Please chance me for Northwestern, Bucky, and more!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I’m a junior from Chicago and I’ve been freaking out over college lately. I still have a lot of time before application due dates, so I’m probably a little too early when it comes to posting one of these!

Chance me for Northwestern (ED), UW-Madison (EA), Wash-U (RD), NYU (RD), UCLA (RD), UCB (RD), Case Western (RD), and UIUC (RD)

Intended major: Chemistry
GPA: UW 3.99 W 4.73
SAT I: taking it on Wednesday!
SAT II: taking Chem and Math II in May, Math II in August
ACT: 35C—36E, 36R, 35S, 34M
Ethnicity: Multiracial—Asian and white
Gender: Male

Freshman academics:

  • English (reg), World History (reg), Hebrew 3 (hnrs), Biology (hnrs), Geometry (hnrs)
    Sophomore academics:
  • English (reg), Anthropology (reg), Comp Gov (hnrs), Chemistry (hnrs), Algebra II (hnrs)
    Junior academics:
  • Lang/Comp (AP), US History (AP), Chemistry (AP), Physics (hnrs), Precalculus (hnrs)
    Senior academics:
  • Lit/Comp (AP), US Gov (AP), Comp Gov (AP), Biology (AP), Statistics (AP), Music Theory (AP), BC Calculus (AP)

ECs and such (hours/grade):

  • Advanced Honors Research Program (11-12)—my school’s independent research program for gifted students
  • National Honor Society (12)—generic, I presume
  • Medical Club (10-12)
  • Peer tutor for school’s math department (11-12)
  • Peer mentor for school’s special ed department (50+ hours/10)
  • Volunteer camp counselor for local park district (400+ hours/9-10)
  • Book packing at book distribution service for poor families (20+ hours/11-12)
  • Mentor abroad in Shanghai for an orphanage (100+ hours/11)
  • Orthodontic sterilizer (10-11)—Paid!
  • Shotput in outdoor and indoor track seasons (9)
  • First alto saxophonist in school’s symphonic concert band (9-11)
  • Verified account on a large social media platform (9-11)—won’t mention which platform here

Awards (only in-school for now)*:

  • 2016 Recognition Award for Service in Special Education
  • 2016 Science Achievement Award for Outstanding Work in Chemistry
  • 2017 Science Achievement Award for Outstanding Work in Chemistry
  • 2017 Science Achievement Award for Outstanding Work in Physics
    *    I’m trying to get AP Scholar and ACT State Scholar for next year and a research grant

Essays, Interviews, and all that jazz:
Common App (9/10)—talked about my fight to overcome racial and mental stigma through therapy, really emotional and personal, heavy focus on building up resilience
Northwestern Supplement (8/10)—begin with an anecdote about my old habits of playing with food at restaurants then transition into the philosophy of “digging deeper” and how that idea applies to Northwestern. I tried to avoid saying generic things like “it’s a good school” or “you have a low acceptance rate,” but the essay needs some more work.
*Not doing an interview——I spoke to a Northwestern admissions reader and he said that interviews oftentimes hurt applicants more than help… Yikes!

SORRY FOR ALL OF THE WRITING AND THANKS!!!

2

Killer stats man.
I’d guess:
UIUC - Accept
Wisconsin - Accept
NYU - A
Case Western - A
UCLA - Not sure… A/WL
Cal - A/WL
WashU - A/WL
NU - ??? With a <10% acceptance rate, who knows.

3

@beepybeetle Thank you! I know that UCLA and UCB are pretty unpredictable, especially with their high international student rates and with UCLA having the most applicants in the country.

4

With a ACT of 35 why you have to take SAT? It is a huge risk!

5

In Illinois it is required for all students to take the SAT

6

Also forgot to mention that my recs should be pretty good.
-Teacher and I have a very sarcastic relationship and share the same sense of humor. Always compliments my work ethic and describes my class work as “excellent.” He chose me as a representative in an interview about our school’s chemistry program.
-Counselor is like a second mother to me and is my go-to for ANY problems I have—plus she favors me over her other students, which helps