My Chances...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am looking into getting into a place like Harvey Mudd, Penn, or Carnegie Mellon.</p>

<p>ACADEMICS:
-Cumulative GPA (Weighted) 3.875
-Class Rank 41 of 609
-Cumulative GPA (Unweighted) 3.792
-----GPA is old. I got a 4.071 weighted, 3.786 unweighted this year
-School Rank 563 in USA hardest public school
-Curriculum Strength; Intensely Rigorous. My classes consisted of the top band in our school, the most advanced engineering class, two honors classes and 3 AP classes.
-Taking 5 AP classes next year (Calc BC, Chem, Phys, Lit, and French), while also taking Wind Ensemble (highest band) and the most advanced engineering class available next year.
-I have done summer school all four years.</p>

<p>EC's
-All-State Jazz Band piano player for 2 years (very selective group)
-Jazz Band at school 3 years
-Our robotics team went to California for the VEX World Robotics Championship (Finished 31st)
-Our 4 person econ team made it to state (only 3 teams made it from our school or 2600, and we weren't even in the business academy)
-4 years marching band (5th best in the state last year)
-Section leader (trumpet; I play that also) as a SR
-3 year letter in band</p>

<p>Volunteer
-I have volunteered almost every Sunday at the same nursing home for 30 minutes a week for 6 years now playing Jazz on the piano for the residents.</p>

<p>Standardized tests:
-32 ACT dry run this December (retaking tomorrow; projecting 34 or more since I took test prep)
-No SAT, but my PSAT sophomore year was 203
-I took 6 AP tests this year, 3 self study. I probably got four "5's" out of the bunch.</p>

<p>Other Talents: I write excellent essays; that's just my thing. I have had many of my works used as examples for my classes the year after. Also, I am a great interviewer. My mom is a teacher and insisted from a young age that I had good grammar and extensive vocabulary. </p>

<p>In addition, I have solid connections. I am great friends with the second-in-command of the second largest construction company in Omaha, Leuder Construction. By boss' wife is in upper management of Union Pacific. I have had dinner with the former CEO of Peter Kiewit. I also have been lucky enough to converse with our neighbor, who is a former professor at Oklahoma State and now works for TransCanada. He has given me various books on Philosophy.</p>

<p>In the music department, my dad is a professional musician, so I know the best of the best in the Omaha area on a personal basis. </p>

<p>I am hoping to get into a place like Mudd or Mellon and possibly do a dual music-engineering degree.</p>

<p>Sorry if I sounded pretentious in my description, I am just giving my Creds to you guys how I would to the Admissions person haha.</p>

2

<p>Oh and also I have a friend who was on my robotics and econ team who is going there. I am a white male. It is just me in my house, but we could probably claim my sister on my FAFSA and we are in the 60k ballpark between my two parents.</p>

3

<p>UPenn: Reach
Harvey Mudd: Reach
CMU: High match</p>

<p>U Nebraska is then your absolute safety… might want to consider U Rochester too.</p>

4

<p>Not high reach at least. Is there anything you’d recommend?</p>

<p>Like I said those are my old GPA numbers, and I plan on getting 2-3, if not 4, more points on my ACT. I am taking an (october??) SAT and a very difficult course load at a high percentile school…</p>

<p>Should I get some research under my belt? I was thinking about patenting something too… I have a couple possible good internships lined up, it’s just that my extracurriculars are too music-heavy I think.</p>

<p>I heard it is easier to get in to Mellon (and maybe Mudd) if you do engineering and music together??</p>

5

<p>UPenn: Reach
Harvey Mudd: Reach
CMU: Low Reach/High Match
Nebraska: Safety</p>

<p>You’re stats are really good(GPA and ECs). Since most schools do GPA differently and there is no way to accurately compare the schools, colleges will typically look at standardized test scores first. If you were to increase your ACT by 1-2 points, then you would have a really good chance at the schools you listed. If I were you, I would seriously consider schools like Georgia Tech and University of Rochester. Your stats are good enough for those schools and they have excellent engineering programs.</p>

6

<p>I just took my ACT today…</p>

<p>My TIn -nSpire ran out of *****ing batteries on the first question so I couldn’t ask someone else for a spare. I still finished the whole math section though haha. I don’t think I got 32 at the lowest on math, probably 33-35 range. </p>

<p>The rest of the sections were all great. English I probably have a 80% chance of a 36, reading I project at least 34, probably 35, and science the same as reading, if not better.</p>

<p>I have my fingers crossed I just cannot believe I was cursed with dead batteries. I might have to get a new calculator because the nSpire faceplate doesn’t really work on my calculator and the batteries drain every 2-3 weeks… And to think I prepared so, so hard for this test just to have the calculator screw me over really ****es me off.</p>

<p>If anything I guess I can take it again.</p>

<p>Overall score projection</p>

<p>33-15%
34-45%
35-35%
36-5%</p>