Should I even bother with Princeton?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi,
I’m working on the Princeton common app supplement right now and I know every Ivy is a reach for everyone, but I’m trying to figure out if I even have an existent chance as far as these things go.

Objective:

Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9
Weighted GPA: school only calculates on 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A

SAT I (breakdown): very low, 2130 super score with 670 math, 700 cr, 760 (12 essay) writing
SAT II: 740 biology m, 760 US history, 750 literature
ACT: not taking

AP (place score in parenthesis): school offers like 5 APs, took Biology last year and got a 4, taking AB Calc this year

Subjective:

Extracurriculars: Varsity cross country (captain junior and senior year) for 4 years, varsity track for 4 years, photography editor of school literary magazine, photography stuff–Scholastic silver key, published in a few things, displayed at a few shows

Job/Work Experience: worked in school technology lab

Volunteer/Community service: cleaning up my local watershed and helping several elderly neighbors with mail and trash daily (this sounds like complete b******t, I know (or at least I’m worried admissions will think that), but I devote several hours a week)

Essays: common app essay is quite solid, Princeton specific long essay is not going so well…
Teacher Recommendation: from AP Bio and French teacher I had for three years–should be good.

Counselor Rec: should be quite strong

Other
Applying for Financial Aid?: nope
Intended Major: Computer Science–but wondering if I should switch to literature because all my ecs etc. are lit related
State (if domestic applicant): GA
Also, I’m a white female from a independent school, income bracket about 100,000

Thank you for any and all thoughts!

2

Yes. You will never know unless you try. Good luck

3

@2018eastorwest haha thanks, that’s the attitude I should be having :slight_smile:

4

Make your essays unique, engaging, and interesting, and you could have a chance. When you get to the Ivys they’re looking for something special/unique. Use your essays to make them like you. Whatever you do, don’t write some boring essay about divorce, an accident, a mission trip, some big dramatic metaphor, etc.

5

@collegebound1516 thanks!

6

@server456 Sorry to hijack your thread; I think you have a great chance. My stats are similar to yours (but a little lower) and I’m applying to some ivies. I just know the only thing I can do now is make my essays really great.

@collegebound1516 Why are big dramatic metaphor essays bad? Not for an Ivy, but I’m writing about how a puzzle can be a metaphor for life. I’ve personalized it too, so it’s not general and vague. Does that sound like a bad topic?

7

“SAT I (breakdown): very low, 2130 super score with 670 math, 700 cr, 760 (12 essay) writing”

“very low”
…Okaaay… I don’t see how a 2130 is “very low”…

Anyways, I think you should definitely apply!

8

For accepted students, 2130 is low–it’s the bottom 20 percentile. Most of the students in this 20 percent are the following: athletes, legacies and folks with full blown hooks.

9

@Slytherclaw12 generally, big dramatic metaphor essays can be over-the-top and cheesy. however if this is a specific puzzle that means something to you, or you always do puzzles, aka if puzzle(s) are part of who you are, that makes it better.