UPenn, Columbia, Harvard - Accurate Chances - with Updated EC Section

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Alright, I posted a previous chances thread, summed up my EC's into 3 bullet points, and was told they were weak. I freaked out. I've always been told that they were one of my strong points (I was basically told that playing a varsity sport is better than being the campaign manager for a political campaign...shocking to me).</p>

<p>Anyway, I decided to list them out, hoping, to at least if you guys still say that they're weak, get a more accurate description of why:</p>

<p>Schools I'm applying to:
Harvard
Georgetown
UPenn
Columbia
University of Chicago
UVA
University of Michigan
UNC - Chapel Hill
Northwestern
Princeton
Johns Hopkins
Wake Forest
University of Arizona
University of Missouri</p>

<p>GPA: 4.2 (w)*</p>

<p>Honors/AP courses are weighted 4.5, not 5.0
My course load is the most demanding offered.
My school does not rank.</p>

<p>*We are limited in the number of honors/AP courses we can take prior to Junior year. My junior year GPA was a 4.4 (while still limited to 4 honors/AP courses). </p>

<p>Scores:</p>

<p>ACT:</p>

<p>35 Composite (35E, 36M, 34R, 35S, 10E)
35 Composite (35E, 34M, 36R, 33S, 12E)
35 Composite (35E, 35M, 36R, 32S, 11E)</p>

<p>SAT:</p>

<p>2230 Composite (710 M, 760 R, 760 W) *</p>

<p>*I will be retaking this, though not in time for early applications</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests/AP Tests:</p>

<p>U.S. History (5 AP/800 SAT II)</p>

<p>I will be taking Physics and Math II in October, I anticipate an 800 on Math II and a 750 - 800 on Physics (according to practice tests)</p>

<p>Extra-Curriculars:</p>

<p>**Political Experience[\b]
-Congressional Campaign
Field Coordinator, August 2011 - Present
*This is currently a part time position -- congressional campaigns don't really kick off until
next year</p>

<p>-Presidential Campaign
Deputy Field Coordinator, June 2011 - Present
*Over the summer, this was an out of state (I spent the summer in Illinois, but I live in
Arkansas), paid position, and I still remain in a part time capacity and have the
opportunity to resume a full time position come next summer through the November
elections</p>

<p>-State Assembly Campaign
Campaign Manager, May 2010 - August 2010
*I managed the campaign through the primary election (we won!)</p>

<p>-U.S. Senate Campaign
Intern (June 2010 - November 2010)</p>

<p>-Mayoral Campaign
Intern (February 2010 - June 2010)</p>

<p>-State Senate Office
Data Coordinator (March 2009 - March 2010)</p>

<p>-State Senate Campaign
Volunteer (June 2008 - November 2008)</p>

<p>-State Senate Campaign (there were two)
Volunteer (June 2008 - November 2008)</p>

<p>**Community Service[\b]
-Committee on Faith and Service Formation
Founding Member (January 2011 - Present)</p>

<p>-Community Service Club for Freshman & Sophomores
Executive Board (August 2009 - Present)</p>

<p>-Community Service Club for Juniors and Seniors
President (August 2011 - Present)</p>

<p>-National Honor Society
Chair (May 2011 - Present)
Co-Chair (May 2010 - May 2011)</p>

<p>-Rehabilitation Hospital
Volunteer (December 2009 - Present)
*Over 200 Hours of Service Completed</p>

<p>-Hospital
Volunteer (2007 - Present)
*Over 500 Hours of Service Completed</p>

<p>-Organization Working with Disabled Children
Volunteer (December 2009 - Present)
*Over 100 Hours of Service</p>

<p>**School Activities[\b]</p>

<p>-Student Ambassador/Principal's Advisory Committee
(May 2010 - Present)</p>

<p>-Mock Trial
Team Captain (August 2011 - Present)
Member (August 2008 - Present)</p>

<p>-Quiz Bowl
Varsity Squad (August 2010 - Present)
Junior Varsity Squad (August 2008 - May 2010)</p>

<p>-Anti-Drug Club
Board Representative (August 2010 - Present)</p>

<p>**Awards[\b]</p>

<p>National Merit Semi-Finalist</p>

<p>Harvard Book Award</p>

<p><em>Mock Trial</em></p>

<p>2009:
-9th Place (Regionals)</p>

<p>2010:
-4th Place (Regionals)
-5th Place (State)
-1st Place (National Tournament - Summer)</p>

