Just Another Asian Looking for a Chance (I Will Chance Back!)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Background:
I’m an Asian American male junior from Southern California: I attend an all-boys private Catholic school.
Family income is about average middle class.
groan (I know: literally could not be more mediocre)

Standardized Testing:
SAT: 2310 (750 CR: 770 Math: 790 Writing)
SAT II: 720 on Chem; waiting on math and lit, but pretty sure I scored at least 750+ on both

AP Scores (Although I don’t think these matter too much):
AP Human Geography - 5 (self-studied)
AP Music Theory - 5
AP World - 3
Awaiting scores for APUSH, AP Language, AP Chem; AP Psychology (self-studied), AP Government (self-studied), APES (self-studied)

Transcript:
GPA:
3.9/4 unweighted
4.68/5 weighted
Rank: 2/~300

School Academic Awards
Cum Laude 2015-2016, Class of 2017 (top 10% of junior class based on GPA)
St. Michael’s Book Award (awarded for academic achievement and social conscience; although book awards are kind of arbitrary)
Outstanding Student 2015-2016 (top 5 students based on academics, community service, extracurriculars)
Outstanding Student 2014-2015

Random Latin Awards
Silver Medal, National Etymology Exam, 2016
Silver Medal, Maxima Cum Laude, 2016 National Latin Exam, Level III
Silver Medal, Maxima Cum Laude, 2015 National Latin Exam, Level II
Silver Medal, Summa Cum Laude, National Latin Exam, 2015
Bronze Medalist, National Etymology Exam, 2014
Cum Laude Honorable Merit, National Latin Examination, 2014
Second Place, HS-2, State Open Certamen, JCL State Convention, 2014
First Place, HS-1, State Open Certamen, SCRAM 2013 Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Bronze Medalist, Magna Cum Laude, National Mythology Exam, 2013

Senior Year (Planned schedule):
AP English Literature
AP BC
AP Stats
AP Economics
AP Physics C
AP Computer Science

Extracurriculars:

  1. Captain, Debate Team (9, 10, 11, 12)
    Awards
    Triple-Octafinalist, Varsity LD, Cal Invitational at Berkeley, UC Berkeley 2016
    Champion, Varsity LD, Damien Debates, Damien High School 2014
    Champion, Junior Varsity LD, USC National Circuit Debate Tournament, 2013
    Second Place, LD, Loyola High School Regional Tournament, 2014
    Octafinalist, Novice LD, Victory Briefs National Circuit Tournament, 2013
    Second Place Speaker, LD, Loyola High School Regional Tournament 2014
    9th Place Speaker, Novice LD, Victory Briefs National Circuit Tournament 2013
    6th Place Speaker, LD, Damien Debates National Circuit Tournament 2014
  1. Vice President/Co-Founder, Meditation Club (11, ~12) -Started club to help stressed out high schoolers relax and take a breath -Have had speakers/field trips
  2. Founding Member, Camera Director/Technician, Broadcasting Club (9, 10, 11, ~12)
  3. Broadcast sports games to the student body:
  4. Received 25K grant this school year: able to purchase much better equipment (we were broadcasting with iPads before we got official broadcasting cameras, switchboards, TV, etc.)
  5. Broadcasting the daily announcements for our school
  6. Speech and Debate Representative, Student Council

Volunteer Work:
Events Coordinator/Volunteer at Koreatown Youth Community Center (KYCC)'s Summer Day Camp (summer before 9; summer before 10)
-Worked with elementary students from low-income areas
-Helped tutor/teach and led outdoor activities
-Attended and helped at field trips
-Helped coordinate outings and events for the 100+ high school volunteers
-Received MVP Award: given to top 10 volunteers (based on work ethic, passion, attitude)

*I’ve also co-founded and run my own personal service project, dedicated to intimate service to the homeless of Los Angeles. Currently talking to some possible non-profit organizations for a sponsorship to help us expand.

High School Placement Test Tutor (9)
-Helped tutor middle-schoolers from low-income areas to prepare for the High School Placement Test required by many private schools in Southern California
-4 Saturdays (one month)

Volunteer at Soup Kitchen (10, 11)

  • Worked at Union Rescue Mission in the heart of Skidrow
  • Worked at St. James Episcopal Church in K-Town
  • Helped set-up food/cafeteria; helped make food; helped serve food; helped clean up; help the homeless to their tables
  • Once a week (~4hours)

Job/Work Experience:
Administrative Assistant for OTEFE Foundation, Inc. (summer before 10; summer before 11; summer before 12)

  • OTEFE Foundation, Inc. is a scholarship company that gives scholarships to college students: receives 1000+ applications each year
    -Processed applications, recording them in Excel, sorting them, etc.
    -Provided customer service to applicants worldwide
    -Proficiency in Excel

Tutor, Self-Employed (11, 12)

  • tutoring three first generation elementary students (Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 5th Grade)
  • 1.5 hour sessions, 1x a week;
  • focus on writing, reading, and grammar
  • all have seen an improvement in their grades since working with me: one has been accepted into Gifted and Talented Education program at her school
  • earnings go towards paying for debate expenses (since we travel often)

Intern, Feldspar Ventures (summer before 12)
I work as an intern at a IP incubator in Downtown Los Angeles
(not a typical coffee-fetching internship; much more hands-on with a greater responsibility)

Summer Activities:
California Delegate of the Washington Workshops Congressional Seminar

  • Won an essay contest for a week-long, expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. with 74 other winners
  • Listened to speakers from various backgrounds (political party leaders, economic analysts,etc.)
  • Worked in committees to develop a bill that would be presented in front of all delegates
  • Taxation and Entitlement Committee: our bill (of the three) was the only bill that was passed

Misc. Awards
-Certificate of Merit from National Society of the Colonial Dames of America
-Silver Prize, UCLA Writing Project Korea Daily Writing Competition 2014
-Silver Prize, UCLA Writing Project Korea Daily Writing COmpetition 2016
-Two-time Regional Finalist Participant, Science Olympiad, 2013-2015

Other
Intended Major: Marketing, ComSci, Econ

Concerns:
I don’t have many national awards outside of debate: Is there anything I can do to remedy that?

