<p>GPA, Class rank are excellent. SATI score leaves a bit to be desired, I recommend you retake for at least a 2250+ for a fighting chance. ECs are weak. If that really is all you have it’ll be rough. I hope that you just decided not to post some of them. GPA can only get you so far because there are too many applicants with a perfect GPA and everything else to boot.</p>
<p>Stanford: Far far reach
Princeton: "
MIT: "
Duke: Reach
Cornell: Reach
Northwestern: Lower reach than the above two but a reach nonetheless.</p>
<p>I say your ECs hold you back and you need to get the test score a little higher.</p>
<p>Thank you for comment. I really appreciate it. </p>
<p>I have trouble understanding the terminology here. What do you mean by low reach for NW? Does it mean that NW is very easy for me to get into? How low reach is that? (e.g. 60%? 80%?)</p>
<p>I did not hold back any ECs. And I realize it would be difficult to do anything significant in the senior year since admission people will know that I do that just for the sake of being an officer and better looking applications.</p>
<p>I know my EC is weak. I will try work on it more. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, will the fact that I had an unstable childhood, immigrated to this country from a ethnically homogenous country, learned English, and made adjustments to this multicultural environment, despite my significant hearing loss stand out?</p>
<p>I would like to take SAT again but my parents are against it because I had taken SAT three times already and according to them, my scores are high. (I can only roll my eyes.)
Since they oppose my taking SAT again, it is difficult to imagine their letting me take ACT.</p>
<p>Hi melody! Your special circumstances will help although your high reaches will remain high reaches because there will be other applicants that will show how they have transcended their difficulties. I recommend that you do this through your essays. In addition, I dot think it’s too late to better your extra curriuculars. It may look a bit artificial, but it will look like you cared as opposed to some students who are so confident that they will he admitted to top schools that they wouldn’t even try. Also, yes you’ve already taken the SAT three times, so it would be better to score extremely high on the ACT than to retake the SAT four times. I revoking that you do both just in case. Also, I realize that your parents are against you retaking the SAT, and I don’t mean to sound revolutionary, but I suggest that you sign yourself up anyway! Find a way. This is your education: study hard and score amazing so that they can’t even complain :)</p>
<p>Melody, you may want to add some match type schools. I think you would be a good candidate for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. As stated before, beefing up those ECs would be a good idea.</p>
<p>I think that some of the schools on your list would be a reach. I suggest considering these, I think you would be a shoe in at most of these colleges:</p>
<p>To be perfectly honest with you, I would be surprised if you get into any of the schools listed. The extracurricular activities you have noted, or rather lack of them, are what’s holding you back. Most successful applicants to such schools have state and/or national level awards in at least one EC or, barring that unusual talents not easily captured in awards (but where it’s still obvious how much work they put into it). The only school you could have a chance at within that list would be Northwestern, but even with them you would need to get your SAT up to a 2300+; they have a reputation for accepting high-stat Asians without much in the way of extracurriculars, but your numbers need to be truly stellar to get in that way.</p>
<p>Regarding your hardships early in life: no, unfortunately due to your status as an Asian immigrant it really does not help much. As overrepresented minorities Asian students tend to be discriminated against in the college admissions process, so it’s unlikely to work in your favor.</p>
<p>Schools you may want to look into include U Michigan and UC Berkeley. Both schools are excellent institutions that have reputations for heavily favoring numbers in the admissions over extracurriculars, and Berkeley at least is race-blind in admissions (Michigan was too until a few days ago).</p>
<p>Sorry to be a bearer of bad news, but good luck to you!</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply. I will do some more ECs this year.
About ACT: Is an overall 34 high enough? Or do I have to get a perfect 36?
Thank you for your advice and suggestions. I will work hard.</p>
<p>Reiterating what’s already been said, a 2200+ would really help get you on the same playing field as other applicants to those types of schools. I also think that a 34 on the ACT would be sufficient. </p>
<p>A “match” is a school whose requirements are fulfilled by the applicant. A “high match” is slightly harder to get into than a “match” and a “low match” is slightly easier to get into a “match”. </p>
<p>A “reach” more or less works the same way, being a school that someone could possibly get into but is definitely not guaranteed in any chance. High reach > reach > low reach. </p>
<p>Thank you for your reply. Instead of being unhappy about the bad news, I am glad that you are being honest and straightforward with me. </p>
<p>The only thing that I regret is that I did not meet people like you earlier. They would at least point me into the right direction and I can take on from there.</p>
<p>I guess that is one of the disadvantages of living in a low-income neighborhood. Sure, I would stand out. But I would also achieve little. My little achievements, easily satisfied parents’ praises, and counselors’ overly-optimistic projections had blinded me. What other people around me did not realize that I am Asian, not the other disadvantaged minorities in the neighborhood. Their goals are just graduating from high school and perhaps getting a secondary education at a state institution. What I want to achieve is beyond their goal and unfortunately, I was a little too late to realize that and do something about.</p>
<p>My early experiences are valuable and they will stay valuable, no matter how the college admission people think. </p>
<p>I will apply to my top schools no matter what. However, I am now better prepared with your opinions (as well as others’). Thank you.</p>
<p>Melody, I do understand your conundrum. This entire process is one giant and extremely complicated game, and unless you happen to be lucky enough to be born with the right connections, it’s difficult to play it successfully without lots of luck to fall into the correct activities. By no means do I discourage you from applying to top schools - every year people DO get in with interesting stories, despite otherwise relatively low objective stats. It’s just good to be aware that your stats are not a good match for some of these schools. Still, apply and if your essays emotionally connect with the adcoms you may have a shot.</p>
<p>I say you are in at DUKE, NORTHWESTERN, and CORNELL. However, MIT, PRINCETON, and STANFORD may only give you a chance if you improve your SAT’s.</p>