</p>
<ul>
<li>My thoughts *
For the most part, CC’ers’ predictions were more accurate than wrong. However, I do think that their predictions were harsher than it really was.</li>
</ul>
<p>1) CC’ers tend to focus a lot on your SATs (many of them seem to emphasize that you NEED 2300+), but I really think that once you get over 2250+, it really doesn’t make that much of a difference (unless you have 2400).
2) Many of them seem to underestimate people’s EC’s.</p>
<p>That I got a very likely email from Cornell, accepted at Princeton with aid, and waitlisted at Yale seems to me that the adcoms saw me as a slightly stronger applicant than the CC’ers did.</p>
<p>But of course, when the CC’ers rated my chances, they hadn’t read my recs or essays (or seen my interviews for that matter), which could have made a lot of differences. Actually, I do believe that my essays could have made a pretty significant difference int he whole process, because I really tried to show different sides of me and make a lasting impression through my essays.</p>
<p>Well anyway, with all this rambling, what I am trying to say is that while asking about your chances on CC can definitely help you understand roughly where you stand among the top applicants, you really shouldn’t give up hope just because some of them say you have VERY average/slim/no chances at some of your schools. With your essays/recs/interviews, you always have a chance at making your dream schools =)</p>
<p>So good luck in the future!</p>