Please chance me for Penn and Yale!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi,
I know these chance me sites don’t really do too much in actually predicting admission decisions, but I would really like some feedback.
SAT I (breakdown): 2340 (one sitting), 800 CR, 750 M (only got 1 question wrong…), 790 (W)
ACT (breakdown): Didn’t take
SAT II: 800 Chemistry, 800 Physics, going to take Math II
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 (don’t give weighted)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1%, at worst #2
AP (place score in parenthesis): Gov, Calc BC, Lang, Comp Sci, Chem, Physics 2, APUSH, Bio, Psych (taken over two years, all 5s)
IB (place score in parenthesis): None
Senior Year Course Load:
AP Euro
AP World
AP Enviro
AP Stats
Two orchestras
French 5 (no AP french at my school)
Health (graduation requirement)
Calculus III/Linear Algebra (Dual enrollment)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award; AP National Scholar; National Merit Semi-finalist (predicted, PSAT score of 235)

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Tri-high district council; Pit orchestra (section leader); Symphony orchestra (Treasurer), Chemistry Honor Society (President), National Honor Society, Bio Honor Society (Secretary), Science Olympiad (Captain), Student Council (Exec Board), Math Honor Society; Volunteer Organization (Advisory Board)
Job/Work Experience: Internship for two years at medical research institute (3 hours/week, 40 weeks/year); two interships this summer in genomics and cancer biology (2 hours/ week, 15 weeks/year and 34 hours/week, 15 weeks a year)-- writing a paper with mentor
Volunteer/Community service: two volunteer organizations, both with leadership, ~250 hours
Summer Activities: Previously mentioned internships; volunteering

Applied for Financial Aid?: I will be
Intended Major: Biochemistry (prospective Vagelos MLS stuent)
State (if domestic applicant): NY
School Type: Public - 1600 Kids, 400 Seniors
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: >150k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

If possible, could you also please chance me for Yale and University of Rochester??
Thank you so much!!!

2

Your standardized tests, GPA/class rank and curricular rigor are all flawless. That won’t get you in the door, but there will be no concerns about your academic capabilities. Your ECs don’t particularly stand out, though the volunteer service award is nice and you have solid research experience. Getting a paper published would be a nice feather in your cap. How advanced is your music proficiency?

For Vagelos LSM, I think your life sciences background is strong. I’m a little less clear what appeals to you about the dual major and the Wharton part of the program. Perhaps you could elaborate on your interests. Yale is interested in increasing their STEM participation, so your biochemistry background and credentials would probably be a plus.

“Chances” are meaningless, since all that matters is what the adcom thinks, and they are impossible to predict. But you are very, very qualified. Now you need to put together an application that gives schools a reason to take you. Your essays, recs and how you present yourself will be key (presumably you can get a supplemental rec from your research professor with whom you are writing a paper).

Good luck!

3

@renaissancedad I’m actually interested in the Vagelos MLS program, not LSM… the MLS program (the molecular life sciences program) allows you to submatriculate in the biochemistry department. I agree that the LSM program would not be a good fit for me since I do not have much (if any) business experience. I am slightly worried about my ECs. I have many areas of participation in music (ex: private lessons, two orchestras (most likely concertmaster of the lower-level one this year, jazz band, pit orchestra, etc.) but I am no more than above-average for my instrument and my age. Definitely not a hook

4

@renaissancedad Also, I will definitely not be able to get the research paper published by the time I apply to college because the process is quite long and daunting. It is much more likely that I will be writing it as college applications roll around. I presume that this will be mentioned in my recommendation letter, but I worry that not actually having any concrete proof that I am writing one will not give me any advantage.

5

My apologies for the confusion. I think you would be a strong candidate for both MLS and Yale.

If you are working on a paper with an experienced researcher and a good record of publucation, I think it will still have weight. “Manuscript in progress” is how I refer to these things. Penn and Yale will understand that biochemical research papers take time.

6

Other potentially interesting things about me: I have received many awards for volunteering at the national, state, and local level, though these are not as important. I also was the recipient of the Bausch and Lombe scholarship from the University of Rochester (10k/year). I have been doing a local gifted math program through a local university, so I have been accelerated two years in math. I was the top-scorer on the entrance exam to this program and have been one of the top students for the past 5 years (the program starts in 7th grade). I am most likely a recipient of the 1k scholarship they distribute to top students at the end of the year. I also skipped a grade (5th). I know this is not as important but it speaks somewhat to my intellectual maturity. Lastly, I am a member of JHU’s SET program, which I qualified for when I was 12 by receiving a 2150 (1500 CR+M). Since I achieved over a 700 in both critical reading and math, I was considered a double-qualifier (which is top 1 in 100k according to a letter from the program). This program is relatively well-known and this information will be communicated between SET and my counselor and put down in my counselor recommendation. I have also been talking to some SET counselors about college. This isn’t paid or anything, but they have told me about what each school I am interested in has to offer and have provided a valuable adult perspective.

7

As I said, you are a very strong candidate. Congratulations on your achievements. I’m glad you’ve been talking to the CTY/SET counselors, as that is a free service for SET participants. You should absolutely make sure that all of the SET stuff goes to your school GC. You sound like you would have been a great candidate for Davidson, too, though you may be past the 16 year old cutoff (maybe not if you skipped a year).

Rochester should be very straightforward to you. No one is a shoo-in at Yale or Penn MLS, but you are in very good shape as long as you write strong applications. I would play up your math/science + volunteerism background to the hilt. It’s a very strong combination.

You should be aware that Vagelos MLS has a pretty high dropout rate:

http://www.thedp.com/article/2014/06/inside-vagelos-molecular-life-sciences-retention-rate

I think given your background and accomplishments you shouldn’t be afraid of that, as long as it’s due to the rigorous nature of the program, and not to the environment.

8

Rochester shouldn’t be an issue. Just talk to teachers ASAP about recommendations, and make sure you line up some good ones. Try to get a recommendation from someone at the internship, that would make you different than many students.

9

Yeah, Rochester is my safety school. I’m also a legacy there

10

@renaissancedad Thank you so much! I really appreciate your insight and you’re absolutely right!

11

You are a strong candidate, but both of those schools and ALL Ivy League schools are still a reach for you, but only because they are a reach for everyone. Good luck.

12

@mayathepapaya, You are a very strong applicant and your stats, ECs, awards, and interests strongly resemble my own (I was accepted into Penn’s Vagelos Biochem program, Yale, and a couple of other good options, and I chose Yale). Wishing you much success and similar results, the college application process is stressful and unpredictable, cast a wide net and you will be fine.

13

@cttwenty15 Thank you so much! I went to Yale yesterday on a visit and really fell in love with. Did you apply early to Yale?

14

@mayathepapaya, I applied RD, but that’s only because I held onto my application until I received confirmation of an award granted in late November. Waiting until Ivy Day to receive acceptances (along with rejections) is really stressful.