Is there any point for an average student to even try for an ivy? with an edge.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Freshman Year BxScience: Elite highschool 75.
Sophomore Year: Average School, 92
Junior Year: Best Hs's in PA: 92
Senior Year</p>

<p>-South Asian Female
-Parents paying for college out of pocket</p>

<p>I've moved Three times, so only my junior rank was given. 50/203
First Quarter Senior Grades:
Ap Gov:90
AP Enviro:90
Trig/PreCalc:85
Ap Macro:97
Ap Psych:98
Ap Lit:94
Ap Euro:93</p>

<p>Essay on struggles, and peserverance(father escaped genocide, had eye cancer that ended up in an enucleation)</p>

<p>Amazing EC's.
Debate Awards, went to novice nationals.
National Awards in Decathlon...around 40 medals..scholarship reciepient,team recognized by city and congresswoman.
Did Enviromental Science program over summer, got a certificate for achievement in the paper.
115 hours of community service at underpriveledged kid center.</p>

<p>Act: 30, but I'm retaking it in December and predict at least a 32.</p>

<p>Because of my test scores I'm not bothering with Harvard or Princeton. But I noticed Yale, Columbia, Brown, Cornell,and Darmouth have me in the mid. 50 range.</p>

<p>Should I even bother applying? My top choice right now is Chicago or Barnard.
I thought maybe if I played on the disability I'd have a chance.
idk. you guys are the experts</p>

2

<p>HYPSM no. but you got a shot at Upenn, cornell, dartmouth. brown and columbia are pretty high.</p>

3

<p>So U penn and Cornell and Darmouths would just be reaches?</p>

4

<p>Grades aren’t everything. Try for whatever colleges you want.</p>

5

<p>This is unrelated to your chances (I agree with skittled) but I think you should make sure your essay is about you. Your father’s story sounds amazing but consider whether it really says something about you, the applicant.</p>

6

<p>Last year, the middle 50% ACT range for accepted students at Columbia was 31-35. 93% of the group had GPAs that placed them in the top 10% of their class.</p>

7

<ol>
<li><p>I think your class rank might be your biggest downfall. My D is in this boat. She moved, and her GPA/rank dropped precipitously. Of course her standardized tests are all great, but…colleges need to know you will work day in and day out and the GPA/rank tells them that. In other words, in our thinking, why would any given college take #50 in a class when there are already 49 kids who worked harder…just in the one high school?</p></li>
<li><p>That said, there is SO much more to the application. I’m of the opinion that GPA/RANK (combined…because you can’t really look at one without the other)…and the standardized test scores…get a person through “step one” in the admissions process. They set a bar. Then one can elevate themselves above that with the rest of their application, or lose what they started with in a similar manner but in reverse. However, it’s all relative. So…for what it’s worth…my D IS making some “top/Ivy” type applications. Because…Truth can sometimes be Stranger than Fiction. However, the AVERAGE applicant only has a 1 in 10 chance at HYPSM (and only slightly better at the others you mentioned). THat INCLUDES many tippy top students who are denied. So don’t be convincing yourself you’ll get admitted. And don’t sulk if/when you don’t. BUT…one can’t win the lottery without a ticket either.</p></li>
</ol>

8

<p>^I love the analogy. Props!</p>

9

<p>Are you being recruited in any of the events within a Decathlon considering your national recognition? </p>

<p>Your GPA seems pretty low and the ACT is below most the middle 50’s for Ivy’s so even Cornell or Dartmouth would be reaches.</p>

10

<p>I would say that you dont really have a chance because youre outside of the range. If you were atleast within the range, Id say youd have a good chance.</p>

<p>Chance Back?</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/804723-chances-ed-dartmouth.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/804723-chances-ed-dartmouth.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>Go for it . </p>

<p>You’re not really average… 32 ACT is what top 95 percentile ( I think around that).</p>

12

<p>I think you definitely have a strong chance for Barnard- go for it! Also consider some of the other seven sisters; I think you’re a strong candidate for them.</p>

13

<p>there is no reason not to apply. i could see brown, dartmouth, or cornell giving you a shot. your amazing EC’s will help and your excellent grades senior year will help, too.</p>

<p>chance back?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/803959-chance-williams-amherst-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/803959-chance-williams-amherst-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

14

<p>I don’t see it working out at Brown, Dartmouth, or Columbia. Maybe Cornell or Penn.</p>

15

<p>What confuses me is Brown has an act range from 28-33, while Penn has a 30-33.
So I’d assume I’d have a better chance at Brown because of the range?</p>

16

<p>@admitone: Penn’s harder to get into.</p>

17

<p>Bott line is that with legacy or some other hook you have a shot at any ivy even with a score around 28
as we know here at cc, better to be an hooked 30 instead of an unhooked 36 at hyps etc. Just the way it is
good luck</p>

18

<p>“HYPSM no. but you got a shot at Upenn, cornell, dartmouth. brown and columbia are pretty high.”</p>

<p>Kids kids kids… keep in mind that Penn’s regular admit rate is not super high. Penn is ranked number 4 this year… </p>

<p>to OP, who survived eye cancer? you or your father? If ur gonna write about how ur father survived genocide and eye cancer, what does that say about you?</p>

19

<p>I did.
Penns rate isnt that high?
and update </p>

<p>ACT score december:33</p>

<p>So I think it boosts my chances.</p>