Rate my chances for top tier schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi, I'm new on CC. I'm an incoming senior going through the stress of college apps. It'd be greatly appreciated if the experienced members of CC could give me some advice on my chances, ED/EA decisions, and maybe recommend some more schools. </p>

<p>I'll give some stats and ECs.</p>

<p>Chinese Male</p>

<p>GPA: 3.97 UW /4.31 W (or hopefully by 1st semester senior)</p>

<p>SAT I: Took once, Math:770, Crit: 800, Writing: 800 Total: 2370</p>

<p>SAT II: Chem: 770, Math II: 800, Bio: taking october, hoping for at least 770</p>

<p>AP/Honors: listed chronologically</p>

<p>Taken:
Hon. Geometry
Hon. Freshman English
Hon. Global studies
Hon. Algebra II
Hon. Sophomore English
AP Psychology
AP World History
Hon. Precalculus
AP English Language
AP Chemistry
AP Statistics
AP Biology</p>

<p>Will take senior:
AP Physics
AP Economics/Gov't
AP Calculus BC
AP US History
AP English Literature</p>

<p>Some ECs I plan on putting down:</p>

<p>-UC Berkeley/ LBNL internship: interned with Head of Materials Science Dr.Ramesh on Berkeley's Helios project.
-Started and currently coaching a science program/team at my local middle school for Science Olympiad/Science Bowl
-DECA Vice President, raised a couple thousand for Haiti, led members to win Internationals.
-UNICEF President, raised money
-Science Olympiad gold team member 4 years
-Piano, National Piano Guild, about 8 years
-Taekwondo almost 4 years
-Professional tutoring job</p>

<p>Some awards:</p>

<p>-Northern California DECA CDC First place in International Business Plan
-State DECA CDC First place in International Business Plan
-First place at Tri-valley Science and Engineering Fair
-Honorable Mention in Toshiba's Exploravision science competition
-Regional silver in Science Olympiad's robot ramble
-National Merit Semi-finalists: will try for Finalist etc.
-First place at California State Talent Show for piano (BS award, I don't know why it's called that)
-First place TKD patterns at Nevada State Championships (again BS award)
-Will attempt Siemens and maybe some other competitions with the results I've gathered from Berkeley internship.</p>

<p>Recs: Decent
Essays: Hopefully will be good.
Samples of my raw writing on my tumblr: bwu.tumblr.com, but will try to do a lot better.</p>

<p>Applying to: HYP, Stanford, MIT, uPenn, Columbia, Cornell, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD</p>

<p>My major will be in engineering, but not sure exactly what yet. I'm looking into EECS at UCB, but my dream is Stanford (definitely a reach).</p>

<p>Thanks for reading. Some insight on chances, other schools I could be applying to (related to engineering and rank), which engineering programs are good in my current list, and ED/EA choice would be greatly, greatly appreciated.</p>

2

<p>There’s really nothing wrong about your application at all, aside from a relatively low weighted GPA. You’re definitely going to be a very competitive applicant for HYPMS, Penn, Columbia and Cornell, with the UC schools being high matches at worst.</p>

3

<p>Oh wow you have quite the stats! You should be very proud. The only thing I would say is lacking and only is your ECs, but even those are great.
HYP, Stanford, MIT, uPenn, Columbia, Cornell, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD</p>

<p>Harvard- reach, but leaning towards in
Yale- reach, but leaning towards in
Stanford- reach, but leaning towards in
MIT- in
Upenn- in
Columbia- in
Cornell- in
UC Berkely- in
UCLA- in
UCSD- in</p>

4

<p>^ How can someone be “in” at MIT and still consider Yale and Stanford reaches?</p>

5

<p>From my knowledge, MIT values GPA/test scores ect and less on ECs then Stanford, Harvard, and Yale, which is why I think you are a in at MIT and reach at HY and Stanford.</p>

6

<p>No, we’re talking about the highest echelons of established learning here. These schools are so selective because they holistically review each and every applicant, meaning that the overwhelming majority of accepted students have blemish-free resumes. </p>

<p>Just because MIT is closely associated with mathematics does not necessarily mean that it values GPA/SAT/ACT any differently than Yale and Stanford, and, if anything, is just as selective as Harvard and Princeton.</p>

7

<p>Well it is my opinion and you can look at past chance threads and accepted threads and see why I came to that conclusion. Ultimately, its the colleges who will make the decision and I am just trying to give some helpful input.</p>

