Macalester, Brown, Yale - chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Interested in Liberal Arts (literature, history) and prefer a city (near bookstores!). I'm always been seen as a math wizard but I enjoy lots of topics. Not sure of what I'll major in, but not worried about that until Sophomore year.</p>

<p>GPA is 4.1
My tests:
ACT - 35
SAT - Critical Reading 730, Math 790, Writing 690 Combined 2210, Math/Crit reading combined 1520
AP English/Comp - 4
AP Computer Sci A - 5
AP Govt&Pol US - 4
AP Govt&Pol Comp - 3</p>

<p>Not much for EC. I take fencing lessons once/week and enjoy it. Really I'm a geek. Love to read and will thrive in intellectual discussions. Haven't been elected to anything, but I have friends and know that I have leadership skills. Oh yeah, I was in marching band Sophomore year.</p>

<p>Do I have any chance at top tier schools? Other liberal arts schools? Suggestions welcome. Need some honest opinions so I focus on a couple of reach schools and a couple of safety schools. I need to start my apps, so let me know what the reality is!</p>

2

<p>You can write amazing essays and get great recs and hope for the best. Realistically though, because you have very few ecs and absolutely no leadership, you most likely wont be able to get into the ivy league.</p>

3

<p>Grades and stats are great. few ECs, but maybe not the end of the world. I'm an optimist when it comes to these things. Try to do some more stuff this year, and write amazing essays that say a lot about who/how you are and somehow explain your few ECs as positively as possible (your love for them, dedication, fit your personality, etc.) play up the intellectual side of you. Don't appear all over the place. Make sure you craft your app from a clearly defined angle. Tell them a story. "Math wizard" interested in liberal arts and reading is a mini-hook, I think.</p>

<p>GOOD LUCK.</p>

4

<p>What about Univ of Chicago and/or Cornell. Both schools that are "easy" (by Yale and Brown standards) to get into, but hard to get out of (very rigorous academics)?</p>

<p>I think that U of Chicago is much more realistic about EC's than are some of the other top tier schools.</p>

5

<p>Class rank is important to know here. Nothing here says ivy, but many schools will welcome you for your solid stats.</p>

6

<p>Also, just found out that I'm a Nat'l Merit Semi-finalist.
Anyone know anything specifically about chances at Macalester or Brown?</p>