Please chance me- will chance back!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Demographics:
Race- Caucasian
Gender- Female
State- Maryland
School- High-ranked public; in a Science and Technology magnet program</p>

<p>Schools:
Definitely applying to
UC Berkeley
Reed
University of Washington
UVA
UNC Chapel Hill
Tufts
Brown</p>

<p>Will pick one to three more from
Duke
University of Chicago
Rutgers
Swarthmore
UC Santa Cruz
Pomona or Claremont McKenna</p>

<p>Safety schools; admission practically guaranteed
UMD
St. Mary's College of Maryland</p>

<p>Grades:
Unweighted GPA: currently an 3.84 or a 3.86, depending on a grade tbd in the next four days; should be up to a 3.88 or a 3.89 by the end of the first semester of my senior year
Weighted GPA: currently either a 4.05 or a 4.06; should be up to a 4.15 to a 4.20 bt the end of the first semester of my senior year</p>

<p>I would give a UC GPA but I find the instructions for calculating it too confusing. If somebody was willing to let me know what they think it would be, that would be great...</p>

<p>Classes:</p>

<p>Freshman Year
-Biology Science/Tech (equivalent to honors) A/A
-Algebra II/Trig B/B
-Advanced Band A/A
-Engineering Foundations I (semester class) A
-US History 9 Honors A/A
-Japanese I A/A
-PE (semester class) A
-English 9 Honors A/A</p>

<p>Sophomore Year
-Engineering Foundations II A/A
-Genetics A/A
-Chemistry Sci/Tech (equiv. to honors) A/A
-English 10 Honors A/A
-AP Government A/A
-Pre-Calculus Honors C/A
-Computer Graphics I A/A</p>

<p>Junior Year
<a href="Second%20letter%20grade%20is%20for%20the%203rd%20quarter,%20not%20the%202nd%20semester">i</a>*
-AP World History A/A so far
-Japanese III A/A so far
-AP Language A/A so far
-Forensics I (semester class) A
-Anatomy/Physiology (semester class) A so far
-AP Calculus AB A/A or B so far- to be determined in the next 4 days
-Physics Sci/Tech (equiv. to honors) A/A so far
-AP Biology A/A so far</p>

<p>Classes for Senior Year:
-AP Literature
-AP Statistics
-AP Japanese
-Research Practicum - Forestry
-Creative Writing
and either
-AP Computer Graphics
-AP World History
or
-AP Computer Graphics (double period)</p>

<p>Notes on academics:
-In my sophomore year, the administration decided it would be brilliant to squish two Japanese I classes into one Japanese II class. Predictable results ensued and they ended up with a class with 45-50 people in it and at least 5 people left out. Two people transferred back in; I tried but they wouldn't let me. This was entirely random and had nothing to do with grades. I ended up skipping Japanese II to take Japanese III this year by studying over the summer. I will be taking AP Japanese next year and skipping Japanese IV, so I plan to study this summer as well.
-Research Practicum is a senior-year science project that everybody in my magnet program has to do. Parts of it are somewhat like an out-of-control science fair project, and we are required to participate in the Intel fair with it. I think Forestry sounds a little slacker-y, so to give a better picture of the intensity/difficulty of RP, one of the things you are allowed to do is intern at places that include NIH and NASA.
-I am taking health over this summer so that I can have the time next year to take a full-year class.</p>

<p>Test Scores:
PSAT- 232. I am sure I am a National Merit Scholar, but they haven't been announced yet.
SAT- Taking it in May. The online College Board practice test gave me a 2280.
SAT IIs- Taking Biology E, Math II, and World History in June. I should score at least fairly high on all of these but can't yet predict this one well.</p>

<p>APs:
AP Government- 5
AP World History- not taken yet; probable 5
AP Language- not taken yet; probable 5
AP Calculus AB- not taken yet; hopeful 4
AP Biology- not taken yet; hopeful 5
either 4 or 5 AP classes will be taken senior year</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
The Archduke- school satirical newspaper; 9th grade-present; hoping to be writing editor for my senior year
Model UN- joined this year; will continue to the end of high school; officer position not happening
Japanese National Honor Society- joined this year; will continue to the end of high school</p>