8

<p>Yes, I definitely agree with you when you point out that it’s the colleges who are making the decision, but you saying the OP’s chances at HYS and MIT are as different as someone’s chances at their first choice and safety is really indicative of how much you know and how much your opinion matters. </p>

<p>Besides, the OPs extracurriculars are just as solid as the rest of his application. All of his clubs/activities are set in one direction, he’s been nationally recognized, etc.</p>

9

<p>Thanks guys, you’ve both put in valuable advice, albeit too kind in my opinion. Appreciate it.</p>

10

<p>I’m not sure about its rankings within specific engineering programs, but have you considered CMU? Of course, you’d be into Berkeley no probs, which would be better than CMU I think, but it might be worth consideration?</p>

11

<p>The OP has great stats, for sure, but to say he’s a sure admit for Berkeley EECS is an exaggeration. </p>

<p>Almost all applicants for engineering at Berkeley have similar stats to his and the College has an admit rate of 16% - that’s smaller than Cornell’s and UPenn’s. The EECS at Berkeley is the most oversubscribed program in the college of engineering - it is perhaps where the best students would want to go. Last year, It has an admit rate of lower than 13% - that’s almost already as tough as getting into MIT and MIT – as we all know - is one of the hardest schools to get into.</p>

12

<p>I think that’s true also. Should I even consider Berkeley a back-up?</p>

13

<p>Bump for more opinion?</p>

14

<p>Final bump of desperation? Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.</p>

15

<p>With your stats and achievements, you’ll be fine. You’ll get into at least 2 or 3 of those schools in your list. Your list is good, btw. </p>

<p>Now focus on your application.</p>

16

<p>Sounds reasonable.</p>

17

<p>Harvard - Reach
Yale - Reach
Princeton - Reach
Stanford - Even Larger Reach
MIT - Reach
UPenn - Mid-Reach
Columbia - Mid-Reach
Cornell - Low-Reach
Berkeley - Low-Reach/High-Match
UCLA - High-Match
UCSD - Match</p>

<p>And I’ll just do some voodoo predicting and tell me how accurate I am next year in March:
Harvard - Reject
Yale - Reject
Princeton - Waitlist
Stanford - Reject
MIT - Reject
UPenn - Admit
Columbia - Waitlist
Cornell - Admit
Berkeley - Admit
UCLA - Admit
UCSD - Admit</p>

18

<p>Just out of curiosity, could you elaborate on how you made the predictions? I know that HYPMS are pretty much reaches for anyone without a major hook, but does any part of my stats seem particularly weak/in need of improvement? Also, considering Stanford to be a high reach, should I even ED?</p>

19

<p>For you, my friend, I shall.</p>

<p>HYPSM is a reach for anyone unless you’re hooked, which unfortunately you are not. I said Stanford was even bigger because of the whole geographical/Asian factor. You’re in at all the UCs pretty much. The only one that might be a “toughy” is Berkeley, but otherwise you’re fine. UPenn and Columbia can be as unpredictable as HYPSM but oftentimes are not as turbulent. And they tend to take just as qualified applicants as HYSPM does, but with slightly weaker stats on occasion - hence slightly less of a reach. Cornell is constantly criticized but I still put it at as a low reach. It’s still very selective. My BS predictions below that list are just conjecture, really. I just wanted to see how accurate my seer powers are. I would be slightly surprised, but not heart-wrenchingly, if you were flat out rejected from HYSPM. I would be slightly surprised if you were rejected from Columbia and even more slightly surprised if you were rejected from UPenn. And I would be entirely surprised if you were rejected from any of the UCs and even Cornell.</p>

<p>As far as your stats, your scores and grades are phenomenal. You should be proud of them. Your ECs are excellent. They’re pretty amazing; I don’t care what everyone on CC says about superb ECs being less superb because of their cynical nature towards everything in life. I mean it’s not like you cured cancer, but then again who as? ;)</p>

<p>Your stats are great. Be proud. Start hoping. But don’t get too hopeful. Good luck!
And apply Stanford SCEA. I don’t think you should apply ED. (Because they don’t have it unless I’m mistaken)</p>

20

<p>That was extremely encouraging. It was the exact kind of rational optimism that an anxious senior needs to hear. Now if I could actually achieve what you’ve predicted, I’d probably be surprised myself, even more so if I got into Penn’s M&T program.</p>