<p>jkjk^^^ I probaly couldn't get into it even if I wanted to. Chance me please!</p>
<p><b>Schools</b>
Yale University
Brown University
Vanderbilt University
University of Pennsylvania
Northwestern University
Rice University
University of Iowa</p>
<p><b>Profile</b>
School Type: Public
Race/Gender: Indian/Female
Location: Chicagoland Area
Prospective Major: Biology/Japanese Literature (Double-Major)
Rank: N/A
Unweighted GPA: 3.9
Weighted GPA: 4.57</p>
<p><b>Scores</b>
ACT Composite: 32
SAT I: 2200
SAT II Math IIC: 800
SAT II Biology: 800
SAT II U.S History: 800 </p>
<p><b>Couseload</b>
APs: 10/18 Offered Courses By Graduation + All Honors</p>
<p><b>Awards/Honors</b>
-High Honors
-National Merit Finalist
-Student of the Year -- Foreign Language Department (07-08)
-Student of the Year -- Social Studies Department (06-07)</p>
<p><b>Other Info</b>
I am an Indian girl that is fluent in English, Hindi, Telugu and Japanese while very proficient at Spanish and Mandarin.</p>
<p><b>Activities</b>
-Editor of Literary Magazine
-Editor of School Newspaper
-Journalist of Local Newspaper
-Ballet </p>
<hr>
<p>This is a somewhat bland version of what my real application will be like, but I'm not sure whether or not to elaborate on my activities because they are pretty self-explanatory. I also have a decent amount of involvement im music as I play the piano and clarinet while I take band during Zero Hour. I have also recieved Division I ratings in my solos and ensembles and other contests, but I'm omitting my involvement in music because I don't really like it. Should I omit my musical accomplishments or not? Any constructive critism is appreciated.</p>
<p>Definitely include your music accomplishments. I'm in Zero Period Orchestra, and it is a HUGE commitment. You should DEFINITELY put that in an application! It's a big EC!</p>
<p>thanks for all the feedback! I'm not dissing Yale because I'm pretty sure that I can't get into it, but I just like certain aspects of it better then Harvard. Keep it coming!</p>
<p>Idk I think the thread title is pretty much accurate lol. Expand on your extra curriculars and awards by explaining them. I'm sure you'll end up where you want to be, but good luck anyway!</p>
<p>The funny part is your talents clearly lie more in the realm of the humanities/linguistics and yet you're applying for a biology major. You have not given us any extracurriculars or awards to indicate that you are a science-oriented individual. Therefore, I have little doubt you will be rejected by most, if not all of the top colleges. Plus, your awards are pretty standard and bland. No regional/state/national awards to set you apart in your application (other than National Merit, which is great, but unhelpful to your app). Extracurriculars are decent, but usual and somewhat standard. Overall: Nothing out of the ordinary. Generic applicant in all but the fact that you're an Asian who's not involved in math/sciency stuff...and even that's not any advantage b/c you're insisting on pursuing a science major. Chances:</p>
<p>Yale University - Reject<br>
Brown University - Reject
Vanderbilt University - High Match/Low Reach (meaning somewhat unpredictable acceptance/denial)
University of Pennsylvania - High Reach (probable, but not assured reject)
Northwestern University - Low Reach/Reach (decent chances, will depend on subjective material such as essays and supplements)
Rice University - Same as NU
University of Iowa - In</p>
<p>My advice is to apply to these schools within a major that actually fits your application (such as a language major). This way, admissions reps won't disqualify you on account of your desire to enter a field you have little experience in (and no, courses do not count as experience!). Once you're in, you can freely change your major and do what you want with yourself.</p>
<p>thanks nj azn premed for giving a completely degrading comment and really being completely wrong- theres a difference between being honest and just plain out annoying- and you're wrong b/c first you dont need to pick a major when u enter those schools and even if one had picked a major why would one have had to have ECs that relate to those- schools dont want you to be decided on something specific and make it your life</p>
<p>"thanks nj azn premed for giving a completely degrading comment and really being completely wrong- theres a difference between being honest and just plain out annoying- and you're wrong b/c first you dont need to pick a major when u enter those schools and even if one had picked a major why would one have had to have ECs that relate to those- schools dont want you to be decided on something specific and make it your life"</p>
