Ivy League Chances and Possible Matches?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey! I just took my Dec. SAT and got back the results so I wanted to update my resume and ask for any potential matches for my pursuit and the chances of getting into my reaches.

Reach:
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Columbia
Dartmouth

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): November: 2180 (660 CR, 800 M, 720 W)
December: 2260 (710 CR, 780 M, 770 W)
Super Score : 2280 (710 CR, 800 M, 770 W)

ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II: World History (790)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Not sure but my average from freshman to first quarter of junior year is 102.
Weighted GPA: My school does 100 scale average.
Rank: 1 or 2 out of ~110 people
AP : World History (5)
Junior Year Course Load: AP Physics 1, AP English Language, AP Biology, AP U.S. History, AP Euro, AP Calc AB

Subjective:

Math Achievements:
-Math Club (9th-current grade)
-Moody’s Mega Math Challenge
-Math Honor Society
-Bronze Award for Top 30 % in County Competition
-Plaques for mastery in state Physics and Chemistry exams
-Going to be taking the AMC 12 in February. If I score really high I can qualify for the AIME Math contest.

Robotics:
-Senior Mechanic of Robotics (9th - current grade)

Debate Team:
-Head Prosecutor (10th grade ; canceled due to lack of funding)

Music:
-Choir Ensemble (10th grade)

Volunteer:
-SPARC community service [Soup kitchen] [Habitats for Humanity] [Helping poor] etc.
-Environmental Club volunteer [11th grade - current]
-Church community service [just starting]
-Math tutoring [considering?]

Intended Major: Medical Science
State (if domestic applicant): NY
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: African
Gender: M
Income Bracket: 40-50k
Hooks: URM, first generation, poor economic conditions, English section language, immigrant,

both parents with sub high school educations, father struggles with alcohol and gambling addictions and is never involved in any of my affairs.

2

I think you sound like an optimal candidate for admission. You have developed extracurricular passions compounded with academic achievement. Hope this helps :slight_smile:
Dartmouth: Low Reach/ High Match
Columbia: Low Reach/ Reach
Princeton: Reach
Yale: Reach
Harvard: Reach

3

It’s a good start. Now dig deep into those colleges, see what each is really about and what it values and expects, what sorts of current students they show off, how they’re engaged. Preview the common app and supps, to get an idea of what they ask for.

4

Bump.

5

Your background will help you and I think you have very good chances to get into one of those listed schools. I really hope you do! Good luck!

6

Thanks man! I really hope I do too! ^^ @superbowser12

7

All of those schools besides Dartmouth are high reaches for you. Though you are an URM, with some great test scores (AP, Sat 2), and a fairly good SAT score, these are ALL crapshoot schools.

8

I think @vibrantviolet nailed it.

9

@appgodxoxo @AboutTheSame Thanks for the feedback

10

Like the above posters said, you are certainly a GREAT candidate for any of these schools. Your URM/first gen status is definitely helpful, although as they said, these schools are crapshoots for everyone. Literally.
However, since your major is geared toward mathematics and so are your activities, that’s definitely helpful. You show a clear interest in what you want to do.
But your ECs seem kind of vague (I understand if that’s just how you listed them here) so make sure to really specify what you do for each one and how it’s affected you.
Your awards are awesome, btw. Good luck on the AMC 12. I took it last year, and it was AWFUL, haha. If you really want to place, be sure to do your research and study a bit for it. Although I don’t think that will be in time for your apps.
The only thing that seems kind of odd is your APs. You only took one before senior year, yet senior year is only APs? Is that just the way your school runs or was it choice?
Overall though, I think you are a very strong applicant and that you have great activities / personal life aspects that you can mold some essays around. I wish you the best of luck! :slight_smile:

11

I agree with @fishgill Those are some great hooks and good profile.

12

@fishgill I’m a junior currently and taking 6 APs so by beginning of Senior year I’ll have 7 AP grades under my belt (unless I decide to self study another AP this year). I took AP World sophomore year that’s why that’s the only AP score I have so far. :stuck_out_tongue: And thanks for the information and I’ll be studying AMC from the past tests they have administered.

13

@krauser126 Thanks! ^^

14

I didn’t realize you were only a junior! With that information, there’s definitely more advice to give. I personally hated the SATs and took the ACT instead, which you would probably do just as well on (maybe better seeing your math + science skills). So you have plenty of time to retake either test to make yourself an even stronger applicant.
I would recommend trying to get some leadership in clubs, too, and maybe building volunteer work. But for an early junior you are definitely way more prepared than I was then (although I’m only applying to Columbia as a super super reach haha!), so I’m sure at least one of your schools (assuming your list is longer) will be very happy to have you.

15

@fishgill Haha thanks! Ima start my volunteering at Church after Holiday break. Also, does afterschool math or physics tutoring count as volunteer work? How would I be able to verify I did this volunteer work. Good luck on getting into Columbia. I had a landlord who I looked up to as a grandfather and who I used to assist in house chores because of his elderly age. He would tell me about his experiences immigrating here from Iran and attending Columbia and how awesome it was to him ^^

16

As long as it’s non profit, it counts as volunteer work. Even better if it’s independent and not within a club, but still great if within a club. I doubt they would ever verify, but on the common app, you’re given space to explain the activity, so you can just explain how you started doing it in that space.

And thank you! He would certainly be interesting for you to talk about in your “why Columbia?” essay and how he has shaped your own interest and dreams for the school.

17

@fishgill Ah thanks! I will take that into consideration. ^^

18

I would consider taking the ACT, with the skill you show in your SAT Math score, and that’s probably the only thing that could make you a stronger applicant.

19

But if I take the ACT and score a 34 that’s about the same as a 2280 SAT sooo how would that give me an advantage? @pupscotch

20

I think you are good with testing. Focus on the college search and which schools have the best programs for you, best locations, etc… Choose the Ivys that you truly love so you can come up with a good answer to the 'why XX Ivy" essay.