Please provide advice

<p>My son is going to apply college for fall 2009. I did not attend or apply college in US, so please help me on advice or suggestion.</p>

<p>He has very good academic record but weak in the extra activities (especially in sport), so what is his chance for the those schools (Harvard, Yale, MIT, UPenn, Standford, UIUC, Northwestern, U of Chicago) and major in Business related area (eventually go for Law)? </p>

<p>Race: Asian
SAT: R: 800, M:800, W:770
ACT:35 English:36, Math:36, Reading:34 Science:35 Writing:11
SAT Subject Test: Math II: 800, US History:800, Physics:800
GPA: UW: 4.0
Rank: 1/650
Course: total 12 AP courses and all courses are a or A+, 6 AP test so far has score of 5-5 and 1-4.</p>

<p>Activities:
Math Team - 4 years
Scholastic Bowl - 4 years (captain)
Debate team - 2 years
Student Council - 1 year
Community Services - Math Tutor
National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist
NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing</p>

<p>Will I waste the application fee for applying those schools because he does not have a long list of activities and awards like others?</p>

<p>I appreciate your time and advice.</p>

<p>no, his stats are stellar! The only thing that might hurt, and I hate to say it, is the fact that he is asian, but it's only a small factor. The awards that he has a great and he does have some decent EC's. He just has to portray passion about one of those areas and write an amazing essay. As with all Ivys, they are reaches, people with stellar stats are rejected each year. They sometimes are wild cards. My cousin got into harvard (a few years ago though) with only a 1220 SAT but she also published a book and did research at some hospital and found some thing or what ever but his chances are as decent as anyone else. Besides, it's not too late to get involved. Have him do some type of service or something, not just volunteering at a hospital, everyone does that.</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply. I know that being Asian kind of put him into somewhat disadvantage which I cannot change. How about the state school (UCB, UIUC, UofM)? Those schools have very good business school also as far as I know. The difficult thing is how do I know which school that is safe for sure. If they are reach, then we do not want to end up with no school to go to.</p>

<p>I would say that your son is almost a sure thing at northwestern and UIllinois... and also has the stats for Uchicago, but for them, you must write a very good essay, especially for the supplement, so I'd say it's less of a sure thing. I would echo what was already said about the ivys.</p>