Reverse Chance Me?

College Search & Selection
1

Please suggest some match/safety schools for me!

Basic Info:
-Male
-Asian, first generation American Born
-North Carolina
-Residential Magnet School for junior and senior year
-Major in either Chemistry, Biology, or Computer Science

Stats:
-GPA: 4.5 Weighted (school doesn’t do unweighted)
-SAT: 1550, 790 math, 760 english. 7/7/7 essay but not on the 1550 test
-SAT Subject: Math II: 800, Chem: 780
-PSAT: 1500 (will probably get national merit)
Current school does not rank, was rank 1 at old school

AP/Honors Classes:
Sophomore Year: AP Stats
Junior year: AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP Lang, AP Chinese, all other classes honors
Senior year: 14 AP level classes when calculated into GPA, 2 honors classes

Honors:
-AP Scholar with Honor
-Accepted to NHS at old school
-National Merit (at least semi-finalist)
-Conrad Innovation Challenge
-Nominated for Governor’s School

ECs:
-School leadership: Peer Counseling Coordinator College Representative
-60+ volunteering hours at home town’s Cultural and Community Center
-Volunteered at local county library
-Volunteer performing musician (violin) for several fundraisers
-Varsity Basketball Junior Year
-Club Basketball from 7th grade to Sophomore year
-Varsity Football Sophomore Year
-Asian Cultures Club
-Orchestra
-Research at NC State plant biology, may be co-author for a publication
I will be submitting my research to several competitions

Recs:
Chem teacher: 7.5/10
Chinese teacher: 8.5/10
Research Mentor: 10/10

Schools I am applying to
-Reaches: Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, UChicago, Yale, Williams, Pomona, Swarthmore, Amherst, Georgia Tech, Duke
-Safeties: UNC, NCSU, App State

I have been accepted to Windows on Williams

2

You are a very good student, and have a realistic shot at all your schools, congrats.

With that said, the very best can only hope for 50-60% chance.

I recommed scrap bio and chem, they are virtually useless when there are other majors with better potential.

I would also recommend UVA. Its not far, has 100% need base grant, and good fall back plan.

Visit as many as you can, and form a list based on fit. All your schools are great, it depends on which has better setting for you.

Good luck

3

@Kadel1023 Thank you!

I have just been worrying because someone told me I need more matches/safeties in my list.

What do you mean scrap bio and chem? I am interested in these majors because I may pursue research as a career. What other majors have better potential?

Any other suggestions? Distance to home isn’t really a priority for me unless its a pick between state schools vs OOS public schools.

4

Of the schools you mentioned, I would do ED on your favorite and take a shot. I feel you have a realistic chance. If you are Chinese, a bit less certain. Be sure to write a killer essay, research on how to do that.

MIT might be the toughest and least likely because of the enrollment numbers.

I would suggest a few EAs just in case. I mentioned UVA. You can consider Maryland or V Tech for stem majors as your fall back. Not sure what their decision plans are. Northeastern is my safety for alot of reasons, althought its just as selective and competitive as my main choices. I considered BC and BU as well. Georgetown is another great school within region.

Not sure if need base is important, but explore that route if you arent rich.

As far as majors, for stem field biology, chemistry, math, and many similar science majors are awful paying jobs. They are usually stepping stones for different graduate paths. I suggest researching destination surveys, they tell alot from those datas.

Visit all the schools and decide which you like. A fit is far more important than name brand.

Good luck.

5

You might look into Haverford, Hamilton and Reed.

6

And Carleton.

7

Rice would be a good addition to your list if you are interested in STEM. It is not quite as hard an admit as some of your reaches. Rice allows you to choose any major aside from architecture and music which require audition/portfolio, and you do not have to declare your major until the end of sophomore year. You could pursue your 3 interests and pick one or more for your major(s). Rice takes a large portion of its class regular decision as compared to some of the schools on your list.

8

Your qualifications are strong enough that you should have a reasonable shot at being admitted to at least one of your reach schools. Have you (or your parents) run the online net price calculators for colleges on your list? Can you cover the Expected Family Contributions? If not, then you might want to investigate a few schools that offer more merit awards than the ones on your list.

