Please . . . chance me before I gouge my eyes out in desperation? :)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I know that this is rather long . . . but hey, just for some good ol' fashioned bargaining -- if you chance me, I'd be more than willing to chance you or to help you out in some way.</p>

<p>I am a Caucasian female (class of '09) from a medium-sized (aprx. 2200 students) public school in CA hoping to attend:
- a small (<5,000 students) co-ed liberal arts school, preferably with strong science departments as well
- preferably on the West Coast, although I am open to New England/etc.
- low teacher/student ratio
- decent research opportunities
- semi-reputable name (I am planning on attending graduate school (either med or law))
- decent pre-professional/career advising.</p>

<p>Most likely, I will be ineligible for purely financial aid, so I must therefore get the best MERIT-BASED scholarship/grant package as possible.</p>

<p>Potential Major: English (Language/Literature) with minor in Biological Science or Environmental Studies
Career Goal: Still undecided -- leaning towards law (environmental or disability law) but still considering medicine (potentially pediatric surgery)</p>

<p>GPA: 4.83 weighted (3.98 unweighted -- all A's and A+'s with exception of a B in AP Physics B)
Class Rank: 8 / 521</p>

<p>SAT: 2330 (800 Critical Reading, 800 Writing, 730 Math)
ACT: 33 (36 English, 30 Math, 34 Reading, 32 Science)</p>

<p>SAT II's:
- Literature - 740 (retook in October - projected score 780+)
- Math Level Two - (retook in October -- projected score 700)
- World History - 690
- US History - 710</p>

<p>EC's & Awards:
-Participated in a science-related work-study program at a local museum for three years (It's a summer-intensive, though year-long, three-year long program for the top 20-30 high school students within my city with an interest in the natural sciences. It involved taking classes with the scientists at the museum, presenting research findings to the public in a formal setting, acting as a curator and ambassador, taking on leadership roles, etc. After completing 60 hours of community service, members became eligible to become paid employees of the non-profit organization. Essentially involved 10 hours of work per week during the school year and 40+ hours per week during the summer.)
-Have had a part-time job in addition to school for the past four years (originally at a museum (see above), now running the front office of a dental office - work upwards of 25 hours per week)
-Was one of 40 students selected nationally to attend the 2005 national science fair (Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge) for original research and received an award/scholarship for scientific accuracy and originality
-Hold a provisional patent for original research
-Relatively active in the community -- have 200+ community service hours
-Community service award through my high school (based on having more than 200 hours of service)
-Organized group of students to lobby city council to ban plastic bags in local grocery stores, encouraged city to move towards a more environmentally sustainable position on a widespread basis by raising awareness of environmental issues through media, etc. (year-long project, still in progress)
-Participate within church/religious groups
-Member of various clubs at school
-Published in local newspaper and have received a number of small regional awards for writing
-Lifetime National Honor Society Member (4 years)
-Lifetime California Scholarship Federation Member (4 years)
-National Merit Commended Student
-AP Scholar with Distinction</p>

<p>AP Scores:
- World History - 5
- English Language/Comp - 5
- US History - 4
- Microeconomics - 4
- Macroeconomics - 4
- Physics B - 3
- Spanish Language - 3 (IB Spanish SL score of 5)
- English Literature (in progress)
- Statistics (in progress - second semester senior yr)
- Environmental Science (in progress)</p>

<p>Dual enrollment (both AP and college credit through city college; considered one of top 10 community colleges in the state of CA)
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Biology
- Ecology (in progress)
- Psychology (in progress)
- Statistics (in progress - second semester senior yr)
- Political Science/Government
- Anatomy (in progress - second semester senior yr)
- Physiology (in progress - second semester senior yr)
- Work Education (counts for college credit)</p>

<p>Rec's: all good -- an amazing one from an English teacher whom I've had for two years and known for four years (with A+'s in his class for all semesters), pre-calc G/T teacher (honors/gifted and talented education), great one from my guidance counselor</p>

<p>Essays: My biggest strength and passion is in English, so I'm all good (once I stop procrastinating so much . . . haha). </p>

<p>Schools I'm considering (listed in no specific order) . . . am I aiming too high?:</p>

<p>(No merit aid offered):</p>

<p>Pomona
Amherst
Stanford
Bowdoin
Reed
Williams
Middlebury</p>

<p>(Merit-based scholarships available):</p>

<p>Washington and Lee
Occidental
Claremont McKenna
Scripps
Whitman
Lewis and Clark
Swarthmore
Washington University in St. Louis
Boston College
Boston University
University of San Francisco</p>

<p>UC's:</p>

<p>UC Berkeley
UCLA
UC San Diego
UCSB</p>

<p>Please, please, please help me narrow down my list . . . I'm moving towards the verge of desperation at this point. :(</p>

<p>Thank you so much for all of your help! It's much appreciated . . . really.</p>

2

<p>I think you have a good chance of getting into most of the colleges. I’m sure that you’ll get into all UC’s. Here’s my idea of what colleges you should keep: </p>

<p>(No merit aid offered):</p>

<p>Pomona
Amherst
Bowdoin
Williams</p>

<p>(Merit-based scholarships available):</p>

<p>Claremont McKenna
Scripps
Lewis and Clark
Swarthmore
Washington University in St. Louis
Boston College
Boston University</p>

