Opera Singer Applying To HYPS

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Ok Guys & Gals,
So i would consider myself a very unique candidate for the universities I am applying to. From fifth to tenth grade i sang at the Metropolitan Opera as an opera singer/vocalist. I performed in over twenty five different operas (1000+ Performances). This was a tremendously tolling experience, and affected my ninth and tenth grade g.p.a detrimentally (though hopefully not too badly). Anyway, i provided my universities directly below, and my stats below these. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please be candid with your advice.</p>

<h2>Here are some of my stats/extra-curric: </h2>

<p>School Type: Private/Top 50 in the U.S
Rank: Does not give rank (currrently 10-15 / 120)
APS: Eliminated APS (Intensive/ AT = AP) </p>

<p>G.P.A/Courses</p>

<p>9th Grade: Very Low
Classes: Rigorous</p>

<p>U.W: 3.44
W: 3.56</p>

<p>10th Grade: Decent
Classes: More Rigorous</p>

<p>U.W: 3.64
W: 3.78</p>

<p>11th Grade: Better
Classes: Most Rigorous, Double History Major, 8 Majors</p>

<p>U.W: 3.72
W: 3.80</p>

<p>12th Grade: Projected - Best
Classes: Most Rigorous in grade, AT Physics, At Chem, AT Calc BC, AT French for natives, AT English Senior Seminar, European Int. History, G.Comm Major, etc. </p>

<p>U.W: 3.85
W: 4.3-4.4</p>

<p>SAT(s): </p>

<p>SAT 1: 2100 - low for my schools (i will retake in October for 2200+)
750 W (8 Essay = bizarre 78/78 Sentence stuff)
700 R<br>
650 M - low for schools</p>

<p>SAT2s:
Math 2c: 700 - low for my schools (will retake in November for 750+)
US Hist: 700 - " "
Literature: 730 - " "</p>

<p>Extra Currics:
Varsity Soccer: 4 YEARS
Varsity Tennis: 4 YEARS
Model U.N: 10th, 11th, 12th
Acapella: 10th, 11th, 12th,
H.S Chorus: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Met. Opera Children's Chorus: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th
Hospital Work: 9th, 10th (200 Hours)
Community Service Program: 9th, 10th (200 Hours)
Internship w/Prof (Stanford): Summer of softmore year
Internship w/Prof (Columbia): Summer of Junior year
Think Quest Nat'l Website Comp: 3rd Place 8th Grade, 3rd Place 9th Grade,</p>

<p>Other Information: </p>

<p>Ethnicity: Iranian
Languages Spoken: Fluent : English, French, Farsi
Functional: German</p>

<p>Recommendations: 2 Teachers (History + English): Glowing (My history teacher admits i am one of the best he has ever taught in 25+ years)</p>

<p>Supplmt. Recs: Glowing: Humanity/Sociology Department Chairs at Columbia (whom i worked with)</p>

<p>Essay: Should be excellent - about my experiences at the Met Opera with pavarotti (very unique topic)</p>

<p>Thank you for your time and consideration!
-Darius</p>

<p>Universities (By Preference)</p>

<p>Stanford - SCEA - my top choice BY FAR!!!
Yale
Columbia
Princeton
Dartmouth
UPenn
Johns Hopkins
Georgetown (6 + Family member went here!!!)
UChicago
Tufts (Safety?)
UCLA (Safety?)</p>

2

<p>I would strongly recommend tying your Opera experience to whatever you plan on majoring or pursuing a career in. Play up your summer internships a lot on the applications. If you're applying for the humanities, it will give you a boost.</p>

<p>Based on your academic stats, UCLA is a match and Georgetown is a low reach with legacy. All of the other schools, Tufts included, are reaches-high reaches.</p>

<p>I would apply to more safety schools. Study your butt off for the retakes of the SAT I and II (Shoot for 2200+ ea especially high verbal/grammar) and things may be different.</p>

<p>Best Regards.</p>

3

<p>Thank you very much: </p>

<h2>Intended Major: Sociology + Poli Science</h2>

<p>BTW: I miscalculated my Weighted averages, they are as follows: </p>

<p>10th Weighted: 3.83
11th Weighted: 3.90</p>

4

<p>honestly, dear, that's a really low GPA for those schools.
I think that all of the HYPS are EXTREME reaches for you, near impossible
i agree with Arch3r25 in that you should consider lower-level schools, such as UCLA or Berkeley.
=/</p>

