UPenn M&T ED, UMichigan, Berkeley, Cornell, Purdue

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Demographics: Asian male, high income, good public school
Intended major: Chemical Engineering (including at Penn M/T)
State: Indiana

UW GPA: 3.86 (big rising trend, freshman GPA was very low)
W GPA: 4.595
ACT: 36C, 35M, 36E, 36R, 36S, 29W SAT old: 800/800/780 M/CR/W
SAT II’s: Chem- 800, Math 2 - 800, US History - 790.
PSAT (redesigned) - 1510 (NMSF)
Class rank: top 3% (school doesn’t give any more info other than if one is top 3% or not)

Current courseload:
Accounting
AP French
AP Capstone Research
Multivariable Calculus
Anatomy and Physiology
AP Psych/AP Gov (switches at semester)
Interpersonal relations (mandatory to graduate)/AP Comparative Gov (also switches at semester)

Past AP exams - 5 on all except for a 4 on Seminar:
Physics B (before it was discontinued in favor of Phys 1 and 2)
World Hist
Chem
Macro/Micro
Calc BC
Comp Sci A
Biology
Env. Science
Human Geography
Statistics
US History
Capstone Seminar

EC’s:
Chemistry Club (10 onward) - performs demonstrations for elementary school students
Geography Club (President and founder, 11 onward) - prepared for Geography Olympiad, all members who took the test qualified for nats (although cost prevented any of us from going)
Research at local university (11 onward), will get a rec letter from my mentor and will attach an abstract
NHS (I know that doesn’t matter, 12)

Got second place in state Chemistry Olympiad first-year in sophomore year, honorable mention in advanced division junior year (highly competitive district, like a 56/60 needed to go to nats, but that doesn’t help me).

Essays: Decent, I’d say 8-9/10
Rec letters: First is from my APUSH teacher and geo club sponsor who absolutely adores me, 10/10 for sure. Second is from stats teacher who knows me very well, I’d say 9-10/10 Counselor rec: I’m not sure, we’ll say 8/10 because she knows me well enough

2

Purdue is a low match. With your stats they’d love to have you.

Michigan is a High match.

Berkeley we need to have your UC GPA which you can find here. https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/

Penn and Cornells are reaches for everyone. With your stats, it would probably be a low reach.

3

@Jpgranier UC GPA is 3.96 UW, 4.25 capped weighted GPA

4

Good GPA. UCB would be in the high match category.

You need to make sure you can afford these schools. Were talking 55k/year UCB, 60k/year UMich, 70k/year at Cornell and Penn, with the lowest coming out to 40k/year at Purdue.

Cornell and Penn do not offer any merit aid so you’re talking 280-300k for your undergrad.

The other schools offer some, but not much. The only school I could see you receiving ANY is at Purdue.

5

@Jpgranier Those are high amounts for sure, but should be affordable. Does the Berkeley assessment account for the fact that I’ll be applying to College of Chem (which I’ve heard is harder)?

6

Yes it does. While engineering has a sub 10% acceptance rate, I believe you being OOS (you’d have to pay way more than in-state, so they value you more), an EXTREMELY difficult course load, perfect ACT, possible NMF, puts it as a high match.

It is borderline a reach, but I believe due to all the credentials mentioned above, your chances are better than a reach.

7

@Jpgranier Makes sense. Thank you very much for your feedback.

Any other opinions?

8

Bump

9

bump

10

I think Purdue is a safety for you. M&T is incredibly difficult as it is but I think you have a shot if you play your essay right. UMich and Berkeley are matches as the high ACT score helps. Cornell is an Ivy so probs (low reach). Your EC’s are kinda weak tho, idk if it will hurt you but they will not help you.

11

Thanks for your opinion

12

@1290aveamerica I d say the M&T program at Penn is a high reach (if you get rejected from M&T you will be considered for admission at the individual school at Penn you will put down as your second choice, i.e. SEAS or Wharton), Penn (SEAS or Wharton individually) is a reach, Cornell is a low reach, UMich, Berkeley matches and Purdue probably safety.

13

I’m using SEAS as my backup. Thanks for your feedback.