(repost) What are my chances at Stanford, UPenn, UCBerkeley, UCLA, Notre Dame?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi, can anyone tell my what my chances would be at schools like UPenn, Stanford, Notre Dame, and also UC Berkeley and UCLA?
(I already posted this a while back, but I'm updating it now because I have scores and EC's I didn't have then.)</p>

<p>I know those schools are a long shot for anyone, and that my average is lower than it should be, but I'm hoping I still have a chance, albeit a low one. Standardized tests are a strength for me, and I have some interesting extracurriculars, but my grades (although not bad) haven't been outstanding. Note: My high school doesn't calculate GPA, only averages, so I don't know what my weighted or unweighted GPA would be beyond a rough guess.</p>

<p>Average junior year so far: 93
Cumulative average: 90</p>

<p>SAT: 2260 (800 reading, 710 math, 750 writing)</p>

<p>APs:
- 5 on World History and 94 and 92 in the class (it's a 2 year course)
-taking US History and Spanish Language now, will take AP exams next month</p>

<p>Planned AP's for senior year:
Literature, Physics 2, Microeconomics, and Music Theory</p>

<p>SAT II's:
-US History 710, Literature 800
-will take Physics or Math II at some point</p>

<p>Honors classes:
-in addition to APs above, took Honors English both sophomore and junior year
-Honors Spanish freshman, sophomore year, (taking AP as a junior)</p>

<p>EC's:
-Volunteer tutor to underprivileged kids for fall semester this year
-Publicity director of Junior Prom planning committee
-Member of JV basketball team freshman and sophomore year
-Member of flag football team sophomore year
-Member of School of Rock (a music performance program outside of school) sophomore year and junior year
-Auditioned for, and got into, the School of Rock House Band (basically the best musicians in the program who get to play at special concerts and gigs) in the fall of junior year, have been a member since then
-performed at a 50th anniversary Beatles tribute show
-performed at a fundraiser for a charity foundation
-performed at a Progressive motorcycle show
-(etc.)
-Started my own rock band junior year (I'm the lead singer) and performed various gigs around NYC
-Going to attend Berklee Summer Guitar Sessions at the Berklee School of Music
-Helped out as translator and outreach director for a free music lessons charity started by my friend, I will also have a position as volunteer mentor in the same program</p>

<p>If it matters, my ethnicity is mixed, white and Pacific islander.</p>

<p>EDIT: forgot to add, essay writing is another strength for me, so I think it's realistic to expect I'll have a strong essay when I apply to college.</p>

2

<p>Well all the EC’s pertaining to your music program would probably go under the same EC. Performing at 3 shows isn’t 3 separate extra curricular activities.</p>

<p>Are you taking all the AP’s available to you? meaning, since you’re not in AP English, there was none available?</p>

3

<p>no, actually there was ap English. I took honors instead because it was journalism focused and that’s what I want to major in</p>

4

<p>You have a chance with those test scores and grades. </p>

<p>To me it looks like your biggest weakness is your ECs. You have many of them, but I do not see one thing that will grab an Adcom’s attention. They are more interested in seeing one impressive thing that you achieved than 20 typical things. </p>

<p>Adcoms are asking themselves why they should pick you out of a stack of similarly qualified applicants. To be admitted, your essays will need to provide them with the answer to that question.</p>

5

<p>I was hoping music/being in an original rock band would be something that would grab their attention (I realize it isn’t super-impressive or high achieving, but it’s unusual and something I started entirely by myself.) But essay writing is something I like and am pretty good at so I’m pretty sure I’ll have an interesting/attention-grabbing essay.</p>