5

<p>But maybe he can send in a tape recording of operatic performance, get reviewed by the music dept. it could be a hook.. and then his grades would not need to be terribly amazing. Were you a soloist? Have to put out any CDs, had solo concerts, won national/int'l voice competitions?</p>

6

<p>I was a soloist, and performed many solos. I will look into sending a compilation but to be honest i don't know how to do this online =/</p>

<p>Just for the record, im not applying to Harvard (i know i would get rejected) - but for some reason i have a firm belief that Stanford is the school im destined to go to... </p>

<p>Also, though my G.P.A has been low, its on a tremendously upward path, and my school happens to send 30-40 kids each year to Ivies (out of 120 kids).</p>

7

<p>I don't think they're high reaches for you. Your GPA, in and of itself, seems slightly weak, but in the context of your school, it seems okay. With really great essays that play up your strengths, show passion and intellectual vitality, I'd say you have a great shot.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Just for the record, im not applying to Harvard (i know i would get rejected) - but for some reason i have a firm belief that Stanford is the school im destined to go to...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I know it's hard, but really try to break yourself of that mindset. Far too many applicants have it, and that's why SCEA decision time is so depressing. (These are the sort of applicants who have to throw away tons of Stanford gear afterward.) I guess it could be just me (and my philosophy, which was not to get attached to HYPS, because they're too fickle).</p>

<p>By the way, Stanford isn't any less selective than Harvard...</p>

8

<p>Haha i know, but I have something that those applicants don't - God - and He hasn't let me down yet!</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice thus far, please keep it up, and i will keep my stats/post updated with pertinent information.</p>

9

<p>Tufts is definitely not a safety.</p>

10

<p>True, in my opinion Tufts might be a high match for me. </p>

<p>The schools that I'm considering for safeties are: </p>

<p>NYU - 28% Admit Rate
UCLA - 25% Admit Rate
G-Town - Ultra legacy + relatively high admit rate</p>

<p>Any other suggestions?</p>

11

<p>ProjectStanford- </p>

<p>You do have a very unique profile. Be sure to put together a strong application, highlighting your incredible opera experiences and other EC's. Bring your SAT up, if possible, and who knows, even with your relatively low SAT's/SATII's, you might get in Stanford or one of the Ivies. They are crap shoots for anybody, though.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I honestly don't think NYU, UCLA or Georgetown could be considered Safeties by anyone these days, even someone with near-perfect scores and GPA. (Aren't they all designated "most selective"?)</p>

<p>Just to be on the safe side, can you find a school or two where your GPA/score profile is in the top 25% (or close to it) of the accepted freshman class </p>

<p>I don't know much about Emerson, but have you considered that as a Safety? Many kids I know who are interested in music/theater have gone there. </p>

<p>Bottom line:You really need a school where you're almost absolutely certain of getting in.</p>

12

<p>Hmm, well i'm definitely not considering any music schools - Opera/singing was a hobby for me. One possible safety might be Oberlin - my college counsellor was the dean of admissions there - and it is a safety for many students in my school... Other than that, does anyone have any other possible safeties/advice for me?</p>

13

<p>Harvard: REJECTED.</p>

14

<p>My intuition says you'll be in at Stanford. </p>

<p>The adcoms get bored looking at the same old 4.0s and 2400s again and again and again....</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
Haha i know, but I have something that those applicants don't - God - and He hasn't let me down yet!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Now I see why so many HYPS become atheists after the admissions process. ;)</p>

16

<p>Kyledavid - i appreciate your sense of humor =)</p>

<p>Guys & Gals i got some great news!
Today i found out that i will be able to talk to the head of the sociology department at stanford - via phone/email! Do you think this will help?
_
/ \
/ \
/ \
|| <--- Stanford tree</p>

17

<p>I think you stand out and I would say you have great chances. I am impressed not only by your singing but by the languages that you speak. I would say the scores and grades are adequate and as long as you still can sing well and plan to sing at college-then they might want you!</p>

18

<p>
[quote]
Do you think this will help?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>No. I spoke with the heads of departments as well, but they do not have influence on admissions.</p>

19

<p>Darn, not even if they "recommend" an admissions officer to "look out" for my application? </p>

<p>And thank you guys for the support, i do intend to sing in college but i do not intend to submit the ARTS SUPPLEMENT - i've heard stanford only wants kids who seek a major in music to provide this, and i'm an aspiring sociology major. So =/ idk...</p>

20

<p>Please offer some more advice/opinions:</p>