***Official DECISION thread for Class of 2017***

Colleges and Universities A-Z Boston University
41

<p>[ size=+2][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected[ /b][ /color][ /size]</p>

<p>[ b]College and Program: SMG[ /b]
[ b]Stats:[ /b][ list]
[ *]SAT I (by section): 2120 CR: 660 M:710 W:750
[ *]SAT IIs: Math: 760 Chinese: 800
[ *]APs: English Lang and Lit, APUSH, Psych, Chinese
[ *]GPA (UW, W): 3.61 (Terrible freshman and sophomore year but with sharp upward curve)
[ *]Rank: top 30%
[ *]Other stats:
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *]ECs listed on app:
Helped American sunglasses company BluBlocker (the sunglasses the dudes wore in HANGOVER) enter the Chinese market by organizing people and selling their sunglasses at the largest mall in Shanghai. In return, we used 100% of the profit to fund cataracts surgeries for the elderly poor. We raised approximately $13000 one summer.
Co-founder and editor in chief of a student run psychology website
Only junior volunteer/assistant researcher at the largest psychiatric hospital in Shanghai
Director and Anchor of School Media Department
President of Class
Organized students to provide counseling services on AP, SAT, colleges that my highschool failed to provide
Varsity swimming team and football team
[ *]Job/Work Experience:
Marketing and PR at a fast growing startup company
Marketing at a college consulting company
Finished a 3000 word entrepreneurial business plan of my own
Marketing at a listed company
[ *]Essays (subject and responses): How I did the BluBlocker project. VERY well polished and executed in terms of emotion, achievement, and narration. However, now I feel like it lacked personality. I should have wrote about my unique upbringing instead of playing it safe and trying to show off my ability.
Supplement was very well written and thoroughly researched to which classes I would like to take and how I thought of the research direction of a specific department.
[ *]Teacher Recs: AP Eng teacher and AP Psych teacher. Very solid.
[ *]Counselor Rec: Very solid, talked about my growth since my sophomore year.
[ *]Applied on (EA?): RD
[ *]Hook (if any): Bi-cultutal background
[ /list][ b]Location/Person:[ /b][ list]
[ *]State or Country: From NY, but lived in China for the past 10 years.
[ *]School Type: Public
[ *]Ethnicity: Asian
[ *]Gender: Male
[ /list][ b]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc:
A bit surprised and sad. My main failure was my GPA and judging from the competitiveness, I guess my ECs and essay can’t make up for a poor freshman and sophomore year. Good luck to everyone! :-)</p>

42

<p>How were you guys noticed about the trustee scolarship?</p>

43

<p>[ size=+2][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color][/size]</p>

<p>[ b]Objective:[list]
[ *] SAT I: 1800 (breakdown): 550 CR, 570 M, 680 Wr
[ *] ACT: 27
[ *] SAT II: N/A
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.99
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 29/313 Top 10%
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (3), US History (3), English Lang. & Comp (4)
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: 4 Honors, 1 AP, 2 Electives, 1 Independent Study
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Spanish IV, AP Scholar
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Ice Hockey - Girls’ Travel (Captain), Boys’ Varisty, NHS, Colorguard, Mathletes, Yearbook, Newspaper, FLEC (team leader)
[ *] Job/Work Experience: N/A
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Jr. Assistant Ice Hockey Coach, Peer Tutor, Red Cross Blood Drive Snack Table Attendant, NHS
[ *] Summer Activities: Hockey
[ *] Essays: Solid
[ *] Teacher Recommendation: from a BU Alum. I got 100% on her Regents exam (English).
[ *] Counselor Rec: Probably decent
[ ] Additional Rec: N/A
[ ] Interview: N/A
[ /list][ b]Other[list]
[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes.
[ *] Intended Major: International Business
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): NY
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: Caucasian
[ *] Gender: Female
[ ] Income Bracket: $120,000 +
[ ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
[ /list][ b]Reflection[list]
[ *] Strengths: Extracurriculars, strong essay, my favorite teacher was an alum
[ *] What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: I am determined to exceed the goals that I set for myself
[ *] Weaknesses: SAT/ACT scores
[ ] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Probably a combination of my rec letter, ECs, and courseload throughout HS
[ ] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted - Pace NYC, Loyola Chicago, Clarkson U., Marquette. Denied - Notre Dame
[ /list][ b]General Comments: I’m in the process of appealing for better financial aid as I recieved $5,500 and cannot afford my expected tuition costs.</p>

