UMich, U Chicago, Northwestern, Yale, Duke, Stanford, and other Ivies? Sorry so long!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I am a native of Ann Arbor, so I am in state for Michigan. Also, my mom is on the faculty.

Scores:
ACT: 35 (Eng:36 Math:35 Reading:36 Science:32)
PSAT: 1480/1520 (likely National Merit Semifinalist but I don’t know yet)
Subject Tests: Math II: 800 I will be taking more of these soon.
GPA: 4.0 (out of a 4.0 scale)

Classes:
This year I am taking AP English 11, AP Calc AB ( as a junior), AP Chem, and I am taking the AP Spanish test (not the class).
Next year, I will be taking AP Physics C, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, and AP English 12.

Extra Curricular:
-I play for a recreational soccer team for the last 3 years
-Have been playing chess for nearly 10 years, have a rating of 1800.
-Strong showings at the state tournaments.
-I play classical guitar
-I am part of National Honor Society
-Member of my school’s SADD club (Students Against Destructive Decisions)
-Member of Link Crew, which helps incoming freshmen adjust to highschool. I don’t know if this matters, but I have not done very much with this club simply because it does not seem to be a very active club.
-Founder/President/Captain/First Board of my school’s Chess Club
-School didn’t have a team for some reason so I made it, and in our first tournament we placed second in the state, which was really unexpected. I also organize matches against other schools.
-Member of Peer to Peer, which creates programs at my school to raise awareness for Depression, de-stigmatize it, and help people get the resources they need to get help. This is a big part of my highschool career, and I am very proud of what I have accomplished. I could definitely write a good essay about this.
-I do a bit of photography, haven’t done much, but I upload my photos to Flickr and 500px.
-I speak English and Romanian fluently

Other:
-Participated in MMPC and AIME math competitions. Scored in the top 100 math students in Michigan.
-Took the State Level of the National Chemistry Exam, don’t know how I did yet.

Upcoming:
-Over spring break I will be shadowing a surgeon at my dad’s hospital.
-Over the summer I plan on doing a volunteer program at the Mott’s Children’s hospital.
-I am thinking about creating another club that will basically tutor disadvantaged kids. Still an idea though.

Jobs:
-Over the summer of 10th grade I worked at a summer camp.

Volunteering:

  • I volunteer pretty infrequently at a volunteer Tap/Brew house that donates all profits to the homeless and helps create community gardens.
    -I am part of a volunteer club at schools where I restock food pantries and take care of children at certain programs.

Overall, I am pretty lost about college. I don’t know what schools to apply to, where I can get into, and what else I can do to improve my chances. Thanks for the help!

2

You have the scores to get into these schools but you are missing the “thing”. For all the schools you are interested in, every student who applies has your resume. You must differentiate yourself but do one amazing thing. Write a novel, create a patent, co-publish a research paper with a local university, etc. That and good essay will give you the best shot.

3

If your mom is on faculty at U Michigan, you have a great shot of getting in there. What do you want to study?

4

I’m thinking about studying Biochemistry since I really like chemistry and want to be a doctor.

5

You have a very good chance at U of M and an average shot at the rest.

UChicago, Northwestern, Yale, Stanford, and Duke currently have a combined 33,643 undergraduates. I can guarantee you that many - probably the majority - did not write a novel, patent an invention, or co-publish a research paper. Instead, most students are probably standard bright well-rounded kids. Being a bright well-rounded kid won’t guarantee you acceptance into any of the top 20 schools, but if you apply to several that you like, you have a good chance at getting into one of them.

6

Seek advice on what should be your “safety” schools and discuss your family’s expected financial support for college and med school. Those can be starting places. UMich would be a safety school for you, perhaps?