<p>I am going into my senior year this upcoming fall, and I was curious about my chances at Princeton. </p>
<p>Academic: </p>
<p>3.6 unweighted GPA at High School (I had a 2.9 GPA freshmen GPA and have since improved dramatically, if that matters)
One AP Class taken, almost all the rest honors
right at top 20% of class at public high school
4.0 GPA at community college for 3 classes (will be 4 classes when I apply)</p>
<p>Standardized Tests: </p>
<p>Math: 710
Verbal: 720
Writing: 700
(Will take again soon, may very well do better)
AP Computer Science A - 5
AP World History - 5
(Have not yet taken SAT Subject Tests, but I expect to do reasonably well)</p>
<p>Extracurriculars: </p>
<p>Boy Scout all through high school and middle school, not Eagle
Vice-President of Computer Club, author of current constitution
Vice-President of Chess club last year</p>
<p>Hobbies: </p>
<p>Programming (I've written TONS of programs)
Mathematics
Artificial Intelligence
Writing Fiction/Non-fiction (haven't won any contests since middle school, though)</p>
<p>It looks like you're pretty interested in computers/math, yet your SAT I math score is...unimpressive. Bring up those test scores to even come close.</p>
<p>I am taking the SAT again, and I'll take that into consideration. A lot of the errors I made on the Math SAT were "silly mistakes" like taking the square root of a number and forgetting + or - rule. </p>
<p>If I were to raise my SAT Math, to say, above 770, would I have a chance?</p>
<p>Even with high math scores it would still be an incredible reach. If you're interested in math, I would recommend some more practical colleges, like Carnegie Mellon.</p>
<p>The major ivies like top 10%, and outstanding ECs. Yours do not reflect any passionate success, and the math/computer types will be sending in tons of 800s on their apps. As CDS32090 suggests, research schools where your scores fall in the mid-fifty percentile range (USNewsReport guide, etc.) If you are not an URM, rethink your reach schools.</p>
<p>Princeton's middle 50th percentile for Math is 690 - 790, and I'm at 710. Clearly someone got in below 690, but they probably nailed the critical reading. </p>
<p>But I do certainly see your point that it isn't very realistic... </p>
<p>Your scores are actually less than mediocre for princeton.</p>
<p>I'm saying that with mediocre PRINCETON scores, much lower GPA, and poor ECs..you don't stand much of a chance. I can tell you used to be a BIG video gamer, and still indulge quite often.</p>
<p>Okay, first, that's really, really random (the video game comment), unless you are suggesting: </p>
<ol>
<li>That I am delinquent (because of the freshman GPA), which is totally untrue. The freshman GPA was caused mostly by sports as well as a general lack of motivation and preoccupation with other things. Video games aren't a reasonable scapegoat for everything.<br></li>
<li>Because I like math.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>Secondly, mediocre? </p>
<p>Unless you are suggesting that they accept over 25% of their student body with "mediocre" scores... Sure, they're not at the median, but I think that it makes sense to define mediocre as below the middle 50th percentile. Ordinary, perhaps, but I've generally heard of mediocre as having a negative connotation, which may be a regional dialect sort of issue. </p>
<p>I certainly understand that Princeton is out of my league, mostly because of the GPA, and the SATs being slightly below average for the school doesn't help. But I didn't really get the video game and the "mediocre" comments. </p>
<p>Thanks nonetheless for the advice and chances!</p>
<p>mediocre-average, typical. 2130 is an average (mediocre) Princeton score</p>
<p>A low freshman GPA, lack of ECs, and your interest in programming led me to believe that you sacrificed grades for video games (I know a few of those). Not a rash assumption. Just saying what I see and the ADCOMs will probbaly see too.</p>
<p>you say that princeton is out of your league mostly because of your GPA and SATs. That is not true. Your SAT is fine, your class rank and lack of substantial ECs takes you out of the running.</p>
<p>My GPA really isn't too bad if you take out the freshman stuff. </p>
<p>I've been thinking lately that it might make sense to just get my undergrad at an inexpensive, poorly known school, and then get a masters at a "big name". And since my SATs are close to average for Princeton, I bet my GRE will be pretty much in the same ballpark.</p>
<p>The GPA threshold for getting into a "big-name" grad school is much closer to 4.0 at the poorly-known school than it is for another "big-name" undergrad.</p>
<p>And it's safe to assume there is a rather sizable range between "Princeton" and "poorly-known" that you could look into ;)</p>
<p>JHU and CMU are feasible. Give them a shot. I am assuming you are applying on waiver, and I thought that there was a limit on waivers (correct me if I'm wrong). If so, choose um wisely.</p>