So I got my ap scores back: I got 4s and 5s on the 3 exams I self-studied. Will that have any bearing on admissions? One of the keypoints of my application narrative is a true love for learning: I watch TedTalks, read random articles, revel in all kind of literature, etc. Would the self-studied AP scores contribute to this “passionate about learning” attribute?
Good question. I’d love to see an admissions person chime in about this. My personal feeling is that it might have the opposite effect, in that it can make someone look like a resume-touting “grind” looking to prove how smart they are by taking extra tests.
@foosondaughter I agree. Especially because of my race as well (Asian American), buffing up my academics with more AP tests would only exaggerate how much of a “model minority” I am. I’m hoping I can spin my essays right and emphasize a love of learning as opposed to a love of good grades. I’d appreciate any input about ideas for essays or whether I should self-report these scores on the common app, etc.
Also, not sure if this changes anything: But my service project received a sponsorship from a pretty decently sized non-profit organization in the area. Exciting news!
I think you are a strong applicant for all schools.
Chance me back ?
Ivies are reaches for everyone, but you definitely have a shot. WashU is a low reach. UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, NYU, and Michigan are matches and I really don’t think you’ll have a problem getting in. I got into UCB, UCLA, USC, NYU, and Michigan by not doing ECs, so you’ll probably be fine. Though I was OOS full pay for the UCs and Michigan so idk how that affected things.
Where did the safety schools go? At literally every school you list there is a chance of rejection. Sure you’re probably going to get into Michigan, NYU, etc. but you don’t want to apply to only reaches.
Also, not “buffing up” your academics isn’t something that’s going to set you apart as an Asian. You’re special uniqueness can’t stem entirely from the fact that you’re not as good as your peers.
Columbia: Reach
UPenn: Reach
Cornell: Match
Harvard, Yale, Princeton: Big reach
UC Berkeley: Match
UCLA: Match
USC: ?
UMichigan, Ann Arbor: ?
NYU: Safety
Washington University, St. Louis: Reach
@GAB444 Thank you for the feedback! Quick question: What do the question marks mean?
@JRawth But isn’t there a chance of rejection at any school I apply to? Are rejection schools supposed to be schools with 100% admit guarantees (e.g. auto-admits)? How do I determine what a safety school would be.
Also, I’m a little confused about your second comment: Could you elaborate? My self-studied AP scores are really minor in the grand scheme of my entire application: I’m not trying to say that AP scores alone are going to be the sole thing that sets me apart. That’s what I’m hoping some of my EC’s will be able to do.
Im not familiar enough with those schools. Chance back please?
For UCs, you may want to look at the following:
Columbia-reach
UPenn-reach
Cornell-reach, but you’ll prolly get in.
Harvard, Yale, Princeton (Not really sure if I’m going to apply)-high reaches (for everyone)
UC Berkeley-low reach
UCLA-low reach
USC-match
UMichigan, Ann Arbor-high match
NYU-solid match
Washington University, St. Louis-low reach
Great extracurriculars. You should probably add more matches though. Chance back?
@supercilious I’m a little confused. If you’re comment is I have great extra curriculars, what can I do to help me make a place like UCLA or UC Berkeley a match instead of a reach? I feel like maybe UCB might be a high match, but a place like UCLA would be a definite match.
Oh wait, sorry. I just realized you’re in-state. In that case, yeah, they’re definitely matches.
@supercilious Oh haha all right. Well, thank you very much for your opinion!