My Chances

Colleges & Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>Hi, I'm going into 12th grade, and I'm going to apply ED. I live in Arkansas (hopefully, this will help in admissions, too), and I go to the Math and Science School in Hot Springs there.</p>

<p>Here are the classes I took last year:</p>

<p>11th:
AP BC Calculus -- B's both semesters (horrible teacher =/ )
Number Theory -- A for semester (one semester class)
Topics in Pure Mathematics -- A's in both semesters
Linear Algebra -- A for semester (one semester class)</p>

<p>I am taking in the fall the following classes:</p>

<p>Vector Calculus
AP Statistics
Math Modeling (one semester)
Differential Equations
and possibly a self-study of Group Theory </p>

<p>I'm pretty sure that I can get all A's in everything this following year. I did virtually no work or studying in 11th, and I only had a couple B's. Since then, my study habits have improved.</p>

<p>My ACT is a 32 right now. I think I can get it up to a 34 or 35 next time I take it.</p>

<p>SAT I is a 2080. I'm really hoping to improve this. Maybe a 2200 or 2250 by next time.</p>

<p>I haven't taken the SAT II's; that'll be for the next SAT after I take the SAT I for the last time.</p>

<p>My PSAT is a 220.</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure I'm ranked second in my class (although there is no official class ranking).</p>

<p>Other activities:</p>

<p>I played in the Lyon College pipe band for two years, for the last year as the snare drum captain.
I have been using Linux for years and am pretty good at using Linux.
I am a speedcubist: I can solve Rubik's Cube in record time, under 30 seconds. I was the first person to solve the cube only with chopsticks, and my time has been mentioned at Guiness' website.
I work at Hastings for the summer.</p>

<p>Here's some sort of hook: for my science project, I am modifying and experimenting on Andrew Wiles' proof of FLT. (Andrew Wiles is the head of the math dept. at Princeton.)</p>

<p>I love pure math, and I know that Princeton is probably the best possible school for that. My other choices are Harvard, MIT, U of C, Stanford, and UMich (in that order).</p>

2

<p>yea...im not intimate with Princeton's admissions process...but it cant be a good thing that you only took math classes...yea thats not good.</p>

3

<p>No.... I'm just highlighting my classes, since I'll be a math major. I wouldn't be able to graduate with just taking those classes....</p>

4

<p>I'm not fully sure on this, but I don't think they pay very much attention on what your major is going to be.
Obviously they do pay some, the major is only your 'intended major', and you can change it, so I think they just pick people they feel to be just top applicants rather than a certain number of math majors and a certain number of history majors, etc.
So we'll probably need to know your involvements outside of mathematics to give you any advice.</p>

5

<p>Well, here are my other classes:</p>

<p>11th
Junior English Composition A/A
German I A/A
Optics A
Computer Prog I A
Computer Science Research Through Technology A
P.E./Health A/A
Fundamentals in Research Methods A</p>

<p>12th
Senior English Composition
German II
Fundamentals in Research Methods</p>

<p>And about the major, I'm positive I'll be a math major. If I didn't I'd have wasted two years of my life.</p>

<p>For 12th grade, I have simply run out of classes to take. I may be successful in making a teacher create a class for me.</p>

<p>That last class, also known as FIRM, is for my science project.</p>

6

<p>I don't doubt that you think that you are positive you want to be a math major.
But I'm just saying that from the perspective of Princeton admission office, they ask you to indicate what you think will be your major.
They just want to accept a good student, not a student good in some particular subject.
They view the overall candidate, not as a math major candidate.</p>

<p>And it's not wasting two years of your life.
You enjoyed studying math, and when you go to college, maybe you will find something you enjoy even more.
Why is that such a bad thing?
You haven't tried everything you can experience in life, so if you enjoyed these two years, then they weren't wasted.
A lot of great people only found out their path very late in their lives.
Keep an open mind.</p>

<p>(This is not exactly for this particular post, but in general, what's with the attitude of "my chances" posters? They're asking for our advice, but bring all this negative attitude to any criticism.)</p>

