<p>Eh, I figure i’ll open this up. It’s nice to post about something happier then deferral/rejection for once.</p>
<p>**
Decision: Accepted**</p>
<p>(Via likely, with merit $$)</p>
<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (breakdown): 2400
[</em>] SAT II: 790 US History, 780 Biology-M, 780 Math II
[<em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): ~3.8
[</em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): ~9/339
[<em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): 55555555 (5 selfed) -
. Biology
. US History
. Microeconomics
. Macroeconomics
. European History
. Psychology
. English Language
. US Government
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: Calc II, Multivariable Calc (Selfed AP calc over summer), AP Chemistry, Honors Physics, AP English Literature, AP US Government, Honors Science Research, Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (3000 level dual-enrollment class), Advanced Methods in Analytical Spectroscopy (8000 level dual-enrollment class).
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):</p>[/li]
<p>. Research: Placed @ ISEF, national finalist @ JSHS, semifinalist for Intel STS, plus several smaller awards</p>
<p>. Debate: State finalist</p>
<p>. Mock Trial: 2nd in state sophomore year, 3rd Junior year. 20th in world junior year, 10th senior year. Top 10 witness in the world junior year, state MVP witness sophomore and junior year.</p>
<p>. Minor Awards: National Merit, AP National Scholar etc.</p>
<p>[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[li] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):</p>[/li]
<p>. Big one - From 8th grade through the first half of junior year, built a large online community focused around a game with ~200k members and ~1m users. [9,10,11]</p>
<p>. Science Research; with 0 connections and little guidance, my project was much more independent then everyone else I saw at the competitions and my teacher made note of this in her letter. [10,11,12]</p>
<p>. Mock trial (lead atty.) [9,10,11,12]</p>
<p>. Lab Research; after my first ISEF project I found a mentor in the local U’s chemistry department. [11,12]</p>
<p>. Debate: Extemp, Public Forum, & Congress [10,11,12]</p>
<p>. Glassblowing: I make bowls, vases, paperweights and similar such things at my local museum. [9,10,11,12]</p>
<p>. Swordsmithing @ local museum. [11,12]</p>
<p>. FIRST Robotics [9,10]</p>
<p>[<em>] Job/Work Experience: Helping out on weekends and during the summer with my parent’s small business doing gopher work.
[</em>] Volunteer/Community service: Nothing significant.
[<em>] Summer Activities: Harvard SSP on a scholarship (10-11); conducting chem research (11-12); swimming; glassblowing; and working for family business.
[</em>] Essays: Everyone thought they were among the best they had read. 1 was about how a jailed friend inspired my ISEF project; the other about learning responsibility through running my website.
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: 2 recs:
. Rec 1 teacher loves me, said “best student in 15 years and I’ve had 50 students go to ivies”
. Rec 2 teacher liked me, talked about my extreme curiosity and highlighted AP-self studies.
[</em>] Counselor Rec: Very good. She generally dislikes top students, but I helped her when she was in a real bind awhile back, so we get along well.
[<em>] Additional Rec: From a Harvard professor I did my ISEF work with. He asked to write it several times, and after my Yale deferral I read it. Included such statements as “he is a genius”
2nd supplemental rec was from a local U professor I did research with recently. Included such statements as “Snipersas is without doubt the best student I have ever met,
surpassing many graduate level students in his abilities…with true chemical brilliance.”
[</em>] Interview: On-campus, with an admissions officer. Uneventful, aside from a *** look he had on his face when I mentioned that I blitz self-study APs for fun.</p>
<p>[/ul]Other[ul]
[<em>] State (if domestic applicant): Ohio
[</em>] School Type: Public Competitive, 2-3 to ivies per year
[<em>] Ethnicity: White
[</em>] Gender: Male
[<em>] Income Bracket: EFC = 0
[</em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none whatsoever</p>
<p>[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[<em>] Strengths: ECs, Awards, Recs, Essays, Scores
[</em>] Weaknesses: GPA & Rank, easily. Applying econ probably didn’t help.
[*] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: A significant element of luck exists in admissions decisions like these, and my case was no different.[/ul]</p>