Ivy league chancing

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Chancing for Cornell College of Engineering, major mechanical engineering( also feel free to discuss the other ivys in regards to this major as well + duke and MIT)

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): goal Math 800, RW 770
ACT (breakdown):not sending
SAT II: couldn’t take but also not considering for this cycle
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.63 (weighted 4.0)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): doesn’t ranked
AP (place score in parenthesis): I won’t be sending AP scores which I know will hurt me
I’ve taken
AP Gov
AP US history
AP calc AB
AP World History
AP Physics 1
AP Micro (Self Study)

IB (place score in parenthesis): None
Senior Year Course Load:
AP Comparative government
AP stats
AP Calc BC
AP Macro
AP Physics C
AP Chinese

Awards:
recognition from NASA, I created a windtunnel and designed different models of airplane wings to test the lift and velocity of them, I designed the airplane wings, my goal was to identify the one with the best lift and velocity because it could carry the airplane for longer resulting in the airplane needing less fuel which will be better for the environment. Since less pollution will be put in the atmosphere.
National honor Society member
Performing arts award for theater 10th
Academic All State First Team
Highest Honors with High School
5th place at A-Leagues (it’s a championship swim meet)
State qualifier for Swimming (49th instate for 50 free)
Gonzaga Scholar

Subjective:

Job/Work Experience: I am the CEO, founder, and editor in chief of a magazine company that I founded, we have international following and international writer including writers from all over the United States( I coded, created, and design the website)

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Chinese Club: Vice President 11th will be President 12 (recently found out)
Diversity Action Group: head of social media
Theatre 9-12 (I was dance captain as a sophomore the youngest in Regis Jesuit history. Also I received recognition when we achieved main stage my sophomore year.)
Girl up Club: treasure also founding member
Leading the initiative run by GIRL UP✌?? give her a future. We are raising money to give refugee girls in education. It is one of the charities that are part of mission season. (I am the leader of the initiative)
I am the CEO, founder, and editor in chief of Ression magazine a company that I founded, we have international following and international writer including writers from all over the United States( I coded, created, and design the website)
Swim and dive 10-12, On STATE team and received fifth place in A-Leagues
Track 10-12 (could not participate this year due to corona)
RJ Media: 9-12 (had leadership role in regards to social media)
Special Olympics: haven’t had a leader ship Role Perez helped organize many of the events such as  the shindig.
Speech and debate 9-12
Mock trial 10-12
I peer tutor during lunch

Volunteer/Community service:
I have done tutoring for National honor society
I regularly volunteer at Chelsea Place (I have started a program with teens FaceTiming and interacting with members at Chelsea Place. Many of their families cannot visit them anymore because of coronavirus so they’ve lost a lot of connection in the world.) This is where I did my service project. (I coded, created, and designed the website)
I volunteer at Judy’s House
Leading the girl up give her future initiative

Summer Activities: Cornell University Summer College ‘19

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 8/10
Teacher Rec #2: 10/10
Counselor Rec: 9.5/10
Additional Rec: from Cornell Engineering Professor 7/10
Additional rec: from Arts and Science Professor 8/10

Interview: doesn’t interview

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: idk yet
Intended Major and College: college of engineering
State (if domestic applicant): Colorado
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: All girls private
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 250k+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection

Strengths: would be scores, recommendations, and extracurriculars
Weaknesses: GPA

General Comments : my GPA is low because the first semester of my junior year I found out news that my father had stage four cancer which I know will be discussed in my counselor recommendation but I will not be discussing it so I feel like that will somewhat help me.
Also I feel like my GPA is low because I do so many extracurriculars and I think that’s going to hurt me as well.

Edited out magazine name
ED

2

I am applying early decision to Cornell

3

I think that these are all very reasonable “low reaches” for you. I think that it is definitely worth the applications, but they are not safeties.

What safeties do you have in mind?

The wind tunnel sounds way cool.

4

I think you have a decent chance at Cornell. Your hooks plus the Cornell prof rec plus founding your own organisation make for a really strong application.

5

thank you!! But I’m afraid that I will be automatically rejected based on my low gpa.

6

You will not be automatically rejected due to your GPA. Your GPA is what it is. Your GC is going to explain. That’s the best you can do.

7

also for safeties I have Villanova, Tulane, Boston University, and University of Miami.

8

None of those are safeties, unless you are instate for UM, and that’s still not a safety due to your GPA.

9

actually I ha actually I verified they are safeties, and I have talk to many college counselors they told me they are.

10

What is your definition of a safety school? When most people here talk about safeties it’s schools that they will 100% be accepted to, that are affordable, and they’ll be happy to attend.

My D had a 4.0 UW GPA and picked safeties with a 70%+ acceptance rate.

Villanova - Acceptance rate 29%
Tulane- Acceptance rate 21.5%
Boston U - Acceptance rate 25%
U. of Miami - Acceptance rate 35% (and that doesn’t break out instate vs out of state)

IMO, none of these is a safety school for even perfect stat students. Matches yes. Safeties, no.

You should also be looking at the weakest part of your application when picking your safeties, not the strongest.

Overconfidence when crafting a college list can be a recipe for disaster in the spring.

11

As an hispanic URM you do have a hook (at most schools), but that won’t necessarily turn a reach into a match, and certainly not a reach into a safety.

I am not sure what counselors you have been speaking to, but Tulane’s class of 2024 acceptance rate is 11%, so that school is a reach for all (with the exception of certain students who live in Louisiana). Make sure to demonstrate interest there and apply ED or EA, not RD.

BU class of 2024 acceptance rate was 18.5% so a reach as well.

Villanova is in the mid 20’s and Miami in the mid 30’s are matches, not safeties.

It looks like your parents have high incomes, but just making sure all these schools affordable too.

12

The acceptance rate of Tulane was 11% last year, so I find it difficult to believe that it is, in any way, a safety, even for somebody with an UW GPA of > 3.9, while Boston University has an acceptance rate of 19%, so it would be similar. University of Miami has a 27% acceptance rate, so it would also not be a safety for you, nor would Villanova with an acceptance rate of 28%. You GPA is below average for accepted students for all of the colleges that you put as your safeties, including U Miami and Villanova.

Here is the thing, @BrunerJu, few colleges with an acceptance rate of under 50% would be a safety for you. While your SAT score is excellent, and your ECs are great, and you have the advantage of being a URM, for all selective colleges, GPA is king. For a colleges with an acceptance rate of under 65% or so to be a safety, your GPA has to be in their top 25%.

If your high school has Naviance. check the percent of students with stats like you have who were accepted by BU, U Miami, and Tulane. Unless almost all students with stats that were a bit below yours and above were accepted, that college is not a safety. There also has to be a good number of applicants over the past three years.

Of course, if your high school has a very good reputation, and 3.63 puts you in the top 2% of your class, things may be different. However, even in that case, Tulane would not be a safety, and I would not expect that BU would be a safety either.

13

It doesn’t sound like the OP has actually obtained their SAT score yet.

14

From other posts, she has taken the SAT, but not subject SATs.

15

Which tests have you taken and which are your actual scores and which are your goals? Are you planning to retest?

16

There is a growing movement to increase representation of URMs (especially females) into STEM. So you have a decent chance, despite the GPA. Having your GC explain the low GPA will also help.

But you have to have a strong fall semester. They will scrutinize your fall grades to make sure you can keep up with the work from a rigorous engineering program.

If you are going to apply ED1 to Cornell, then might as well apply EA to MIT and Caltech. You should also have a solid plan for ED2. Good luck.