Ahh by “more less” Ivies, I suppose I mean, well, NONE of the Ivies are “less”, to me, but…
I’m pretty much aiming for HYP as well, but my dream is to go to Columbia. I at least want to be considered at these schools. All my life, I’ve been told I don’t have ANY chance at all and I’ll end up going to community college (told by parents and relatives), and it will really hurt me if my hard work and passion doesn’t even get me considered at the Ivies.
Does anyone know, with my current accomplishments, if I’m a decent candidate for the UC’s in California, NYU, or Carnegie-Mellon?
All of this feedback is really, really helpful, and I really appreciate it. It makes me want to try even harder and gives me a good idea on how I should continue my high school career. I was really lost, and still am without any outside support since I’m doing this by myself, but this is very, very helpful, so thank you guys!
I’m actually working on the Shostakovich concerto! I’m almost done, but I’m wanting to polish it a bit more. Dvorak is pretty much ready to perform, and I actually have a recital to perform Dvorak at!
FWIW, if you check white and then write an essay about all the racism you’re encountered it’s not going to fly. Seriously though, I wouldn’t write an essay about the racism in your family. Try focusing on your wonderful accomplishments and your other great attributes and leave negativity out of your essays. I sense that Adcoms get tired of hearing everyone’s sob stories ((unless, of course, they overcame cancer or extreme poverty etc.).
Lesser Ivy? That's BS. Columbia is one of the best universities in the world.
Make sure you can articulate well why you want to go to Columbia. This is a short question on the Columbia supplement. It can't be that you want to be in NYC. That's a bad answer. Can you share your thinking on this with us?
Don't feel like you have to tell a sad story. DS got into Columbia early and his essay showed his spark, his quirkiness and willingness to put himself out there. The essay is get to know you and to see how you will contribute to the university community.
Read some essay examples. Johns Hopkins posts some under "essays that worked." Other good sources include the classic book by Harry Bauld and the website essayhell.
With your musical abilities, you should submit a music supplement and indicate that you're interested in playing in the CU orchestra. If you google "columbia university music supplement," you can find a description and further information.
And don’t write an essay about “your wonderful accomplishments.” Brag sheets do not make good essays. They can see what you’ve done when you list your activities.
@anxnymous, when you apply via the Common App or the Universal College Application, there is the ability to include a music and/or arts supplement. For music, this would be some kind of link or uploaded audio file or video recording of you playing that can be reviewed by teachers within the music department. For example, Yale, which has a superb music department, notes:
Being able to play the Shostakovich concerto going into 11th grade after less than 3 years of study most certainly does NOT fail into the “average or merely competent level of ability.” I had studied 'cello for 10 years when I applied to college a long time ago, including studies with Aldo Parisot at Yale and participation in conservatory level and international programs while I was in high school, and I don’t think I had mastered the Shostakovich concerto by the time I finished high school. There’s obviously a lot to music besides technical proficiency, but to develop that degree of technical virtuosity that quickly is extremely impressive. Shostakovich composed the piece for Mstislav Rostropovich partly to show off the latter’s virtuosity, and there aren’t too many more technically difficult pieces in the repertoire.
One of the advantages to attending a summer program like Tanglewood is that it immediately checks off a box in terms of people understanding your level of proficiency. If you say “I play the 'cello and I spent last summer at Tanglewood” then people immediately understand that you are an advanced player. It also puts you in contact with other advanced players and virtuoso musicians.
Part of getting in to elite schools is having the basic credentials - GPA, curricular rigor, test scores. Part of it is essays and recommendations. But those whose ECs add some extra “pop” generally have a better shot, though there are never any guarantees. I could see your combination standing out, with one admissions officer saying to another “did you read the application from the teakwood black belt / 'cellist / Latin scholar from Texas?” That’s a distinctive combination, and attaining an unusually high level of proficiency in 2 completely independent ECs is very impressive.