If they all appear to be affordable after running the NPCs, and if you’d be satisfied to attend one of your safeties, then I think it’s an ok list just from the “chances” perspective. On the other hand, when I see half the Ivies on a list, along with MIT and AWSP, I wonder if you know what you really want in a college other than a prestigious name. You might want to think about what features matter most to you, then try to identify match/target schools with those features. Unless, that is, you’d be satisfied with one of your safeties in case you get shut out from the reach schools.

Suggested target schools (LACs):
Bates
Colby
Grinnell
Macalester
Oberlin
Union College (NY)

Suggested target schools (research universities):
Brandeis
Case Western
NYU (if money is no object)
U Rochester

9

OP is a strong contender for a Belk scholarship (full tuition + room/board) at Davidson, though it’s more selective than some of the above northeastern and midwestern LACs. Davidson is fairly popular with S&M students since Duke and Carolina are too close to home for many of them – NCSSM is only a 20 minute walk from Duke.

It’s worth noting NC residents have a very cheap LAC option in UNC Asheville. It’s very good for biology and environmental & atmospheric science but admittedly not as good for computer science.

NCSSM grads used to get free tuition at UNC schools, an attempt to keep smart kids in state. The NC general assembly voted a few years ago to repeal this, but just last year they implemented a policy that grants one year of free tuition at UNC schools to NCSSM grads. Something to keep in mind, perhaps, though that money is not guaranteed in future years.

I disagree with @Kadel1023 – I see no point in applying to UVA when you’re virtually a shoo-in at UNC, which is both cheaper and much stronger in the sciences (and most other disciplines). It’s doubtful UMD or Virginia Tech are worth an application either, as neither offers substantial merit/financial aid to out-of-state students or anything academically that you can’t get at UNC or NC State.

10

@tk21769 For reach schools, I mainly listed all the schools that I will consider applying to (have looked at their supplementals). Eventually I will narrow it down after finding out the family contribution and other stuff. The schools that I am definitely going to apply to are Columbia, CMU, Harvard, Williams, Georgia Tech, UNC, and NC State. I would be completely fine with going to either UNC or NC State, but probably not App State.

11

@warblersrule The nomination process is very selective at NCSSM. To be nominated one must first apply to a scholarship nominating committee at NCSSM. Then the school will choose who is nominated. I will be applying to be nominated for Morehead Cain and Park scholarships if I am able to.

I have only recently been learning more about liberal arts colleges. Most people at NCSSM do not apply/go to LACs. I became more interested after reading about Williams’ graduate school placement.

The class of '19 will be receiving the first year tuition grant. However, based on my knowledge UNC has been accepting a decreasing percentage of people from NCSSM. That’s why I get a little bit nervous when I hear “virtually a shoo-in”. I will probably end up applying to one school that has a higher acceptance rate than UNC/NC State, I just don’t know where yet.

Maybe NC State is my super-safety since my mentor is a department chair . :-B

12

Hi @microbuy123,

Yes, NC State is your super safety but UNC should be a yes too. I agree it’s kinda silly to seriously consider UVA when you have UNC as a more affordable option.

Good science LACs for you to consider are: Reed, Carleton, Grinnell, Williams and Swarthmore. All great for PhD track science. If you want to do pre-med or such, you can go pretty much anywhere.

My D is on science PhD track, interested in plants like you, and is going to Davidson. It has more of a pre-med reputation but she actually likes the idea of being ‘one of the few’ and didn’t want in a school with lots of kids with her same interests - kinda oddly. Their brand new amazing science building and working farm also swayed her, but also just overall vibe, lake campus, D1 sports, great weather, etc.

Another Uni family here – online program! :slight_smile:

13

@AlmostThere2018 I have already submitted Reed, Williams, and Swarthmore! They all gave me fee waivers.

14

That’s excellent!! Thanks so much for checking in and please keep us posted!

15

@AlmostThere2018 I’ve been accepted to my safeties: UT Dallas and UNC Charlotte. UT Dallas is probably going to be a full ride (right now is full tuition + $3000) if I get national merit finalist. Right now im just waiting on UNC and NC State. Also, I have been invited to apply for the Goodnight Scholarship at NC State.