<p>2011:
-2nd Place (Regionals)
-3rd Place (State)</p>

<p>Hospital Volunteer Award - Given to Dedicated, long serving volunteers</p>

<p><em>Quiz Bowl</em>
3rd Place (District Tournament)
3rd Place (Individual)</p>

<p>Academic Honors
(2008 - Present)</p>

2

<p>…</p>

3

<p>Lol you retook the ACT a third time after 2 previous 35’s? And you already had a 36 Superscored ACT after the second try? And still retook it?I can’t even comprehend retaking it after getting a 35 the first time. And you’re retaking the SAT despite a 35 Composite or 36 superscored ACT… -_-</p>

<p>ANYWAY you seem to have focused, devoted EC’s, strong test scores, only 1 AP class taken, that could be a problem (could’ve self studied), and decent honors/awards.</p>

<p>Harvard: ~20% chance
Georgetown ~40-50% chance
UPenn: ~15-20% chance
Columbia ~20% chance
University of Chicago~ 60-80% Chance
UVA: Dont know that school
University of Michigan Dont know that school
UNC - Chapel Hill: ~20% chance IF OUT of state, ~60% chance if instate
Northwestern~ 20-30% chance
Princeton~ 20%chance
Johns Hopkins~30-40% chance
Wake Forest~70-80% chance
University of Arizona In
University of Missouri In</p>

<p>Don’t be put off by the ~20% chances. Those universities are inexplicably competitive that for almost all students, the only thing you can say is whether or not they have a shot or not. You do</p>

4

<p>-read his EC-</p>

<p>What the? How did you do so many campaigns?</p>

5

<p>Is self-studying really considered a normal thing to do for competitive colleges? I mean, I’m self-studying a few APs this year for the college credit, but I guess I have to wonder if they care about APs or just challenging course load? And I definitely took the most challenging course load available to me (according to the college counseling department).</p>

6

<p>To answer the campaign question: I started when I was 12… </p>

<p>I don’t sleep a lot :)</p>

7

<p>so when you said you “volunteered” what you ment was I signed up or make phone calls…</p>

8

<p>I mean, I made some phone calls, but I really did a lot of everything. They were super small campaigns, and I was there almost everyday, so I got to do a lot of stuff that they otherwise wouldn’t have let some 13 year-old kid do. </p>

<p>Then again, on campaigns that small, the campaign manager makes phone calls sometimes… and the candidate spends half her time going door-to-door.</p>

<p>Not the glamorous world people think it is.</p>

9

<p>I think I’ll do that only for Ron Paul lol, but other than that I think you have a great chance in everything.</p>

10

<p>Good to know :)</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Ehh, I’m on the other side of the aisle, but I have a great deal of respect for Ron Paul. He says what he believes, and regardless of what your opinion is on what he’s saying, that’s something to be admired.</p>

11

<p>You remind me a lot of someone I know. He was very active in politics, but had mediocre grades/SAT(yours are great). He got into Penn. I am SURE you will get into many of the schools you listed, people are way to hard on you. Your EC’s are probably the most impressive I’ve seen on here.</p>

<p>If your not sure about a school, have one of the candidates you worked for give a call. It can help a lot!</p>

12

<p>God! Your ECs, are awesome. you have a lot of chance to most of them.</p>

13

<p>I feel that this is the 1,000,000th time you’ve posted this (or maybe it just keeps bumping up). This one makes sense though. You should probably have a decent shot at any school, even though I didn’t really think you had a chance before you explained in detail what you did in political campaigns. You will have to give in detail what you’ve done your common app or adcoms also won’t think much of your experience.</p>

<p>That said, having only one AP will hurt, as will the fact that you took the ACT three times. You should be more confident in general.</p>

14

<p>Ha, no I posted it once before (with a summarized EC list). I posted it specifically on the Yale forum as well, but that was more Yale-specific. </p>

<p>I went pretty in detail on the common app. I’m also submitting supplemental recommendation letters from some of the people I’ve worked with. I definitely like the idea of a phone call from someone who knows me well (or at least knows the work I’ve done well), because, as you said, it’s hard to see exactly what I’ve done until I explain it in detail. Otherwise I just look like I phone banked a lot :)</p>

<p>I hope the AP doesn’t kill me, especially given my AP heavy schedule this year and the heavy honors/college credit (through a local university) schedule I had. Especially given what was available to me. Oh well, nothing I can do now.</p>

15

<p>Harvard- reach
Georgetown- high match
UPenn- low reach
Columbia- low reach
University of Chicago- high match/low reach
UVA- high match
University of Michigan- in
UNC - Chapel Hill- in
Northwestern- high match/low reach
Princeton- reach
Johns Hopkins- high match/low reach
Wake Forest- in
University of Arizona- in
University of Missouri- in
Chance me back?</p>