I am apply for colleges this year and I wanted to get an opinion from you all about my chances for getting into IVYs. I plan to study math. I got a 35 composite on the ACT (Math 36, Science 36, Reading 34, English 35, Writing 8). I am retaking it in September and am trying to improve my reading score. I have done 8 APs - I got 5 on all except AP world history and AP Biology (both on which I got a 4). My other tests were BC Calc, Physics C Mech and E&M, AP Lit and C, AP Micro, APUSH. I got an 800 on SAT math 2 and a 740 in SAT lit (which I am a bit worried about).
My extracurricular include Indian classical music - I am vocal performer and have given 25-30 concerts around the world. I also teach Sanskrit and have conducted many 10 day camps and individual classes all over the world to many students. Those are my two main activities. I also play the violin, run a youtube channel with 1.3k subscribers and have won some scholarships in music. I wanted to know how you all think I stand when it comes to getting into the top schools - I am aiming from Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Stanford. I am an asian male so I have that stacked against me.
For those who will say not to take the ACT again, I felt I had to because of my goof ups in the APs (with 4s on Bio and World His) and the SAT lit subject test (740) which I thought might weaken my application being an asian male. Hopefully I can get a 36 this time.
Stop. A 4 on an AP is not a goof up. And you do realize that something like 40% of students who have an initial high score on an ACT test, subsequently score lower on retaking? Yale for sure requires all test scores and does not superscore. Retaking for a perfect 36 wil not give you ANY advantage over any applicant who has a 34, and if you think it will help you, you are mistaken. If you manage a perfect 36, they will not then look at your AP scores (which are largely not used in admissions, especially at those colleges) and say “oh, he got a point higher on his already stellar 35, so that makes up for the AP’s.” If you are a rising senior, devote your summer to activities you enjoy, and start your essays. Stop prepping for tests.
Okay, let me tell you…you have to pass a threshold for application. That’s all. No, one point will not be the difference between being admitted and being rejected. There isn’t a single admissions person in the US who would say “Oh look, two very similar applications. But oh no! This guy has a 35, and this guy has a 36. I guess we will take the 36.” Instead of test prepping, I would spend that time on your essays.
You are an Asian male, and yes, that will hurt. Now you have to convey in your essays how different and unique you are. Time is better spent there.
We need more info to really chance you - potential major, gpa, state, that being said it’s going to be hard as an Asian male, I would only apply to a couple of ivies/Stanford and focus on more reasonable schools wrt admission.
Ok, here is some additional information. I will be applying as an International student from India. My unweighted GPA is 3.99 and I plan to study mathematics.
Your test scores are high enough that you have passed the minimum threshold for admissions. Of course, the vast majority of applicants rejected by schools that belong to the Ivy League athletic conference have similarly high stats.
Hence, as others have said, you need to write essays that distinguish you from other high-stats applicants. What will you bring to Institution X that other potential students–including those from India–will not? Your musical and linguistic ECs might be a good place to start: Very few US universities receives applications from prospective students who are Sanskrit instructors!
In terms of chances, common sense dictates that your odds are best at Cornell, if only because it has the highest admission rate of the Ivies.
Unless you have some inflexible reason for wishing only to attend schools in the Ivy League athletic conference, you should establish a broader range of reach schools: Chicago, Stanford, Duke, Rice, Northwestern, etc.
Oh I am definitely not only applying to these Ivies. I am also thinking about applying to UC Berkley, Swarthmore, Haverford, UPenn, Toronto, Imperial College London, Chicago, Harvey Mudd, CMU and Oxford. Also, I am defintely focusing on my essays, especially to bring out the various things I have done in Sanskrit and music including teaching experience, concert performing, etc., etc. I just wanted to know if my stats were relatively on par and that them not being perfect would hold me back if I say, nail my essays. Thanks for all the feedback - more is welcome!
lol upenn is an Ivy. But dude I think you’re a very well qualified candidate. The essay should show something about you that the rest of your application cannot. Also, you should try to include what you can offer for the math program at each college. After looking at the things the math programs offer, you should show what YOU can offer for the community and the programs.
You are good for Oxford with your ACT score and your AP 5s in BC & Physics and the 800 SAT 2 for Math 2. No need to retake the ACT for them. Will come down to how well you do on the MAT to see if you get shortlisted for an interview.
@kchp1234 Male, Indian international applying to Princeton for math will be a very hard road, unless you have significant math ECs and advanced college math courses.
Agree with others that your Sanskrit and Indian Classic Vocals are a huge differentiator and you should spend time on your essays about them, not retaking good test scores. Also, i recommend you upload or link to your YouTube some of your best performances, this will help make you memorable amongst your accomplished competitors.
@psywar That’s another one of my problems. I don’t really have significant math-related EC’s other than a talk I gave at UPenn and an Internship at IIT Mumbai. However, my approach to math here is more from a linguistics aspect (I have done work with sanskrit, linguistics, etc.) so I don’t know if that makes it easier. I have however taken a university calculus course (multivariable) and will be taken some more uni-level math courses in number theory, logic and maybe linear algebra from my school.
I am actually writing an essay on this - the confluence of math and sanskrit. I hope that will give the admissions officers the indication that I bring something very different to the table rather than just coming in as an math-olympiad winning, spelling bee champion indian male from the bay area