44

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (breakdown):
M: 760, W: 740, CR: 680
[</em>] ACT: Did not take
[<em>] SAT II:
Math II - 780
Chem - 790
Bio - 800
[</em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.95
[<em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): school does not rank/provide percentile
[</em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): not offered
[<em>] IB (place score in parenthesis): not offered
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: Organic Chemistry I/II with lab, Engineering Physics I/II with lab, Immunology w/ lab, World Lit I/II, Cal 2, US History I/II
[<em>] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Congressional youth silver medal
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): marching band, concert band, 100+ hours shadowing several physicians
[<em>] Job/Work Experience: iOS app reviewer for several years
[</em>] Volunteer/Community service: 400+ hours, mainly tutoring university students (pre-cal, cal, and chem) and organizing and executing three fundraisers for a local cancer foundation (raised almost $3k)
[<em>] Summer Activities: 400+ hours in a molecular biology lab -> poster presentation on research
[</em>] Essays: excellent
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: excellent
[</em>] Counselor Rec: excellent
[<em>] Additional Rec: excellent
[</em>] Interview: perfect, covered everything and able to answer all questions regarding technicalities of research
[/ul]Other[ul]
[<em>] Applied for Financial Aid?: No
[</em>] Intended Major: Medical Sciences (SMED Program)
[<em>] State (if domestic applicant): TX
[</em>] School Type: two year magnet program where I’m taking college classes on a college campus
[<em>] Ethnicity: Asian
[</em>] Gender: Female
[<em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[</em>] Strengths: essays, recs, community service
[<em>] What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: commitment to community service
[</em>] Weaknesses: SAT I, no APs or IB
[<em>] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think they liked how I had decent scores and strong ECs. I also did very well on both interviews and (seemed) to impress the molecular biology professor that interviewed me
[</em>] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted - UT Austin, UTD, UTSA, PSU, St. Andrews Med School (Scotland)
Waitlisted - WashU
Rejected - Oxford Med School
[/ul]General Comments: High stats aren’t everything for bs/md programs. If they see potential in you, just wow them at the interview! This was one of my top choices, so I will probably be going to BU next year :)</p>

45

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:[list]
SAT I (breakdown): 1970 (610 Reading, 650 Math, 710 Writing)
ACT: N/A
SAT II: 720 Math II, 660 Math 2
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.8ish
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/177
AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (5) (School does not offer APs until junior year with APUSH being the only choice) I have taken 12 honors.
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc, AP Euro, AP Chem, Anatomy, Physics, English Honors
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society, Discus Award, National Honors Society for High School Scholars, Honor Roll, Principal’s List, Valedictorian (soon to be)
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[list]
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): SADD, Peer Leaders, Mural Club, Astronomy Club, Volunteer Club, Multicultural Club, Future Alumni, Math League
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service:500 hours. nursing home, hospital & YMCA
Summer Activities:volunteering ^
Essays: Pretty good. One was on an experience that led me to want to enter medicine, short answer on SADD, and in the BU supplement I talked about what I’d like to do at BU.
Teacher Recommendation:I think they were good but didn’t read.
Counselor Rec: Extremely nice! It was touching to read how nicely my counselor thought of me :slight_smile:
Additional Rec: Same as before ^ (I sent 2 additional recs accidentally…idk if this helped much or not.)
Interview: None
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes but received none. Did get Dean’s Scholarship
Intended Major: Molecular Bio/ Cell Bio/Genetics
State (if domestic applicant): New Jersey
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: public
Ethnicity:Indian
Gender:Female
Income Bracket:100K+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None
Strengths: essays, love for BU, grades
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: I wanted to focus on my future goals and how dedicated I was to obtain them. In the long run, I showed how I wasn’t exactly just concerned about myself but others too (like my volunteering). I tied this together with how BU would help me accomplish my goals. My drive to reach my dreams was my focus mainly.
Weaknesses: lack of many ap classes! sats were on the low side. reading especially.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: ^ just mentioned it
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted to Northeastern NU-in, Fordham, Rutgers, Stony Brook, Drexel, USciences. Waiting on NYU, TCNJ, and Stevens.</p>

46

<p>[size=+2]Decision: Accepted<a href=“rejected%20for%20Trustee%20scholarship”>/size</a></p>

