Summer anxiety has gotten the best of me. Brown, Stanford, MIT, Amherst?

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>I posted this a while ago but now I'm re-posting because my choices for uni are starting to become a lot more concrete, although major-wise I'm still widely undecided. Chance me?</p>

<p>My current top choices (in no particular order) are Brown, Stanford, MIT, and Amherst. </p>

<p>As far as majors go and such, I'm still undecided, although I honestly think it's because I'm interested in everything. The idea of being a polymath just appeals to me so much. </p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I'm a Muslim, 1st-generation, Sudanese-American male (that's a mouthful) who currently goes to a British school in Bahrain (tiny Middle Eastern country). I was raised in the US and I'm applying as a resident of the US. I was curious what my chances were. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>SAT: 2330
[ul][<em>]Math: 800
[</em>]Critical Reading: 770
[li]Writing: 760 (perfect MC, just didn't finish the essay)[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>I may resit this and try to get higher.</p>

<p>GCSEs: 7A*'s, 2A's, 2B's</p>

<p>IB Predictions: 42 points
[ul][<em>]Math HL: 7
[</em>]English HL: 6
[<em>]Chemistry HL: 7
[</em>]Physics SL: 7
[<em>]French SL: 6
[</em>]Economics SL: 6[/ul]</p>

<p>Languages spoken:
[ul][<em>]English (in school and at home, most fluently)
[</em>]Arabic (at home, fluently)
[li]French (in school, semi-fluently)[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>ECs
Leadership
[ul][<em>]Treasurer and Deputy Head Boy [Junior - Senior]
[li]Prefect [Sophomore][/li][li]Student Council Representative [Sophomore][/ul][/li]Public Speaking
[ul][</em>]Senior Debate Team member (second in command to the teacher, really) [Junior - Senior]
[<em>]Future participant in British Schools of the Middle East Debating Tournament [Senior, results before app submitted]
[li]Co-winner of my year's public speaking competition [Sophomore][/li][li] Tradequest Team Member (stock market competition; team received various honorable mentions) [Junior][/ul][/li]Community Service
[ul][</em>]Volunteer at Al-Wafa Center (local, Arabic-only center for mentally disabled children) [Junior]
[li]Weekly one-on-one mentoring program with 6th graders at my school (initiated by me but run by Learning Support) [Junior][/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>I know it's lacking in sports (I'm hoping to get on the basketball team next year) and I know a lot is concentrated in Junior and Senior year; I really only had an awakening this year - I used to coast and be really lazy, but I've buckled down this year. </p>

<p>Thanks,
Ahmed

[/quote]
</p>

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<p>I think your SAT score is very high so that makes you competitive since your GPA is high too, I suppose. And you don’t need to retake the SAT, absolutely. You need to take two SAT subjects instead, and score well on them, too. Your ECs are fine but there’s nothing that make you stand out unfortunately, you need to write about one of those in a passionate way to cover this “lack” a little. I don’t suggest you to get in the basketball team just because of admissions 'cause an EC of just a year won’t help, so think about getting in only if you really want to play basketball. Your background, first generation, and the fact that you speak three languages will definitely help you and possibly cover the “ECs problem”. You can definitely try in all of them, just be sure to pick some safeties where you’d like to attend, just in case :slight_smile: </p>

<p>I would say
Stanford and MIT : very high reach (they are for anyone)
Brown and Amherst: low reach</p>

<p>Chance back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1370677-please-chance-me-ivies-i-promise-ill-chance-anyone-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1370677-please-chance-me-ivies-i-promise-ill-chance-anyone-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>*I put an extra comma in there - I’m a first generation Sudanese American, not a first gen college student. Oops. </p>

<p>Thanks KupLor94. What’s the story behind your user name?</p>

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<p>Kup is my nick name, my friends have named me so since 7th grade or something, actually I can’t remember why even myself. Its pronunciation is like coop of Cooper, for example. Lor is because of Lorelai Gilmore of the TV show Gilmore Girls, that is my favorite character of all times. And 94 is the year when I was born xD</p>

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<p>Ahahaha, it reminds me a bit of [this</a> scene](<a href=“Hoopla! - YouTube”>Hoopla! - YouTube) from Spongebob. :$</p>

<p>C’mon, other posters! Don’t be shy! Chance me!</p>

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<p>The sole purpose of this post is to be bumptastic.</p>

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<p>Bumpity bump.</p>

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<p>This forum is so busy today; my thread keeps falling off the page!</p>

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<p>Final bump.</p>

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<p>I just don’t see MIT as a realistic option. The school wants to see achievements in math and science through participations in competitions or research. Good grades and test scores will not compensate for lack of demonstrated interest in those fields.</p>

<p>You will have a better shot at top schools who target all around high achievers as opposed to harcore math/science types. Top LACs may be especially interested in your profile.</p>

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<p>Thanks, cellardweller. I only regret I didn’t wise up and stop procrastinating until recently. That said, Bahrain opportunities are scarce; will that give me a reprieve?</p>

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<p>Not really. The assumption is that you always have some opportunity to show your interest in science even if it is not doing research with big lab or some international science competition. You have obviously made choices about your ECs and none are remotely related to what MIT is looking for. As a so-called polymath you should focus on schools that value that trait. For MIT admission, its is not an asset. They much prefer highly lopsided students with obvious math/science talent.</p>

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<p>Yeah, MIT will always be nearly impossible. There was a guy from my school with a perfect SAT score, tons of APs/extracurriculars, etc. that got denied. He also had a background in robotics with my school and still didn’t get in.</p>