Please, Help

<p>Hi. I am a Korean student who came to the U.S. three years ago, starting as a freshman in high school. I live in Long Island, New York, and attend extremely rigorous and academically renowned high school. I am sort of an exchanged student b/c I came here alone (my parents still live in Korea).</p>

<p>Please help me to understand my chances of getting into Rice b/c most people who apply to rice from my high school are combined medical program candidates so the stats are especially high (average 3.9 GPA and 1550 SAT) </p>

<p>I started as an ESL student, but got out after a year. I took 6 APs (bio, chem, cal BC, U.S., psych, macro) and math hrs. </p>

<p>GPA 3.77 (UW) 3.82 (W)
SAT 1st time: 570 (CR) 660 (M) 570 (W) 9 (essay) - June 2006
2nd time: 630 (CR) 750 (M) 670 (W) 10 (essay) - October 2006
(I know that CR score is bit too low)
SAT II: Bio 730
U.S., Chem, Math IIC --> December </p>

<p>I cant write all my EC but i have +350 hrs of community service including soup kitchen, assistant teacher during summer school at my church, etc. (non hospital volunteering where u sit and do nothing)
I also went to mission trip for 14 days to Argentina, which i did not added to +350 hrs.<br>
Most of my extra activities are concentrated on music (cello)
All-County, Long Island String Festival for 2 years
All-State this year (36 students got into all-state from my high school alone)
played in pit for high school musicals (les miserable and last five years)
chamber orchestra - Jazz Festival at Baltimore for three days & NYSSMA level 6 gold with distinction
Korean drum club leader at my church for a year
National youth leadership on Medicine recommended
Student of the month in social studies
honor rolls ever since 9th grade
I am currently tutoring cello and SAT math.
christian club, asian-american cultural association club, mathletes
Yoga club to-be secretary
Flushing volleybal tournament
etc...</p>

<p>Please be critical. :)
Thanks.</p>

<p>pick up the SAT's.. and iof there are many peoople from the same school applying with a 3.9 and 2350 SAT, then ur in for a rough time... but as such your Stats are quite good</p>

<p>You definately have a diversity hook, having lived in Korea and your mission trip to Argentina, and anything that will set you apart from your peers will help out a lot, especially if, as it sounds, the majority of kids from your school are pre-med hopefuls. However, I do agree with Antarius. While scores aren't the most important factor, it certainly would not hurt you to bring them up. If you've only taken them twice then taking them a third time will be ok, especially if you show improvement.</p>

<p>What do you want to study?</p>

<p>Thank u guys for responding.
Although raising SAT scores might increase my chance, I have no intention of taking SAT third time, partially b/c i cant. I have to take SATIIs in December. Also, I can't guarantee score improvements :-D
Not many people apply RD to Rice from my school. Only 3 applied past two years, and they all applied combined 8-year BACH/MD program at Rice. No one was accepted to this program, but of 3, 2 got into Rice.<br>
Since kathryn07 brought up what i want to study in college, I have a question to ask. I thought about this for a long time and still havent got an answer. I think I still need to explore broader fields of study before i make that huge decision. That being said, applying colleges with "undecided" major acts as a disadvantage? Some of my friends are purposely choosing not-so-famous-major (for example, engineering major at Yale) to increase chances. I dont want to do this though.
thx</p>

<p>"Some of my friends are purposely choosing not-so-famous-major (for example, engineering major at Yale) to increase chances."</p>

<p>They think they are being smart.... thing is, unless you do Rice-baylor or the 5 year program, you are admitted to RICE not rice dept of blah blah... When my suitemate who wants to do Anthropology and I, an engineering major applied, we were compared to each other (general - not specific to us). We were compared with other people with all different majors and got in</p>

<p>The major isnt gonna change anything...</p>

<p>thank u once again for answering
im glad that the major doesnt change anything,, but what if im undecided? that doesnt matter either?</p>

<p>i think u have a very good chance; it's diversity/charity if nothing else.</p>

<p>undecided shouldnt matyter either, as I said you are competing against EVERYONE else on the same fighting ground (excpet Archi's and Musi's who are admitted by their portfolio and talent for specific things)</p>

<p>Showing diverse interests will probably help you too... as opposed to only being interested in one specific field. I plan on majoring in bioengineering, for example, but my application is littered with music and art and stuff like that as well.</p>

<p>Yea. I am working on Art supplement for most colleges I'm applying. Does Rice accept common app art supplement?</p>

<p>I'm not familiar with the common app art supplement... but if you aren't sure call/email the admissions office and ask. Calling is generally quicker...</p>