<p>UC’s:</p>

<p>UC Berkeley
UCLA
UC San Diego</p>

<p>I think you have a good chance of getting into the top-notch schools because you have good SATs, ranking is good, etc. Someone from my school got into Amherst last year and she ranked in the top 10. And her SAT scores were a little higher than your’s. But, I think she did less extracurrculars than you did. On a side note, I don’t know if you want to keep the Claremont colleges because they’re very small in size. Anyways, good luck!</p>

3

<p>xm1chelle, I really didn’t think that I had enough extracurriculars, so your feedback is slightly reassuring. I do want to go to a smaller school (to be honest, Wash U, Boston U, and the UC’s are a bit large for me – I don’t want to be just a number), but preferably one that does offer the resources of a larger research institution – that’s what has drawn me to the Claremont colleges, particularly Pomona (Scripps/Claremont McKenna are really a bit less than ideal, in my mind). </p>

<p>I am curious, though, as to how you narrowed down my list. Would anyone mind going through the schools I had listed to identify them as reaches/good fits/safeties/etc. or provide any additional suggestions?</p>

4

<p>Are you kidding? Your ECs are better than most of the students at my school who got into BU, UCB, UCSD, UCLA and the lower ivies. </p>

<p>I don’t think anyone of the schools you listed is really a reach. Except maybe Amherst. I know Washington U in St. L. is a really tough school to get in, but that’s only if you want to go into premed. You have a good chance with your major/minor.</p>

<p>The UCs are matches. and the rest falls into matches and safeties. </p>

<p>I can’t say for all of them because there are some on your list that I really don’t know much about.</p>

<p>Good Luck:)</p>

5

<p>In at all, I’m willing to bet. Your stats and EC’s look plain awesome.</p>

<p>If it’s so necessary for you to get aid, why bother applying for the schools that don’t offer merit-based?</p>

<p>[thread=577645]Meh?[/thread]</p>

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<p>You have more than enough extracurriculars! Don’t worry about those. I reduced the list for no-merit-based-scholarship-schools because you definitely have a great chance at getting a large sum of money from the merit-based-schools because of your well-roundedness. I think you definitely have a chance at Amherst and the Claremont colleges. For sure, you’ll definitely get into all the UC’s with a good/decent essay and with better essays, you’ll get into the top-notch colleges. Most of the schools are matches and safeties and small reaches. If you need a lot of financial, consider applying to more of the merit-based-scholarship schools than the non-merit-based-scholardship schools. Overall, I think you can get into most of the schools. Don’t worry and good luck!</p>

7

<p>Maybe I’m just paranoid, but compared to some of my over-achieving peers and to many of the posts on here, I’ve just felt like I haven’t really done enough outside of school. I was never that involved in my school itself – no leadership positions, etc. – and to be honest, most of my time has been spent working due to familial circumstances (and because of that, I haven’t done as much community service and other extracurriculars as I would have hoped to). </p>

<p>You’re right that I really do need to take my head out of the clouds, though – money doesn’t necessarily grow on trees for my family – in fact far from that – although my parents’ income is enough that, according to the CollegeBoard calculator, I won’t get any financial aid (unless admissions actually takes into account my family’s other circumstances) but not enough that they’ll be able to afford for me to attend any of my dream schools (mostly listed among the no-merit scholarships category, unfortunately).</p>

<p>I just really hope that what extracurriculars I do have, in combination with my GPA and test scores, will be enough to get me a significant scholarship at a decent school. Ah, the stress . . .</p>

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<p>Just relax…there is absolutely no need for that stress. just remember you are doing fine…better than most and you will get into all those schools you’ve listed.</p>

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<p>^^ I hope you’re right. Haha. :-p</p>

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<p>Bump. Please?</p>

11

<p>Pomona - Never heard of it, sorry
Amherst - I’d say 65%
Stanford - hovering around 45-55%
Bowdoin - 80%
Reed - 70%
Williams - 65%
Middlebury - 70%</p>

<p>(Merit-based scholarships available):</p>

<p>Washington and Lee - huh
Occidental - Don’t know enough
Claremont McKenna - 70%
Scripps - 70%
Whitman - Don’t know enough
Lewis and Clark - Probably around 90%
Swarthmore - 65%
Washington University in St. Louis - 70%
Boston College - 90%
Boston University -100%
University of San Francisco - not sure</p>

<p>UC’s:</p>

<p>UC Berkeley - 60%, not really familiar with UCs but I think you’ll get in at all the others
UCLA
UC San Diego
UCSB</p>

<p>Yeah, you’re pretty much good for everywhere, good job on the ECs and GPA.
And I’ll shamelessly recommend Bowdoin because it’s one of my #1 schools.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/579938-chances-rice.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/579938-chances-rice.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Falling fast . . . page six?!</p>

13

<p>You’ll def. be accepted into all the UC schools you mentioned.
I’ve seen people with MUCH, MUCH less in EC & gpa/scores get into Berkeley, LA, SD, & SB.
As in… 4.2 gpa + 2100 sat + a few clubs and a few hundred volunteer hours got them into all four.
so those are for sure safeties in my opinion.</p>

14

<p>Hmmm . . . it kind of scares me that this thread has gotten 237 page views, but only five different people have given input. Are my stats really that bad? Please be honest – (I think) I can handle it. :-)</p>