7

<p>How and why did you take so much math anyway?
Don't Linear Algebra/Number Theory both usually have calculus prerequisites?</p>

<p>Your whole profile looks pretty...unique though, and I'd say you have better chances than most.</p>

8

<p>Princeton calculates based on soph and junior year-Princeton has become one of my top choices, and I just happen to be from Arkansas! </p>

<p>Arkies unite, yo.</p>

<p>Anywayz, what's your rank and GPA?</p>

9

<p>Bring up the test scores.</p>

10

<p>My cumulative GPA is something like a 3.91 or 3.92 unweighted. As I said, my school does not do class rank, but if it did, I would probably be number two. </p>

<p>Quirkily, linear algebra and number theory don't require a prereq in calculus. I haven't used or studied any calculus techniques in either class.</p>

<p>Besides that, I am a well-rounded individual; math is not all that I focus on, but it is the majority. Hopefully, my grades will show that I'm not just talented in math. Whenever I have a free period, though, I choose to take a math class instead of some other subject because that is what I'm most interested in. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.</p>

<p>I hope Princeton will understand that I am a math student. That's the reason I'm applying to P--its math dept. Both of my recommendations are going to be from math teachers, and my essays will probably incorporate math as well.</p>

<p>I would be pretty disappointed if Princeton rejected me because I'm very focused in math.</p>

11

<p>I realize that they don't use calculus techniques, but most colleges, Princeton included, require calculus before those two courses. I'm wondering, then, where you were able to take all these courses.</p>

<p>I'd advise against having both recs being written by math teachers.</p>

12

<p>I believe the rec forms specifically say that you must get two recommendations from 2 teachers in different areas. I could be wrong but its still not a good idea to get 2 math recs.</p>

<p>"I would be pretty disappointed if Princeton rejected me because I'm very focused in math."</p>

<p>I'd be very surprised if Princeton would accept you just because you're so focused on maths. Think about it- ask yourself who would gain the most from a Princeton education? Someone who takes courses in a wide range of interests, experiments with their curiosity, to mosh with everyone and everything, and basically to take advantage of everything Princeton has to offer.
Compare that to a person who is dead set on being a maths major. Won't experiment as much, seems so much more rigid like a robot, isn't as curious or stimulated by trying new things and new interests as much as the first case.</p>

<p>Who would benefit the most from a Princeton education? Who would Princeton benefit most from? Who would you pick?</p>

13

<p>My school has a really good math department. Since I had the highest score on the math entrance exam, they let me take BC Cal. Along with this, I took number theory and topics in pure math afterschool. I took linear algebra second semester.</p>

14

<p>Yeah, I suppose I need to be more well-rounded. I read tons of literature on my own, but I don't see how I can show P this. I might be able to squeeze a literature class into my schedule. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, I cannot take AP Chemisty this year. Since I've had a lot of science anyway, maybe a literature class might be better.</p>

15

<p>You have no social studies or science classes.</p>

16

<p>Yeah, I've taken them all in past years, even though I'm unable to take AP Chem. In addition to taking AP Physics C last year, I also took Optics. I'm taking Quantum Mechanics next year.</p>

<p>Perhaps, for next year, I should change Math Modeling into a biology class; we have two really good biologists. I might be able to get my free period turned into a literature or some sort of government class.</p>

<p>With these changes, would I still be considered too one-sided?</p>

17

<p>i think that would be a lot better.</p>

18

<p>With that change, how are my chances?</p>

19

<p>Your school sounds like it has awesome teachers and courses...does it have awesome counselors? what does your counselor suggest/think?</p>

<p>cause how can an online poster give you reasonable advise from the details you gave?</p>

<p>i'm really interested in math too, and i think all those courses you took are really cool. are you a good writer, will your essays be nice? why are your sat's kinda low? how are your ec's?</p>

<p>anyway, good luck next fall</p>

20

<p>Definitely raise that SAT score... bring it up to at least a 2200.</p>