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (breakdown): didn’t send
[</em>] ACT: 34. 36 E, 36 R, 34 M, 31 S
[<em>] SAT II: didn’t send
[</em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.95
[<em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): school doesn’t rank
[</em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): English lang/comp 5, Calc BC 5
[<em>] IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: Choir, AP Comp Gov, Number Theory, AP Physics C, AP Lit, AP Spanish V, Theology
[<em>] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, co-recipient of major grants with my volunteer group, school English and Spanish awards sophomore year
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): School choir all four years and earned varsity letter last year and went to state. Selective metropolitan youth choir all four years. Tae kwon do since before sophomore year. Went to the 2011 Ignatian Teach-In at Georgetown. Cast member of the school musical in 2011. NHS member. Spanish NHS Activities Officer.
[<em>] Job/Work Experience: Worked as receptionist in 2011 and finance intern in 2012 for an IT firm.
[</em>] Volunteer/Community service: Co-founder of a volunteer organization dedicated to bringing science education to underprivileged students. We’ve been featured on the news and in print several times and have won major grants both years we’ve been active. Relay for Life in memory of my friend’s mom, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Purplestride 2K in memory of my grandma, AMA Heart Walk in support of my dad (heart attack survivor) and mom (stroke survivor).
[<em>] Summer Activities: Emerging Leader/CIT in highly selective leadership program at a camp for gifted youth. Service trip to El Salvador in 2011.
[</em>] Essays: My common app essay was good and nicely written but a little too long. BU supplement was good. Trustee essay was alright but rambled.
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: Should have been really good, from my AP Calc BC and AP English Lang teachers. I did my best work in their classes and got on really well with both the teachers.
[</em>] Counselor Rec: Didn’t read and didn’t know my counselor that well. Must have been alright
[<em>] Additional Rec: From a Newbery Honor winning author who’s one of the fellows at the camp I go to and as such she’s known me for years and years. I read it and it was very sweet and I think they’d like it.
[</em>] Interview: didn’t interview
[/ul]Other[ul]
[<em>] Applied for Financial Aid?: yes, didn’t get any but didn’t expect to
[</em>] Intended Major: International Relations
[<em>] State (if domestic applicant): OR
[</em>] Country (if international applicant): USA
[<em>] School Type: Private college prep
[</em>] Ethnicity: Asian
[<em>] Gender: F
[</em>] Income Bracket: no financial aid
[<em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): unusual family circumstances, co founded volunteer organization
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[</em>] Strengths: ECs, classes, grades, recs
[<em>] What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: unusual family circumstances (CA essay was about this) and volunteer organization, like I said
[</em>] Weaknesses: 7th semester grades were my worst yet, essays for BU were average
[<em>] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: good stats
[</em>] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted to University of Portland, University of Rochester, University of St Andrews, Rice University, George Washington University Honors Program, and Northwestern University. Deferred then rejected from UChicago.
[/ul]General Comments: good luck everyone.</p>

47

<p>[size=+2]Decision: Accepted<a href=“Rejected%20from%20Trustee%20scholars,%20got%20Presidential%20$20k%20scholarship”>/size</a></p>

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (breakdown): 2340
[</em>] ACT: didn’t take
[<em>] SAT II: 740 Math II, 760 US History, 790 Math I
[</em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0, 4.4 Weighted
[<em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/413
[</em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): AP US History (5), AP Microeconomics (5), AP Macroeconomics (4), AP Language (5), AP Chemistry (5), AP Calculus AB (5), AP Government (5), AP Comparative Govt (4)
[<em>] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics B, AP Literature, AP Statistics, AP World History, AP Psychology, AP Calculus BC, Health
[<em>] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, AP National Scholar, English Award 9th grade, US History Award 10th grade, Government Award 11th grade, national merit finalist
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Eye of the Storm Productions (Lead 10th, 11th), Young Democrats (President 11th, 12th), Model United Nations (President 10th, 11th, 12th), Mock Trial (Star Lawyer 11th, 12th),
[<em>] Job/Work Experience: Babysit from 9th to 11th grade, Wawa Customer Service Associate 11-12th grade
[</em>] Volunteer/Community service: Tutoring 250 hours, Democratic Central Committee volunteer 55 hours
[<em>] Summer Activities: learn French, National Student Leadership Conference
[</em>] Essays: mediocre, about me being gay
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: excellent
[</em>] Counselor Rec: fabulous
[<em>] Additional Rec: wonderful
[</em>] Interview: nope
[/ul]Other[ul]
[<em>] Applied for Financial Aid?: yep
[</em>] Intended Major: mathematics or economics, maybe a combination of both
[<em>] State (if domestic applicant): maryland
[</em>] Country (if international applicant):
[<em>] School Type: public
[</em>] Ethnicity: white
[<em>] Gender: male
[</em>] Income Bracket: $75,000-$100,000 /6 people
[<em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): gay :slight_smile:
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[</em>] Strengths: Test scores, class rank
[<em>] What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: me being gay
[</em>] Weaknesses: essay, lack of established passion
[<em>] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: accepted because they liked my stats
[</em>] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: accepted at: American University, William and Mary, University of Maryland College Park, Hofstra etc, haven’t heard from ivies
[/ul]General Comments: GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT YEAR</p>