<p>I may join National Honor Society this spring, though I really do not want to. Please let me know if this would make a real difference with any of my schools, especially any that are borderline.</p>

<p>Other:
-My dad went to Duke and my mom went to Chicago. Although I'm not sure whether that helps for Chicago.
-There is absolutely no way I am getting any kind of financial aid that isn't entirely merit-based, if that affects anything.
-If you think there are any colleges I should be looking at but am not, please let me know!</p>

2

<p>If you want to do Japanese, you should be looking at Columbia, Chicago, and Cornell. These are the top in the country. You also would have a decent shot at all.</p>

<p>Currently, I would say that of the schools on your ‘definitely applying to’ list, the only one which is a reach is Brown.</p>

3

<p>I don’t actually want to do Japanese as a major. I’m looking at History or English, preferrably Creative Writing. Although I guess it would be nice to do on the side or something. Anyway, I’m not really looking for a good Japanese school- just for good all-around schools, because I’m still very unsure what I want to do for a living and want a chance to really branch out. (I guess all those count, though…) Anyway, thanks so much!</p>

4

<p>Definitely in to your safeties.</p>

<p>I’d say you’re into most of your schools, except Duke, UChicago, Brown and Tufts. UChicago weighs A LOT on the essays, so that’s a big factor. Tufts I know primarily for its medical program, so I can’t really judge. Duke is Duke, and Brown is an Ivy, so those are always kind of based on guesses - but you have a good shot.</p>

5

<p>Your grades are absolutely top notch, so no qualms there.
But. You’re extra curricular activities are seriously lacking.
Maybe diversify a little, I guess? Dramatics. Yes? No? Maybe?
Also. Colleges really value social work. Big deal for them.
A lot of Ivies had entire sections of their president’s messages dedicated to social work.
So you might want to look into that.
Washington, Tufts and Rutgers you seem like a shoo in for.
For Chicago, they apparently like zany essays. I’m sure your experience in the satirical newspaper will help immensely.
Again. Diversify your ECs.</p>

<p>Chance me back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/886743-im-really-new-here-someone-chance-me.html#post1064372820[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/886743-im-really-new-here-someone-chance-me.html#post1064372820&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>

</p>

<p>No. Focus is the name of the game. Applying to writing competitions, interning at a local paper, that sort of thing is what you want to be looking into. Summer camps as well. Focus. The last thing you want to do at this stage is add a bunch of random, meaningless clubs to your resume.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Another no. Community service, when continued throughout high school and not done artificially for college admissions, can help. But colleges are looking to build a diverse class, each student with their own interests to bring to the table. They are not looking specifically for humanitarians.</p>

<p>OP, your list looks good. My one question is, where is your GPA in comparison to your peer’s? I imagine at a competitive public, your GPA may be more impressive than I’m giving it credit for (lousy public schooler speaking here).</p>

7

<p>Schools:
Definitely applying to
UC Berkeley - high match /low low reach
Reed -match
University of Washington - high match
UVA - match
UNC Chapel Hill - low reach/ high match
Tufts - match
Brown - mid reach but def worth a try</p>

<p>please chance me back
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/881656-chance-me-new-york-university-northwestern-university-new-post.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/881656-chance-me-new-york-university-northwestern-university-new-post.html&lt;/a&gt;
Will pick one to three more from
Duke - match
University of Chicago - high match with a decent essay.
Rutgers - definately in
Swarthmore…no idea
UC Santa Cruz - in you should apply it has an amazing campus and really great professsors…i visited and was blown away.
Pomona or Claremont McKenna - In at claremont high match pomona need a good essay tho.</p>

8

<p>@glassesarechic: hahahaha, that’s what didn’t make it back in. Sorry. The first time I typed this list I tried to post it, but my computer had logged me out of the website, and then I typed in the wrong password. By the time I’d made it back to this webpage everything had been erased and I had to type it all up again…</p>