<p>You seem to think colleges are looking for well-rounded slices of perfection. Well, you're completely wrong. The fact of the matter is, colleges want a diversified student body, not a population of jacks of all trades, masters of none. Therefore, when someone presents a speciality - some interesting and unusual passion - colleges expect such applicants to pursue that passion in college. Now, take the OP's application for a science major and juxtapose it with that of any other qualified science-heavy applicant you might find on CC and who do you think the top university is going to accept? The ballet dancer who writes for her newspaper and speaks several languages or the candidate who's been reaping awards at science fairs and olympiads and perhaps distinguishing him/herself in other ways (e.g. music/sports/etc)? I'm not trying to degrade anyone, I'm being realistic. Admissions reps are not machines that churn through applicant stats with a set criterion for acceptance/rejection. They approach the application with a human mindset and with the expectation that the applicant has a clearly defined passion that correlates with his/her educational goals. Your ridiculous assertions are uncalled for Wneck99. And, yes, I may sound a bit annoying in the way I deliver my criticism, but that's only b/c I don't agree with the idea of fluffing up every applicant on these forums. And, unless the OP is trying to inflate her ego by garnering the affection of random people online, she should accept the criticism and make of it what she will. So, please confine your fallacious assertions to your own poor judgment and try commenting on the OP, not on my ability to assess applicants.</p>
<p>nj azn premed,
Colleges want some of everything, so they aren't going to only select applicants that are "masters" at one particular thing (whether it is science or whatever). Well rounded students are accepted in large numbers to all of ivies, contrary to what you may believe. Personally, I would definitely say that the OP has a decent shot at all of the ivies that she is thinking of applying to. </p>
<p>On a side note, you also sound like a prissy brat with that last sentance of yours.</p>
<p>"On a side note, you also sound like a prissy brat with that last sentance of yours."</p>
<p>Oh yeah? Here's something Wneckid99 posted on one of my chances threads:</p>
<p>"YOU HAVE NO SHOT AT ANY OF THOSE SCHOOLS- YOUR ECS ARE WEAK AND YOUR SCHOOLS WILL HATE YOUR variety of things</p>
<p>basically you're a weak applicant"</p>
<p>It seems he now has some immature and altogether uncalled for vendetta against me personally. Regardless, the buffoon is fortunate I was not any harsher in rebuking his original comments. And, tjan91, your own comments are a sweeping generalization of American colleges. However, the situation is very different for top colleges. They still want "some of everything" as you put it, but they select applicants who, once pieced together into a freshman class, will excel in individual subjects and not those who would offer a mediocre performance in every field of study.</p>
<p>wow you guys.. and premed, weren't you a little harsh?? I mean I respect your advice but that might have been a little over the top..</p>
<p>and aren't my stats comparable to hers, yet you said i have a good chance?
furthermore on my thread you said I COULD emphasize my humanities ECs OR my science courses?</p>
<p>aren't you contradicting yourself here by saying that courses don't count for experience? or are these circumstances different than mine?</p>
<p>i'm not attacking you, just trying to straighten things out...</p>
<p>Actually, swoop, I told you the same exact thing I'm telling this candidate (and, you're right, you two are somewhat similar, though you did have a stronger app in all honesty). I told you to find a focus before you apply to colleges. You seemed to be split between the sciences and the humanities. However, this applicant is focusing on science, whereas her app reflects a humanities inclination. Therein lies the difference between the two of you and the reason why my advice for you was different then that I offered to the OP of this thread. However, I did tell you only to find a focus, not necessarily to make it a humanities one (though, in your case, I expected you to choose the humanities b/c you seemed to be leaning towards them in any case). The same I said here, however, applies to you: If you choose to apply to some of the colleges on your list with a science focus, you will likely be rejected by many of them.</p>
<p>thanks for all your replys and that includes you too nj<em>azn</em>premed. I actually do have alot of interest in evolutionary biology and genetics because of my fascination with dinosaurs, paleozoic and creatures, post-mesozoic mammals and the evolution of humans from autrailopithicus, but I really can't do much other than read books or published research because it's not like I can go grab a bunch of dinosaur bones from the museum. If you put individual pictures of a mammal's or dinosaur's bones in front of me, then I could classify its approximate size, locomotion, diet, brain size, gender, skeletal structure, bone density and hip type at the least. I would love to have research opportunies, but they're frankly not open to me as you need to be certified before coming within 10 feet of prehistoric bones.</p>