48

<p>Decision: Accepted </p>

<p>Objective:
ACT:32
SAT II: 780 French
I don’t have a GPA since I’m from Germany. My German A-levels will be 1.3 if helps
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):top 5%
Major Awards: none!
Subjective:
Extracurriculars:7 years of full-contact Taekwondo (some minor competitions), Founder and “manager” of school magazine since 2009, school choir since 7th grade
Job/Work Experience: assistant at my parents’ small business
Volunteer/Community service: publlic after-school club with underpriviledged children
Essays:1st about founding my schools mag, 2nd about my multicultural identity etc… it was quite original though, 3rd about Shakespeare’s influence on my own aspirations
Teacher Recommendation:had two (english and german teacher) and they we’re perfect
Counselor Rec:didn’t see it but he told me that it was really nice (;</p>

<p>Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: No.
Intended Major: Business
Country: Germany
School Type: ****ty public school in Germany.
Ethnicity: Asian/Caucasian
Gender: Female
Hooks: sent in app really late, had only one american friend to help me out a little bit with the application process… </p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: founder of school mag, good rec’s, my origins, I am proficient in 4 languages
Weaknesses: no awards, only few ec’s (in Germany it is considered a lot haha)
Why you think you were accepted: I guess I am a good “overall package” haha and clearly showed my passion for business.</p>

<p>General Comments:
I’m not sure yet whether I will attend BU.
And sorry that the format didn’t work out! ):</p>

49

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2090 (CR-710, M-700, W-680) (one sitting)
ACT: N/A
SAT II: Math II- 690, Lit - 680
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 unweighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a
Course Load: Online school- 2 APs (English Language and Biology, 99% first semester in Bio and 97% in English) and 4 honors classes. Not much academic rigor, but near-perfect grades and had a very hectic schedule through high school and a lot on my plate as a professional athlete/student.
Major Awards: Qualified as a U.S. Olympic snowboarder at 16 years old and competed in the Sochi Games
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Paid professional athlete on the U.S. Snowboarding team since age 14
Job/Work Experience: professional athlete, TONS of international travel and living experience
Volunteer/Community service: gave speeches at local schools after the Olympics to motivate kids to pursue their dreams, volunteer as a coach at my local mountain.
Summer Activities: Business leadership program at Wharton, training and competing in World Cups with U.S. Snowboarding team

Essays: Good essay, mostly spoke about how my Olympic experience helped me grow and mature (the Common App essay was the best place to speak about my experience and share it with every college)… wrote my BU essay about how I wanted to study health science and fulfill my premed requirements so I could eventually become an orthopedic surgeon and work with other athletes who deal with sports-realted injuries.

Teacher Recommendation: Good given the circumstances. It’s hard because I don’t really “know” my online teachers.
Counselor Rec: Likely generic. Our counselor came in this year and I only knew him for two weeks before he wrote my letter.
Additional Rec: Very good!
Interview: N/A

Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: yes, as an emancipated minor (independent student)
Intended Major: Human Physiology at SAR
State (if domestic applicant): VT/ CO
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: private (online platform utilized by students on the US Ski and Snowboard teams)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: female
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Athletics…
Reflection

Strengths: Demonstrated commitment to a goal, essays, extracurriculars

Weaknesses: Rigor? SAT score?

Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: My situation took a lot away from my academic rigor in high school, and I applied to a tough major. If my scores were on-par with the program, I would think that my extracurriculars would be a strong “hook”. I was extremely interested in this school/program, but I guess they didn’t think I would be a good fit.

Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
accepted: Northeastern

Congrats to everybody who got in!

50

holy crap I saw a video of you snowboarding… that’s skill!!

51

@tyrwalker oh my crap. you are amazing. smart and extremely athletic dang!