My chances at these schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey all,</p>

<p>Just wondering if you guys can help me in determining if I have a shot with my current "stats" as you could say. I am hoping to go to one of these for my undergrad. I am a white male from a high income family. My school admits many to top-teir colleges. Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>Columbia
Duke
Vanderbilt
Dartmouth
Brown
UGA
UCLA
Colgate
Cornell
Stanford</p>

<p>Scores and E/C:
2380- SAT
34- ACT
Cum Laude
National Merit Scholar
National Honor Society
450 hours or so of community service (often 12 hours a week since sophomore year.. I worked my behind off here)
Young Democrats Club (Sophomore, Junior, and now senior years)
Young Republicans Club (See above, we could take both and I wanted to get a grasp of both sides)
Varsity Baseball (Freshman, Junior, and Senior Years)
JV Football (Freshman)
Model U.N. (Sophomore-Senior this year)
Debate Team (Junior and again this Senior year)
Math Club (Junior year)</p>

<p>Freshman Year- No AP or Honors, but got a 3.66 GPA
Sophomore Year- No AP or Honors, but got a 4.0
Junior Year- Took 4 AP classes and got A's in all of them.
Senior Year- Taking 5 AP classes this year.</p>

<p>How am I looking? Does not taking AP/Honors in Frosh/Soph kill any chance I have? As you can see, I steadily increased and am now in the top 10% easily of my class. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Meant 2280 on the SAT's, my bad. Won't let me go back and edit.</p>

3

<p>Goodshot100:</p>

<p>Assuming you are a California resident,
UCLA: Safe Match</p>

4

<p>I'm a Floridian.</p>

5

<p>Goodshot100:</p>

<p>UCLA: Match (out of state)</p>

6

<p>I think you have extremely good chances. The following schools are reaches:
Columbia (reach)
Dartmouth (low reach)
Duke (low reach)
Stanford (high reach)</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

7

<p>Thanks, Weasel and flopsy. </p>

<p>As you can see, I struggled a tad bit during Frosh year, thus causing me to not get into any AP or Honors sophomore year. During Freshman year, I got the grades (almost A- average), but fooled around. I matured greatly and got into the AP's Junior year and really proved I can mature I guess. Are my EC's good and such? Anything to improve? I really liked Cornell when I visited there. Thanks again.</p>

8

<p>Columbia - low reach
Dartmouth - reach</p>

<p>People don't realize it, but Dartmouth is one of the harder Ivies, just under HYP in difficulty to get into.</p>

9

<p>Joining Young Democrats AND Young Republicans is awesome, and adcoms are going to eat up your reason for doing so.</p>

10

<p>All of your EC's are good, but the two that will stand out them most are definitely the community service and baseball. Very few applicants will have a varsity letter in baseball, so that will really boost your application. While community service is a bit more common, the number of hours you have put into it are very impressive and show a sincere commitment.</p>

11

<p>GreenShirt- Define "eat up", please. Not sure what you mean here.</p>

<p>Thanks guys.</p>

12

<p>unless you are big in baseball or debate, i do not know how much you will stand out at the tougher schools. your community service is very good tho. if you do columbia or dartmouth or brown ED your chances will be improved at getting in. </p>

<p>to answer your question about APs, unless your school offers APs frosh and soph year, it will not hurt you to not take APs those years. if the only APs offered frosh and soph year have nothing to do with your interests then it is also ok not to take them. </p>

<p>i think the combo of being in both political parties and being on debate will make you seem like someone who wants to know both sides of every issue and wants to be well rounded intelectually.</p>

13

<p>"eat up" = love. Wanting to grasp both sides shows an active, thoughtful, curious intellect.</p>

14

<p>Was just thinking to myself, do most colleges look at individual quarter grades? Or final grades for the transcript? I know the GPA and what not, but do they look at say your Frosh Q1, Q2, S1, Midterm, Q3, Q4, Final Exam, and/or Final Grade? Thanks.</p>

15

<p>Depends what your school gives in their transcript. If your school gives everything, colleges look at everything. If they only give semester or trimester, or end of the year grades, that is all colleges have to work with. My school only gives semester grades on transcripts, so schools dont see my quarter grades or exam grades.</p>

16

<p>A lot depends on just what percent of grads your high school sends to ivies. If it's more that 20%, maybe you have a shot. What stands out is no honors or APs for two years. Your scores are good but top colleges are going to wonder why you didn't chllenge yourself. Then your ECs. Very weak unless you're a baseball star on a travelling team.</p>

<p>Just making top 10% may fly at Cornell, but not at other ivies, Stanford or Duke unless your hs is truly exceptional.</p>

<p>In all honesty you read like an upper class kid with a high SAT and not a lot else, a fine ivy resume 25 years ago but not what they're looking for today.</p>

17

<p>Might want to add some safe schools similar to Colgate like Holy Cross-near Boston- and Bucknell.</p>

18

<p>He is taking 9 AP's. I don't see how you can criticize him for not challenging himself. A lot of schools don't begin to offer AP courses until junior and senior year.</p>

19

<p>Top colleges are not impressed by APs. Many of the top high schools in the country no longer offer them. Many of those that do give easy As.</p>

20

<p>Then why did you criticize him for not taking them early enough?</p>