My One and Only Chance thread. Need advice. Will Chance Back. Penn ED/HYP/etc

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi guys, I will chance back, thanks for reading!</p>

<p>Asian Male
Midwest
Rank: 2/650
Major: Biology or Bioengineering
Middle Class. Need-based financial aid.
GPA: 4.0 Unweighted, most rigorous courseload in school.
ACT : 35 </p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests
Math II: 800
Chem: 760
Physics: ? (Taking Oct)</p>

<p>Taken 6 AP's so far, all 5s. Chem/Gov/Euro/APUSH/Macroecon/Language and comp. Will take 6 more this year</p>

<p>Work Experience:
Interned at Pharmacy program, summer of 2013
Started Pharmacy Tech job 8/2013 and will go throughout school year</p>

<p>Volunteering:
Volunteering at Nursing home (75 hours)
Working with a teacher and tutoring her kids for a semester (75 hours)
Part of the Amnesty International club, will have probably 20 hours by school time.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars/Awards:
Chess Team Soph-Senior Year (Won a state individual top-10 medal)
Local Library-Run Chess Club (Sophomore summer, Junior Summer) (Won local trophy just last week)
Quiz Bowl Fresh – Senior Year (JV Captain, likely Varsity captain this year)
Math Club Fresh – Senior Year (Small awards, maybe captain this year)
Newspaper Soph – Senior Year (Staff Writer)
Likely National Merit SemiFinalist
Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society (One leadership spot here next year)</p>

<p>Expecting essays to be good/great; teacher recs above average. </p>

<p>Do I even stand a shot at Penn ED, I’m wondering if I should aim for a colleges easier to get into, because my ECs are pathetic. Could never afford an activity from young age.</p>

<p>UPenn Ed:
UChicago EA:
Columbia University:
Harvard/Yale/Princeton:
Northwestern (Legacy):
Cornell:
Duke:
Brown:
WashU in St. Louis:</p>

<p>University of Illinois Champaign:
University of Illinois Chicago:</p>

2

<p>your in UPenn ED so i guess the rest doesnt really matter! good luck!</p>

3

<p>Thanks, but no way it can be that easy! Haha anyone else?</p>

4

<p>the ivies are never for sure but you have as strong a chance as any competitive applicant. you couldnt really have done more
good luck1</p>

5

<p>thanks for the feedback! bummp</p>

6

<p>I think you have a good chance at getting into Penn ED, your academics are stellar, no worries there. Also, what do you mean your EC’s are pathetic? You have multiple leadership positions, and you are very involved with your school, which is going to help a lot. When you say “you couldn’t afford it”, it’s okay, neither can most students. I sure couldn’t! Honestly, 13 thousand dollar courses in an ivy league school over the summer and saving the world/building a school in Africa or India will not really boost your chances all that much, contrary to popular belief. I’ve read in many admissions books and even my own principal said that all of that doesn’t show dedication, but rather wealth. What means more to colleges is taking what you have and making something out of it yourself, not relying on saving the world or attending an ivy over the summer. Don’t have the money to take a course? Start a club at school, start a non profit, etc. All of those things are free, unique, and don’t require thousands upon thousands of dollars.
So, yes, I think you have a very good chance at Penn ED. Write an amazing essay, and you have just a good chance as anybody. As for H/Y/P, it’s honestly a crapshoot. It’s a reach for everybody.</p>

<p>Good luck, I hope I helped, and please chance me back!</p>

7

<p>i think Penn is a good match</p>

8

<p>Thanks for the replies you guys! Still looking for more input :)</p>

9

<p>I think you’re doing great. You’re a great match for all of those schools, but I can’t guarantee anything for the Ivies.</p>

10

<p>Your stats are great! Your ECs are solid. As you have probably heard a million times already, however, no matter how qualified of an applicant you may be, Ivies and other top schools are always a crapshoot. All the top schools you have listed are reaches, but I would be surprised if you did not get into at least one. At this point, you have done what you can and it all comes down to your…ESSAYS! Make sure you spend time on them because they are the main way for you to stand out among the applicant pool. Good luck!!</p>

<p>Chance me back please? Thanks! <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1527858-chance-me-harvard-yale-etc-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1527858-chance-me-harvard-yale-etc-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>UPenn Ed:
UChicago EA:
Columbia University:
Harvard/Yale/Princeton: reach
Northwestern (Legacy): mid reach
Cornell: mid reach
Duke: low reach
Brown: mid reach
WashU in St. Louis: high match</p>

<p>I don’t know enough about U Illinois to give you a good estimate, sorry. But I would assume those would be matches/safeties?
Your grades and scores are definitely good, and your ECs aren’t bad either. Sure, you didn’t start a Fortune 500 business or anything, but your activities show dedication and effort. However, the Ivies and other top schools are risky for anyone, so I would advise applying to like two matches. </p>

<p>Chance me back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1537640-chances-upenn-georgetown-nyu-uc-berkeley-other-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1537640-chances-upenn-georgetown-nyu-uc-berkeley-other-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

12

<p>Thanks a lot for the help you guys, I appreciate any more suggestions!</p>

13

<p>@smarty99 thanks for your post on my thread! Ok so I think you’re a high match at Penn ED (overall admit rate 12.4% -> ED 31.5%). Only thing is that Penn is #9 in Bioengineering, making it the best Ivy for that major. However, I think most people applying early will want to go to Wharton, which should work to your favor. I think you’re a reach for HYP/Columbia, but at that point nobody knows what happens. Good luck to you!</p>

<p>Chance me @ <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1536047-chances-harvard-stanford-columbia-other-top-universities.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1536047-chances-harvard-stanford-columbia-other-top-universities.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

14

<p>Seems like you will get into UPENN, Congradulations on all the accomplishments.</p>

15

<p>Thanks for all the replies guys!! It really helps</p>

16

<p>You look awesome for Penn ED, it would surprise me a lot if you didn’t get in. On the off chance that you ever need to write more than one application, you have really solid chances at every school listed. Stellar academics, interesting ECs. HYP might be reaching a bit, but that’s why they call them reach schools. Good luck!!!</p>

17

<p>Haha wow that’s nice of you. I guess I should be a bit more optimistic!</p>

18

<p>Your record is quite excellent. Don’t worry about your ECs. They’re perfect as they stand. The colleges will probably just think you’re not very athletic. They know that not everyone’s suited to be an athlete. Realistically, your chances at the top-tier privates are about as good as they’ll get. Your chances at public schools are near-certain.</p>

19

<p>You’re really selling yourself quite short. Your academics are absolutely amazing. No need to retake any standardized tests. Your EC’s are also great too! If you’re planning on majoring in something pharmaceutically-related, then it’ll help you even more. All the ivies are crapshoots so I really can’t say anything for sure. However, you seem like an extremely strong candidate and if your essays are as good as your stats, then you’ll have no problem getting into UPENN ED. I would suggest visiting these colleges first so that you know that you’re gonna like the place you’re gonna be living 4 years in. Other than that, good luck!</p>

20

<p>Thanks a lot guys, I really wasn’t trying to sell myself short, just being honest. Thanks for the all the surprisingly positive responses. And yeah GottaGetThat24, I’ve already visited Penn/Columbia/Yale/Princeton/Harvard over spring break, loved Penn!!</p>