Please help with my chances!!!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>OK, i really need your help with my chances at some colleges. First of all, I have a big list and I'm trying to narrow it down a bit.</p>

<p>Something about me:</p>

<p>highest SAT: 1410 (780M,630V)
SAT II's: MATH LVL IIC 780
Writing(taking it next month)-planning to get 650-700
Physics(taking it next month)-planning to get 750-800</p>

<p>non-weighted GPA: 3.8 (including freshman yr)
non-weighted GPA: 4.0 (NOT including freshman yr)</p>

<p>overall weighted GPA: 4.8
final rank: 9/450 (in one of the best high schools in western Pennsylvania)</p>

<p>-took the hardest classes in my field (math/comp sci), took all the AP's in this field
-7 AP classes(taking 3 senior yr):
-AP Comp Sci: C++, AP German, AP comp Sci JAVA, AP Calculus BC,
AP Physics: Mechanics, AP Physics Electricity, AP Statistics
-I finished all these classes with A's and curretly have stright A's
-10 Honor's Classes</p>

<p>-AP's: Calculus BC 5 (also 5 on AB subscore), German Language 5</p>

<p>Clubs and EC's (in and out of school):
-Future Business Leaders Of America (F.B.L.A.) - I'm the Manager of the student store (2yrs)
-Rifle Team-Varsity member (2 yrs)
-Computer Science Club (2yrs)
-Students Against Destructive Decisions Club (S.A.D.D.) - I'm in charge of news board (1yr)
-National Honor Society (N.H.S.) - I distributed info about the club (2yrs)
-German Club - helped the exchange students (4yrs)
-Ski Club (4 yrs)
-Computer Software and Hardware Club - I'm the leader and manager of this club, I made this club, provided testing materials, etc. (3 yrs)
-Radio Control Cars Racing Club-member (1 yr)
-doing a physics research on Simple Harmonic Motion with some help from my physics teacher</p>

<p>Volunteering:
-About 50 hours of community service
-Math tutor
-Race for The Cure Cancer Foundation - passed out materials
-fundraised for a children's park</p>

<p>Awards
-1st place at math competition freshman yr
-High honor roll 9th grade
-highest honor roll 10,11 grades
-1st place team at comp. programming competition junior yr
-"most likely to go into chemistry" award
-team mention at math competition
-3rd place at german competition two consec yrs</p>

<p>And now the college list:
-Carnegie Mellon University(will apply ED II at CIT)-this is my first choice
-Georgia Tech
-Brown
-Cornell
-Johns Hopkins
-Penn State Univ. Park
-Columbia University FU
-Penn
-University of Miami
-Case Western</p>

<p>Thanks you in advance and I would really appreciate it if you guys would approximate my chances at these colleges!</p>

2

<p>-Carnegie Mellon University(ED) Match
-Georgia Tech Match
-Brown Reach
-Cornell Reach
-Johns Hopkins Reach
-Penn State Univ. Park Match
-Columbia University FU Reach
-Penn Reach
-University of Miami Match
-Case Western Match</p>

<p>By applying ED to CMU, you should be fine, I feel you could get in. Also some I put as reaches cause you seem to be in about the 50% area for each one, but for schools at that level, you never know. And generally any of the matches I listed, you have a really good shot. Hope this helps.</p>

3

<p>thanks, anyone else?</p>

4

<p>Good list of schools but might also look at Duke and Northwestern and some matches like Bucknell, Holy Cross, or Lehigh.</p>

5

<p>What do you want to major in? Cause we could then look at schools that excel in that area.</p>

6

<p>Yes, i would like to major in Electrical/Computer Engineering or maybe Mechanical Engineering.</p>

7

<p>Well, let's start with the very good. Your math/science scores and achievements, and your grades. They're excellent, superb, etc. Your physics related research and your computer science hardware club seem very interesting as well.</p>

<p>Now, onto the "needs improvement". Your Verbal and Writing scores are not apt to impress places like Brown, Penn, and Columbia, even if you are applying to their engineering programs. These will seem quite weak in the context of those applicant pools, and I feel this is one of the weakest parts of your application.</p>

<p>Your extracurriculars are good, but not great. Many of your extracurriculars, such as NHS, "Students Against Destructive Decisions" (which I have never heard of, I've heard of Students Against Drunk Driving), Ski Club, and volunteer work show little achievement or depth of involvement. Passing out materials should not be a focus of your application.</p>

<p>You seem very strong in terms of math/science academics, and related extracurriculars. Rifle team and your German work both seem rather interesting. However, to be more successful in the Ivy League (outside of Cornell, that is to say), you'd need to spruce up certain factors, hard to do at this point.</p>

<p>I think you'll be very strong in the Carnegie Mellon pool, as well as in Case Western. Your state schools will be no problem at all, and Cornell will be a toss up, with the odds probably in your favor if you present yourself well.</p>

<p>Joey</p>

8

<p>ok, i think i will take out Brown and Penn from my list so updated list:</p>

<p>-Carnegie Mellon University(ED) Match???
-Georgia Tech Match
-Cornell Match/Reach???
-Johns Hopkins Reach
-Penn State Univ. Park Match
-Columbia University FU Reach
-University of Miami Match
-Case Western Match</p>

<p>So the conclusion is that I'm close to a Match at CMU
and Cornell is not completely out of reach, but Columbia University FU:School of Engineering IS out of reach, just like Brown and Penn which I took off my list.</p>

<p>Right???</p>

<p>Well as long as I have pretty big chances at CMU I'm happy :)</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

9

<p>What about MIT, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Stanford, and Berkeley? Those are typically the best, but pretty hard to get into. I'd say you have a good shot at UIUC, but the rest, despite your really strong profile, would still be reaches.</p>