<p>Gender: Male
Age: 16 (one year younger than normal class age)
Location: Washington
School: Roughly 2000 student population; hardly any go to a good college; best last year was Northwestern and West Point; the year before was Emory and University of Virginia, Haven't seen an Ivy in a while</p>
<p>My current application qualities are:
- 3.77 GPA (with A-, B+, etc.); weighted: 4.0 exactly
- Lowest grades are B-'s in AP classes
- Five AP classes so far (5 on US History, others don't know yet)
- SAT score is 2100 (770 Math, 660 Reading, 670 Writing; planning on retake)
- SAT II's: Biology - 680; US History - 700; Math 1 - 720
- PSAT: 207
- Extracurricular activities:
- Track (varsity) (5 years)
- Cross Country (2 years)
- Knowledge Bowl (varsity captain) (2 years)
- school Chamber Orchestra (concertmaster) (2 years)
- local youth symphony (5 years)
- volunteering at local hospital (1 year)
- DECA (3rd in regional competition, state finisher) (1 year)
- marching band (1 year)
- concert band (section leader) (3 years)
- local city youth commission (2 years)
- ASM Summer Materials camp
- Summer skills center
- Work Exp: Lifeguard at YMCA, getting a job at TGI's or American Eagle, Internship at local newspaper</p>
<p>My college list:
Yale University
University of Chicago
Stanford University
Columbia University
Williams College
Pomona College/Harvey Mudd College
Amherst College
Brown University
University of Southern California
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Washington</p>
<p>What are my chances of getting in each of the above colleges? What are my chances of getting in w/ aid? Thanks!</p>
<p>I...think you're pushing it a bit. All your colleges on your list except maybe UW and USC are reaches, and I REALLY suggest you getting some safeties, as the college admissions are EXTREMELY unpredictable (unless you're like me and parents won't pay for a second-tier school tuition).</p>
<p>Well, UW is definitely my safety. I can get in there for sure, as I'm in-state, and more than qualified for that. I realize the others are real reaches, but a friend of mine got into U of Chicago with a set of qualities worse than mine. And U of Michigan seems fairly easy to get into as well, so I counted that as a safety.</p>
<p>UChicago puts a HEAVY emphasis on your essays. And don't always compare yourself to _____ because that person might have qualities that you might be unaware of.
I wouldn't say UMichigan is a safety - more like a safety-match? Unless you want to go to Ross</p>
<p>No, no...definitely Ann Arbor. But their requirements just seem so low, as even my weak SAT score can put me in (btw, I am retaking in October. A friend of mine was in the hospital that night, so I was distracted. I was getting 2250's on my practice tests). What about the liberal arts ones? I've heard they're much easier to get in than the universities.</p>
<p>Work on the SAT verbal, certainly. Your list is full of reaches, so look into math-friendly LACs such as Reed, Swarthmore, Pomona (and other Claremonts), as well as more LAC-like universities like Rice.</p>
<p>What do you suggest I can do in the next six months to bolster my chances?</p>
<p>HAHA Oh Wellesley...I remember someone suggested me that school too and I went "ehh?"</p>
<p>Echo, google the Common Data Set for each school to see how you compare to the last incoming class; it should give you a rough first approximation. It also tells you what each school considers to be the important criteria for admission.</p>
<p>I've done the college stuff with Collegeboard's college analysis things, and apparently I'm a low match for top Ivies, so I think the stats are skewed (Affirmative Action, I suppose). But does anyone have any suggestions on what I could improve by November, come early action time? Maybe bolster something I already have, do something different? I'm definitely retaking the SAT, and I'm going to take the ACT in September, estimating 2250-2300, and 32-35 respectively.</p>
<p>That's assuming you get those scores, a lot of those schools are still reaches. You're gpa isn't great, but there is nothing you can do about that for EA/ED season since they only look at junior year. MY advice, start your application now. Common ap came up today. Start working on essays. With a really good application where your interests shine and an amazing essay, you might have a chance at these reaches. </p>
<p>Your geographic location will help a bit. What's your class rank approximately?</p>
<p>All of these are definite reaches
Amherst College
Brown University
Yale University
Stanford University
Columbia University
Williams College</p>
<p>My class rank...I'd say at least top 10%. Maybe top 5, I don't know. But if it matters, I have taken more AP classes then every other person of the class of 2009.</p>