Just wondering how I'm stacking up

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So I'm kind of curious how I'm holding up seeing as how most of my apps are do at the end of the year. My grades are fine it's the ECs I'm curious about</p>

<p>Weighted GPA on 4.5 scale: 4.551
*My school doesn't do unweighted GPAs but I'm assuming I'd be around the 4.3/4.4 range if it did
*My school also stopped class rank after the class of '08</p>

<p>SAT IIs:
*Chem: 790
*U.S. History: 780
*Math I: 760
*Haven't taken the SAT/ACT yet but am planning on it in Oct/Nov</p>

<p>APs:
*World History: 5
*U.S. History: 5
*Chem: 5
*English Lang: 4</p>

<p>ECs:
*Community service with SADD from 9th-10th grade
*Chamber orch 9-12th
*District and county level honors orch 9th-10th grade
*Honors youth orchestra 9th-10th grade (there aren't too many youth orchestras in NY so it's kind of a bigger deal than the other stuff)
*NYSSMA (NYS School Music Association) audition participant 4th-12th grade
*Member of NHS and Tri-M Honor Society
*Member of Sci Research club and science fair judge 9th-12th grade
*I also did some chamber musical festival at a local college in the summer of 9th grade but didn't continue with it</p>

<p>I know the SAT/ACT counts for alot but I havem't had much of a chance yet to take them and I had to choose been SAT I or II in June and figured I better do the subjects before I forget everything.</p>

<p>My ECs are mostly oriented around music and **** but I'm not sure what colleges are looking for in terms of continuity. I've done alot of it only for freshman and soph years and I've only done a few of that stuff all throughout high school. How big are the admissions officers on this "continuity" thing? Or is that just for the people who join every possible club in the school?</p>

<p>Haven't really started essays or apps yet but I'm pretty laid back. I'll get all of the work done and do a good job on it even though I usually put it off a bit. For me it's confusing because most of my friends are in that "AP-clique" that either (1) work themselves half to death or (2) their parents work them half to death. For me, neithe rof these are true. I can be pretty motivated at times but I'm usually the one up till 3 in the morning working on that assignment not b/c he's been checking it over 2365812635 times but because he started it at 12. </p>

<p>I think it also might be that Im comparing myself to friends that have done amazing things such as All State and All eastern honors orch, attendants of Juilliard Pre-College, interns at local college labs and hospitals, etc so that's why I'm sort of second-guessing myself</p>

<p>I'm looking to major in (mechanical) engineering but I'm curious what I might be able to do with music (violin) on the side. </p>

<p>Some schools I'm looking at are:
*MIT
*Carnegie Mellon
*RPI (Got the Rensselaer Medal Scholarship so I think that significantly increases my chances with this one)
*WPI
*Cooper Union (?)</p>

<p>One more thing - I think i might've made myself out to seem like a nervous wreck but I'm not freaking out about these apps I'm really just curious how I'm stacking up.</p>

2

<p>As a potential MechE major, your math SAT II isn’t amazing. Everyone applying to MIT has super high SAT II scores.</p>

<p>What’s your schedule this coming year and what APs are you planning on taking?</p>

<p>Also, as a fellow mechE, I suggest focusing on the ACT. My ACT was amazingly higher than my SAT, but that’s just me.</p>

3

<p>Senior Schedule:
AP English Lit
AP Gov
AP Eco (Macro)
AP Calc BC
AP Physics C
Principles of Engineering
Symphonic Orchestra
Science Research III (sequential)</p>

<p>I also have PE every other day and an out period opposite that every other day. I’ve got a lunch period everyday too I’m not crazy. I tried to fill the out period but there’s really no class that fits in my schedule that is only offered every other day but I’m not too fussed</p>

<p>Is a 760 really that bad? I don’t think I’ll have time to retake any SAT IIs. I mean, I’d be happier with the 800 but I don’t think the 760 is terrible by any standards</p>

4

<p>Your profile is very similar to kids I know.</p>

<p>You look fantastic on paper.</p>

<p>Have you considered Oberlin and Univ of Chicago?</p>

<p>Do you prefer universities or LAcs?</p>

<p>I can suugest more when you answer.</p>

5

<p>I definitely prefer Universities to LACs. A friend of mine is considering Oberlin but I never really heard anything about their engineering program if they even have one. UChicago just never came up in talks with guidance counselors so I don’;t know much about it</p>

6

<p>a little confused on how your doing your GPA.
your unweighted is above 4.0???
your weighted is above 4.5?
You have great SAT IIs-but you should have taken Math 2 instead of Math 1
you have a great chance at all your schools and if your a girl it should help those chances.</p>

7

<p>By the way, I’m only referring MIT because it’s the only one I’m really familiar with, and it seems to be the most selective school on your list.</p>

<p>Are you jumping straight to Calc BC and Physics C? (What was your schedule last year?) I say those two classes look really good on an app. Make sure you do well first semester/trimester. Those grades are also considered during admissions. </p>

<p>“Is a 760 really that bad?”</p>

<p>lol, no. 760 is good, great for most standards. The thing is, just about everyone applying to MIT will have good scores. It doesn’t mean you have below average scores among the applicant pool;a 760 is probably average. Don’t sweat the SAT II anymore. Just work on your math score for SAT I. You don’t need an 800, but 750+ is what you should aim for to stay competitive. </p>

<p>“you should have taken Math 2 instead of Math 1”
It doesn’t really matter. From what I’ve seen among my friends, it’s actually harder to get a higher score on the Math 1 test. It’s less lenient. Miss 3 on Math 2 and it’s still an 800. Miss 3 on Math 1 and it’s a 790/780. </p>