Schools I’m Looking At (Match, Reach, Safety)

Columbia
UPenn
Cornell
Harvard, Yale, Princeton (Not really sure if I’m going to apply)
UC Berkeley
UCLA
USC
UMichigan, Ann Arbor
NYU
Washington University, St. Louis

Should I add some more colleges to the list? If so, what type (i.e. more match, more safety, more reach).
Do you have any recommendations of good colleges to research? (I’m all ears… might as well just call me corn)

2

Columbia: reach
UPenn: low reach
Cornell: low reach
Harvard, Yale, Princeton: high reach
UC Berkeley: high match
UCLA: match
USC: match
UMichigan, Ann Arbor: match
NYU: low match/safety, Stern would be high match
Washington University, St. Louis: match/high match

Superior ECs and stats, you’ll get in somewhere.

For econ you might want to check out UChicago and for ComSci MIT and CMU

National debate awards are sufficient. Most applicants don’t have any national awards at all.

3

Thank you! Is there anything you would recommend I do to boost my application in any way at this point? @ben69420

4

Columbia& Penn & HYP - Reaches for everyone.
Cornell
-match
UC Berkeley
-low reach/ high match
UCLA
-high match
USC
-match
UMichigan, Ann Arbor
-match/ low match
NYU
-match/ low match
Washington University, St. Louis
-high match/ low reach

Apply to more backup schools!!! Do you have any?

5

I concur with the previous chances people have given you. For UC Berkeley, however, I’d be a bit more careful. Comp Sci is very competitive there so it would be more of a (low) reach than a high match. Try applying to some other UCs or CSUs for safeties. Your stats are high, but it’s always good to have a few backups! UCSB and UCSD have great econ programs (nobel laureates in the department) and I think they’d make good matches for you. I’d say Cal Poly SLO is also a good choice for a low match.

6

I assume you are applying to College of Letters & Sciences at Berkeley for Computer Science and not EECS. EECS is more competitive to enter, but once you are accepted you are in the major. In L&S you have to petition to be a CS major after completion of CS 61A, CS 61B, and CS 70 with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30.

A double major in Econ and CS is doable, although I don’t think Berkeley has a Marketing major.

7

You have no safety at all!

8

@InamoratiAnon Thank you for the advice! I’m considering just minoring in Com Sci or making it more of a hobby, rather than actually majoring in it. Also, thank you for letting me know about UCSB and UCSD! I’ll definitely do a little research on them!

9

@yomama12 Thank you very much for the insight! Do you know how likely it is for petitions to be accepted? And would a double major in Econ and CS be preferable to just majoring in Econ/Finance with a minor in CS?

10

@uclaparent9 Are there any good safeties you would recommend for me to research? How do I know what constitutes a “safety” school": As of now, I was thinking UMichigan, Ann Arbor and NYU would be my safety schools.

11

UCB - high match
UCLA - high match
USC - match
UMich - match
NYU - match
WashU - high match
Cornell - match
Columbia/Penn/Harvard/Yale/Princeton - reach

12

In California, mid-tier UCs (UCSB,UCI,UCD) could be possible safeties for you (but not UCSD).

13

@dkcub17 I think you are almost to the point where you have as good of a chance as you can have for applying to schools. As others are saying, ALL ivy league and other selective schools are somewhat reaches to all unless you have cured cancer with straight A’s and a good test score. I would extremely surprised if you didn’t get into some of the ivy league schools but NONE are guaranteed as it is quite simply so selective. I think you are a match at USC, UCLA, UMich, NYU, and a high match at UCB. The other schools you will just have to hope your essays and LOR are good. Best of Luck!

14

Are you going to list all of those ECs? It’s quite a long list

15

@PetEngineer Thank you for your insight!

16

@sgopal2 No, I will not be listing all of them. This is just a comprehensive list to hopefully paint a picture about the type of person I am.

17

Ok then definitely pare down the list. I was overwhelmed when I read it.

18

Berkeley uses the term “petition” but if you have the minimum GPA of 3.3 in the required courses you will be admitted to the major after the paperwork is filed.

I can’t say if a double major in Econ and CS is preferable to a major/minor. It depends on what careers you are looking at.

19

@sgopal2 Here’s a list of the most important EC’s:
I believe I can include a maximum of 10 EC’s on the common app.
School-related EC’s: (1) debate, (4) Meditation Club, (5) Broadcasting Club
Work: (3) Private tutor, (7) my internship this summer, (6) Otefe Foundation
Volunteer: (2)my personal service project

*The number represent its importance (1: most important)
Do you have any commentary now? Is this still too much? Should I be prioritizing some activities over others? (e.g. work experience over academic EC’s?)

20

Ok looks much better. Limiting to the top 7 ECs makes it much more readable. Good luck