<li>PSAT: 240</li>
<li>SAT I: 2330 (CR 800/M 800/W 730 (essay 11))</li>
<li>SAT II: US History 790/Chemistry 790/Math II 800
—I took all SAT I and IIs only once, and do not plan on taking them again.</li>
<li>GPA: 4.00 on a 4 point scale. Not sure about weighted. Took so far 10 AP classes, 5 or so honors, 5 or so regulars. </li>
<li>APs:
—Environmental science: 5
—Statistics: 5
—World History: 5
—Biology: 5
—Psychology: 5
—U.S. History: 5
—BC Calculus: 5
—AB Calculus subscore: 5
—English Language: 5
—Chemistry: 5
—Spanish Language: 4</li>
<li>Rank: my school doesn’t rank. I only know I am in top 10%</li>
<li>Extracurriculars:
—Mu Alpha Theta competitor since 7th grade, numerous trophies at the regional, state, and national level. Our school won MAO nationals the past three years.
—Key Club since 10th grade.
—Clarinet and piano since 6th and 7th grade, respectively. I received numerous awards and honors for clarinet, but I stopped taking band classes and clarinet after my ninth grade. Do you think that will hurt me? Should I write my essay explaining it? I did it because of conflicts with math competition. I am still playing piano.</li>
<li>Honors:
—Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society
—Spanish Honor Society, National Honor Society
—Bryn Mawr President’s Book Award (at my school)
—Spanish class award
—“A” Honor roll, etc.</li>
<li>Leadership:
—Historian (10th) and VP (11th) for MAO team
—Secretary (11th) and Prez (12th) for Key Club</li>
<li>Community Service:
—Youth orchestra (9th) 150 hrs- should I include anything about the clarinet? I did quit after 9th grade
—Volunteering at local hospital over summer (before 11th) 50 hrs
—Key Club (10th and 11th) 150 hrs</li>
<li>Work experience:
—Teach Chinese privately (since summer before 11th)
—Cashier during winter vacation (11th)
—Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program (summer before 12th): prestigious scientific research program for high school and college students in Bar Harbor, Maine</li>
<li>Where I live: Florida</li>
<li>Where I want to go:
—Stanford
—Yale- restrictive EA
—Harvard
—Dartmouth
—UPenn
—MIT
—Brown
—Duke
—Swarthmore
—Safety school- but I don’t really want to go here if I can help it</li>
<li>Senior schedule:
—AP English Lit
—AP Spanish Lit
—AP Microeconomics (semester)
—AP US Gov (semester)
—AP Physics
—AP European History
—AP Calc BC (semester): I already took it last year, but I will compete in it this year, so I have to take the second semester again
—Ceramics (semester)</li>
<li>Ethnicity: Chinese</li>
</ol>
<p>I’m not really sure what else to write down. Please give me some input and advice! Thanks so much! =D</p>
<p>Comparing your opening statement and your stats., the lack of response to this thread may have to do with readers being put off by the apparent exaggerated false modesty.</p>
<p>But, here we go:
Stanford, Yale, Harvard, MIT- similar reach for all applicants
Dartmouth, UPenn, Brown- decent above average chance
Duke, Swarthmore-admit</p>
<p>Haha sorry guys, I just have a lot of really smart friends who make me feel stupid sometimes. I got rid of my opening statements if that makes everyone happier ^^;;;
Oh, and what do you think about my apparent lack of extracurriculars? I don’t do any sports and I quit band.</p>
<p>You have GREAT stats, but the opening statement you deleted before I saw it underscores a potential danger that might loom largely in your essay if you are not careful: false modesty. The Adcoms will wonder why you are trying to come across as something kitsch and not genuine. I see your portfolio as numerically superior, but flat because it does not touch me or grab me.</p>
<p>Why did you quit band and clarinet? Did you pursue another interest or passion, or did you think it would look better to build your resume in another direction?</p>
<p>I suggest that you spend the next several weeks assessing exactly who you are and where you want to be in 5 years. In 10 years. and Why to both? That may help you bring your personality to the forefront. Just remember, MANY applicants will have similar stats. What makes HYPSM want YOU?</p>
<p>Hmmm, I never really thought of it as false modesty before, just because most of my friends have even better stats than I do and many are more well rounded, so I’ve always felt mediocre compared to them. My opening statement just said that I think I have some but not that great of a chance at those schools. I know my stats are good, but it is the other things I am worried about. Thank you for bringing that to my attention though. I will be careful not to project the false modesty thing in the future.
I quit band for my math competition program because they conflicted with each other. I could have stayed in both, I suppose, and be pretty good in both, but I wanted to be really good at math. I didn’t feel it would build my resume. On the contrary, I was very afraid it would hurt my resume. I don’t know if I should even mention band or just pretend I was never in it…</p>
<p>darn, i’m jealous of ur stats…so many ap courses
although i would guess you’d get into at least one of the HYPSM, when i read ur ec’s, i was kind of bored by them…too typical
but with good essays and recs you should be good</p>
<p>ur academic stats cant b any better, really. ur ECs r “typical,” but honestly, a high school student can only do a certain things, and uve certainly done as much as u can. just write great essays and recs. and of course…pray. lol.</p>
<p>Test Scores: Almost untouchable
Grades/Class Rigor: Excellent
ECs: Average/Below Average (relative to the applicant pool)</p>
<p>If you get in it will be because of your test scores and grades. Your ECs really do not jump out at me. They aren’t bad, but they will be slightly “disappointing” relative to your scores/grades. Especially since you dropped Clarinet. Don’t write your essay on it unless it was a wrenching decision, because otherwise it might come off as trying to make excuses. Also you’re an ORM so that doesn’t help either. </p>
<p>You have a decent shot at all of them, but no advantage. (Basically about as good a chance as any, which unfortunately isn’t very high lol).</p>
<p>How do you think I should get colleges to really notice my Jackson Lab ecperience? Would they just see it on my app and immediately make the connection? CommonApp doesn’t allow too much room for descriptions :/</p>
<p>Btw, thank you so much to everyone who has been replying. I value your responses very much =)</p>
<p>Perhaps also some advice on how to maximize what little EC I have to make it look better on my app? I know with different ways to present something, it can seem a lot more or less exciting.</p>
<p>You use different kinds of smiley faces in the same post… interesting.</p>
<p>Usually it’s not even a matter of how to present your ECs (as in “make them look better”)… I’d say it’s more about passion. I know a friend who did a lot in HS, but like none of her essays even talked about it and she still got into everywhere. I’d say just be as passionate as possible.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, also, just a tip, try not to seem too passionate in something stereotypical. God that’s what I did, I wrote about China affairs and Chemistry, wow that was the stupidest decision of my life, I probably was the most stereotypical applicant they’ve ever seen. Colleges want unique, IMO. I think the biggest advantage you can make out of is trying to seem as un-stereotypical as possible.</p>
<p>Sorry if that doesn’t really answer your question, but that’s all I can suggest for you. Oh and sorry if that was a bit contradicting, but yeah, hope you can work on that..</p>
<p>Oh yeah, also: from my experience/friends and the sort… all the ones that got into the colleges that they wanted to tended to write their essay on some issue/theory/philosophy type thing… ironically little of the times it dealt with ECs or something like that. I find that somewhat correct I guess. I wrote some social criticism for UChicago and I got in EA, but meh, who knows.</p>