<p>Little reassurance: I got into Caltech with a 760 Math I. (My ECs were quite different from yours though. I sucked at violin and quit orchestra in 8th grade.)</p>

<p>“and if your a girl it should help those chances”
BS. It didn’t help me at all. I got in Caltech because I am qualified, not because I have certain reproductive body parts. Why is it so hard to believe that the 36% females at Caltech got in because they are just as smart as the boys? </p>

<p>And to answer your question about ECs, science/math colleges don’t really care what you do as long as you show you have a life. All your ECs are solid. It’s true that compared to your fellow Asians, your ECs don’t jump out. But hey, we can’t all be Book 10 Suzuki kids. Don’t worry about the continuity thing too much. You show continuity in music and science.</p>

8

<p>Oberlin doesn’t have MechE. You should be in at RPI and WPI. Cooper Union and MIT would be big reaches (if for no other reason than the accepted %).</p>

9

<p>I’m not really jumping straight into BC and Physics C per se. I took a standard high school level physics course last year. AP Physics C at my school is two periods every day. I took honors pre-calc last year and the last half of the last semester is devoted mostly to limits, derivatives, and some applications of derivatives. Plus we did polar coordinates, parametrics, and sequences/series already so we’ll be ready when those topics come up. Most of the kids in my school end up with 4s and 5s despite the fact that they don’t allow us to take AB then BC. </p>

<p>I got a copy of my transcript today. Weighted GPA is 4.600 (out of 4.5). Individual GPAs for each year are:</p>

<p>9th gr: 4.479
10th gr: 4.546
11th gr: 4.850</p>

<p>I’m hoping colleges will like that I basically improved alot each year. I have no idea what my unweighteds are b/c my school doesn’t give those or class rank</p>

10

<p>Dude, your school is so much cooler than mine. Our precalc was basically a review of Alg2 with no real calc whatsoever, and we had to take Physics B before taking Physic C.</p>

<p>Your schedule is definitely rigorous enough.</p>

<p>Unweighted-wise, if you got all As, then you have a 4.0 </p>

<p>Did you want more school suggestions? (Since a couple other posters have been commenting about your choices).</p>

11

<p>Vicky: “you should have taken Math 2 instead of Math 1”
It doesn’t really matter. From what I’ve seen among my friends, it’s actually harder to get a higher score on the Math 1 test. It’s less lenient. Miss 3 on Math 2 and it’s still an 800. Miss 3 on Math 1 and it’s a 790/780. </p>

<p>That’s the first I’ve ever heard that…interesting. I have a 760 in Math 2, my thread is on here a couple of rows down. But Idk. Its a reach for everyone, I feel like my resume is competitive. </p>

<p>Anyway OP, strive for success on your SAT/ACT (not that you wouldn’t anyway). Most people I know think the ACT is easier, but I actually felt it was harder, although my scores translate almost evenly. Best of Luck. BTW RPI is an underrated engineering school in my opinion, actually very strong, and I liked the campus. Because of the RPI Medal thing, you get like $15,000 a year in scholarship too.</p>

12

<p>I actually have a question in regards to MIT. Is it recommended to schedule an interview? The MIT info booklet says only 3.6% of students who don’t set up an interview are accepted. This is making me lean towards doing the interview. On MyMIT, there’s an EC in my “area” but it’s kind of a drive. I just wanna hear what you guys have to say about this</p>

<p>Also, on the MIT app, there’s a section asking for summer activities. I’ve really only done a high-profile activity in the summe rof 9th grade. This may sound ■■■■■■■■ but it says “Summer Activities (reading, relaxing, camp, travel, summer school, volunteer work, research, etc.)” I don’t really have anything else to put although this past summer I did travel cross country for the first time alone. It was just for leisure but still, I’m wondering if that’s allowed</p>

13

<p>Sorry to double post but it wouldn’t let me edit that last post. I know I’ve done alot of good stuff inr egards to ECs I’m just nervous how it’s going to look on an MIT app because only one of those activities was during the summer</p>

14

<p>i agree with flip…seriously you dont know how to do a gpa. if the max is a 4.5 u cant have a 4.55. and you cant have a 4.4 uw.</p>

<p>recalculate gpa based on 4 scale
4-A(93+
3=B(83-86)
3.3= B+(87-89)
A-=3.7=90-92</p>

<p>once you do this you’ll realize your real gpa that colleges will see.</p>

<p>weighted is .5 for honors and 1 for ap</p>

15

<p>You should take the Math Level 2 test if you wish you major in engineering. This advice has been conveyed by many admissions officers.</p>

16

<p>“Is it recommended to schedule an interview? The MIT info booklet says only 3.6% of students who don’t set up an interview are accepted.”</p>

<p>As it says on their Website, MIT recommends that applicants do interviews.</p>

17

<p>Well, my interview crashed and burned. My interviewer was completely disrespectful and unprofessional. He even brought his 4 year old son along. Try getting interviewed by a guy whose son is running around Starbucks. During my interview, he even asked me my opinion about my fellow classmates also applying. Let’s just say, it gave me a really bad impression of MIT. </p>

<p>I think the % of applicants who interview and get in is higher only because, in general, the more qualified applicants will take the interview. True or not, all the books say that an ‘optional’ interview isn’t really optional.</p>

<p>Are you sure that you haven’t done -anything- productive during the summer? It doesn’t have to be amazing or anything. Did you achieve some sort of personal goal, learn something random, start your own blog? If not, it’s time to write an awesome short essay about your Sabbatical-esque summer vacation and how traveling alone ‘changed’ you.</p>