<p>Anyway, my class rank is in the top 5% of a class of between 550 and 650, depending on how many kids not in my magnet program dropped out (we get a lot of local kids too, and a lot of them are only in the school until they can drop out or stick it out but then don’t graduate- I really don’t know how many). I need to check to be exact, but just getting into my guidance counselor’s office is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do…</p>

<p>@aghavani: I’d LOVE to go to Santa Cruz… the only thing is that my economist mother would murder me if I decided I was going there. She thinks it’s not good enough for the price I’d pay to go there. So I’d really, really love to apply there and possibly go there, but it’s never going to happen unless I go kiss the Blarney stone sometime between now and next fall.</p>

9

<p>Your ECs are lacking a bit…but maybe you can become a “lopsided” student with your stats plus a lot of major awards & recs! If you want to do a language major, you may try to get your work published, win awards in that. But you are good in terms of the academic side! Good Luck! (although you seem pretty safe already) =)</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the chance, here’s my view on your chances:</p>

<p>UC Berkeley - High Match
Reed - Match
University of Washington - High Match
UVA - Match
UNC Chapel Hill - Match
Tufts - High Match
Brown - Reach (but it is an ivy)
Duke - Low Reach
University of Chicago - Low Reach (but a great essay could greatly improve your chances)
Rutgers - In with scholarship money (though they are VERY stingy this year)
UC Santa Cruz - In
Pomona- High Match
Claremont McKenna- In</p>

<p>GOOD LUCK!!</p>

11

<p>Nihongo ga suki desuka? Boku no gakko mo nihongo no jyuugyoo ga aru. Boku wa Nihongo 7-8 seito da. demo AP ga arunai.</p>

<p>You look good for most of those schools</p>

12

<p>Hai, suki desu. Demo, nihongo wa muzukashii desu… AP tesuto wa suki janai :-/ (But aren’t you a little old to be using “boku”?)</p>

<p>Thank you :)</p>

13

<p>holy… ur gpa is so sexy. just go to harvard</p>

14

<p>For a competitive school, you seem good for Duke and Chicago. How is a 3.86 in your school? Is that rare?</p>

<p>All others are in.</p>

<p>Claremont, Tufts, and Brown are reaches.</p>

<p>Chance back?</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/887584-combined-chances-please-chance.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/887584-combined-chances-please-chance.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

15

<p>Might look at some LAC’s like Holy Cross or Bowdoin.</p>

16

<p>@justin: I occasionally have trouble telling when people are being serious and when they’re not… so I am going to have to just write that one off as a joke.</p>

<p>@porkperson: It depends on what you’re taking and whether you’re in the magnet program or not… I know there are people not in it that probably have 4.0s, and I know there are people in it that do have 4.0s. But those aren’t the people that take the hard classes. I know that probably nobody who took bio-organic chemistry has a 4.0, for one thing. Except for maybe this one senior this year who is kind of scary. But he doesn’t count because he is the kind of person that wouldn’t have to study for his AP tests but would ace them all. Anyway, for people who take about the same classes that I do, yeah, a 3.86 is pretty damn good.</p>

<p>@par: I dunno… I’d been thinking about maybe Kenyon or Oberlin, but I really don’t want to go to any liberal arts colleges that aren’t really quirky in some way, even if they have excellent academics. (The thing that got me to look at Swarthmore was that their publication said their campus was an arboretum. And then I went to look at their website and they had a day when people dressed up as pterodactyls and everybody attacked them with foam bats, or something in that vein.) I’m also trying to avoid (most) religious schools because I really can’t stand religion and I think I’d just about explode if I went to one.</p>

17

<p>Haha my sensei still uses Boku. I didn’t know there was an age limit, many men use “Ore”, but it is also considered less formal.</p>

18

<p>Huh- mine told us that you weren’t supposed to use it unless you were a guy under maybe age 10 or 12 or so. Oh well. Yeah, I know about “ore”… I’m sometimes disappointed that I don’t get more of a selection of pronouns, even though you aren’t really supposed to use them so much. If there are many girls get to use, I haven’t been taught them yet…</p>