<p>Okay so I will be a senior this fall, I am already filling out applications for college and I am thinking about applying to some more highly selective schools, I'm just not sure that I have a chance of getting in and I want to know if it would be worth my time. I live in ohio and I am applying to University of Cincinnati, University of Dayton, and Ohio State, these are all safe schools for me and I know I won't have a problem being accepted. However, I was wondering if i would have a chance at schools like..</p>
<p>Vanderbilt
Cornell
Notre Dame
Dartmouth
Duke
U Chicago</p>
<p>(should i even attempt any schools like brown or stanford? any hope at all?)</p>
<p>About Me:
Gender: Female
State: Ohio
Family Income: Upper middle class
Ethnicity: Caucasian
(guessing none of this will help me)</p>
<p>Here are my stats</p>
<p>ACT: 33 (taking it again in september to boost my low math score (29), i hope this makes up for lower SAT)
SAT: 2030 (lower than i would like, I don't remember the break down)
GPA: 3.97 (un-weighted)
Class Rank: My school does not rank, will this hurt my chances?
ECs:
- 4 year varsity swimmer & senior captain
- Lead organizer for the Habitat of Humanity group at my high school (over 100 hours on the actual building of houses)
- Environmental club/ Spanish Club/ Student Mentor
- National Honor Society
- Volunteer at Hospital (250+ hours)
- Member of highly selective chamber orchestra (2 years FR & SO, should i even put it?)
- Job experience (lifeguard, should i include this as well?)
- Other community service around the community totaling about 150 hours)
APs:
US History 4
Chemistry 4
Literature 5
(taking bio, gov, calc, and spanish this year for ap classes)</p>
<p><strong>NOTE</strong> I am interested in pre-medicine, probably a major in bio and minor in spanish </p>
<p>Alright so that's me. If there is anything I can work on this fall to get into any of these schools then advice would be great. I just want to know if I have a chance and how good those chances would be.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt: match
Cornell: match
Notre Dame: match
Dartmouth: high reach
Duke: high reach
U Chicago: low reach</p>
<p>Your GPA and ECs are very good; it’s just that your test scores are a little too low to be competitive for those top schools. On your resume, put down all your ECs and job experience. Also, I would recommend possibly taking 2-3 SAT subject tests b/c many strong applicants have taken them.</p>
<p>It would help if you could provide your weighted GPA as well.</p>
<p>I would make the argument that your ECs are in fact a weakness in your application. You don’t seem to have any significant achievements aside from volunteering, which in reality counts for much less than most people think. That, coupled with unimpressive test scores, will make Duke, Cornell and Dartmouth high reaches. I’d say you have a reasonable shot at the other schools on your list.</p>
<p>Instead of asking for advice on a messsage board, katy, a good thing to do is sign up for the “How Do I Stack Up” feature on the collegeboard . com website. They will compare your test scores, rank in class and gpa with the previously enrolled kids at the schools you are looking at. They will give you a pretty good idea of your chances stat-wise.</p>
<p>Of course, these schools are also looking at your ec’s, employment, ap scores, etc. But you already know that and you seem to have those bases covered. :)</p>
<p>A 33 ACT is excellent! That’s enough to get you into any Ivy league, including Yale (of course, you’ll need to have kickass ECs/essays/etc), but make no mistake about it, the test score itself is in Ivy range. 33 is more than enough to get you into UChicago. For Duke and Dartmouth, a 33 would do it, but you’ll need to write excellent essays and have a bit of luck, especially since in my judgment, your ECs are decent but not spectacular.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt: match
Cornell: high match (essays will do it)
Notre Dame: high match (essays will do it)
Dartmouth: mid reach (strong, original essay and recs)
Duke: mid reach (strong, original essay and recs)
U Chicago: low reach (essays will do it)</p>
<p>Anyone have any tips on ECs i could pick up to try to strengthen that area this fall?
Also, from the students I have encountered at my school, when it comes to U Chicago the essays are always the deal breakers. 4/5 students I know who were accepted there are majoring in English, go figure!</p>
<p>Schools like leadership. Think of starting a business, making a website for it etc… If not you will need to write an outsanding essay…Many applicants have high ACt scores…</p>
<p>Am i the only one who noticed that you can’t “[start] a business, [make] a website for it” the summer before your senior year and have it be successful/college worthy before January? lol</p>
<p>^^^^ 2030 OOPS! i guess i should have gotten a much lower score haha , apparently i edited it SO many times that i cannot do it anymore. Lol if anyone can help me out with that it would be GREATLY appreciated, i want to add more info anyways.</p>
<p>and here is the break down because i just logged in again, </p>
<p>670 Reading
710 Math
650 Writing</p>
<p>i would rather not send in SAT… the break down was opposite of my ACT, math was 29 and reading was 36.</p>
<p>Might look at Holy Cross-1 hour from Boston. Holy Cross is a smaller version of Notre Dame but slightly easier to get accepted to. HC has great pre-med program and new science building with very strong medical alumni network. Like Duke and ND, Holy Cross has great school spirit.</p>