STANFORD EARLY and some others. Please read!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi, I attend a huge public high school in Michigan.
Here are my stats:</p>

<p><academics>
GPA: 4.0 unweighted; top 10% (no rank/~600)
SAT I: 2300/2400 (730 CR, 800 M, 770 W)
SAT II: Math level II (800); U.S. History: (790); Chemistry (800); Korean (800)
ACT was 33, but I'm not gonna send it..</academics></p>

<p>AP: European His.: 5, American His. 5, Calculus BC: 5, Chemistry: 5, Macroeconomics: 5</p>

<p><extracurricular>
Drum Major
Chief Page Editor of the school newspaper
Captain of the Ocean Science Bowl
President of the International Friendship Club
Vice President of the Korean Student Association
Secretary of the Key Club
Parliamentarian of the Business Professionals of America (BPA)
Junior Varsity Tennis
Varsity Basketball manager
Symphony Band
National Honor Society
600+ hours of community service</extracurricular></p>

<p><work experience="">
Gardening for neighbors
Tutoring math
Summer Internship at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab</work></p>

<p><awards>
Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Gold)
National Merit Semifinalist
Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition: Top 150
Michigan Science Fair: 2nd Place in Chemistry and Sigma Award
Business Professionals of America (state level)
 1st in Administrative Support Research Project
 Gold medal in Business Spelling
 Silver medal in Financial Math and Analysis
 Bronze medal in Marketing/Management/Human Resources
 Statesman Torch Award
Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Contest: Honorable Mention
Solo and Ensemble Festival: Rating I’s in clarinet solo and woodwind quartet</awards></p>

<h2>Scholar Athlete Award</h2>

<p>I'm not just an overachiever. I also like to have fun and go to parties. : )</p>

<p>I think I have fabulous recommendations and I am working on the essays right now. I wrote the Common App one about trying out for drum major and how it has changed me (especially when I am a relatively new immmigrant [4.5 yrs ago]). </p>

<p>I am applying to Stanford for EA and others--Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, U-Penn, Michigan, UC-Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, and Boston College.</p>

<p>What are my chances? Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Varsity Basketball manager
....are you actually putting that down?</p>

<p>your scores are good, but your ECs are weak.</p>

<p>HYPS - high reach
columbia/penn - reach
um/ucb - low reach
bc - in</p>

3

<p>he lives in michigan so it should be easy right? and 600+ hours of service isn't weak.</p>

4

<p>his ECs are weak relative to a typical stanford scea applicant.
oh yeah, u of m should be a match</p>

5

<p>academics = nothing to say
ECs = below par</p>

<p>HYPS - 10%, high reach
columbia,penn,berkeley - 60%, reach
um - match
bc - safety</p>

6

<p>lol @ all these people saying your ECs are "below par" or "weak".</p>

<p>You have a lot of good activites but I don't really see a "passion" for something. That's the only thing that MIGHT hold you back. I'd say you have a better chance than most at Stanford SCEA.</p>

7

<p>hmm I've never considered my EC to be below par but on my essays I wrote that I'm passionate about oceans (connect my job to ocean science bowl), marching and helping foreign students/learning different cultures. w/e heh</p>

8

<p>Admissions officers are going to look at your ECs and see a huge list with no clearly defined passion. That WILL put you at a disadvantage to a kid with 1-2 really clear passions who's basically gone all the way with them.</p>

<p>Your grades and test scores are fine, but think you'd be deferred/rejected at Stanford SCEA.</p>

9

<p>Well, if you enjoy doing all thoe activities, then make sure you tell them. Your passion can be doing many things. </p>

<p>You're definitely competitive</p>

<p>The following awards don't mean much. Don't include them: </p>

<p>Junior Varsity Tennis
Varsity Basketball manager</p>

<p><awards>
Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Gold)
 Statesman Torch Award
Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Contest: Honorable Mention</awards></p>

10

<p>Yeah, and don't mention gardening for neighbors as well lol</p>

11

<p>srry dude for stealing ur thread but i just had a quick q!</p>

<p>equilibrium, why shouldn't he include that he was a junior varsity tennis player? does jv really mean nothing?</p>

12

<p>because I think everyone knows you are not very good at tennis if you can't make varsity</p>

<p>it's not worth mentioning, imo</p>

13

<p>not worth mentioning? </p>

<p>My school is the state champ this year and that gives an idea how competitive the varsity team is. JV team is really good, too.</p>

<p>I'm gonna mention them anyways cuz it's part of who I am and colleges are looking for every piece of puzzle that gives an idea who I am.
The Common App has limited space, so I'm listing the most important things there and other misc. stuff in "additional info."</p>

<p>Nothing wrong with that.</p>

14

<p>oh okay, sure.</p>

<p>did you have to try out for that varsity basketball manager spot?
I ask because our varsity basketball team had a manager too, but it was more of a joke.</p>

15

<p>
[QUOTE]
I'm gonna mention them anyways cuz it's part of who I am and colleges are looking for every piece of puzzle that gives an idea who I am.

[/QUOTE]

I think schools will find it refreshing to have someone actually tell them who they are rather than just trying to package achievements. Your qualifications are great and you have a great attitude. Best of luck to you.</p>

16

<p>No, I didn't try out. It's simple. I just wanted to watch our school's basketball and be involved in it. I had fun with it, too.</p>

<p>It helped me a lot with being humble--doing petty jobs for people who I had thought were academically below me. </p>

<p>Call me a loser or what not.</p>

17

<p>Phenomenal Academics & Spectacular ECs you're a VERY COMPETITIVE applicant, ignore anyone who says you're not or makes fun of your ECs. </p>

<p>With that said, however, I call the following</p>

<p>Stanford
Harvard Reach
Yale Reach
Princeton Reach
Columbia Slight Reach
UPenn Slight Reach</p>

<p>These bottom 4 I guarantee you're in</p>

<p>Michigan
UC-Berkeley
Carnegie Mellon
Boston College</p>

18

<p>Absolutely include JV tennis and Basketball manager. Both show you contribute to your high school and you are an active part of the school community. Colleges want students who will contribute to their campuses. Older S was accepted SCEA with JV sports on his app. You have wonderful ECs, but I do agree that your essays are very important. You must express your passion and not merely repeat a laundry list of activities. Pay close attention to the short essays for the Supplement. Craft them carefully and let each show an aspect of who you are.
Good Luck.</p>

19

<p>No offense, but every other Asian kid plays tennis, and the ones who do it for app padding always end up on JV (I'm guessing you're Asian, no offense, correct me if I'm wrong).</p>

<p>However, if you can demonstrate the skill level of your school and show that it's more than something you just added on for the sake of another EC, then list it.</p>

20

<p>Have you accomplished anything in JV?.. I would only put it if you have nothing else to put. </p>

<p>Idk but maybe you should say Basketball volunteer manager. It seems like you enjoy helping people, based on your volunteer hours. It wouldn't seem like a random EC you did for college then. </p>

<p>Nevertheless, you're definitely competitive.</p>