Want to see if my goals are stupid or realistic

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi all, I’m posting this just to get some feedback to see if I’m at all qualified for the schools I want to go to. I understand that for these schools no one has a great chance at getting in, but I don’t want to waste my time if I’m not even in the ball park.

GPA: 4.0 (unweighted)
AP’s: Bio, Chem, Physics C, APUSH, AB Calc, BC Calc, Lit, Gov (my school only offers 12 AP’s)
I will have taken Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and Multivariable Calc at UC Berkeley by the end of senior year

I founded and am CEO of an international nonprofit that has tutors in 16 states and 8 countries; we tutor kids at home, and use that money to finance micro loans to fund education in developing countries.

Writer for school’s newspaper, member of QSA (Queer Straight Alliance), member of robotics
Awards in regional/state level rowing (quit after rowing varsity freshman year for best club in the country)

I want to major in physics, so MIT is my top choice, but I’m also planning on applying to Yale, Columbia, and Princeton (not including my back up schools). Should I bother applying? Thanks!!

2

How are your SAT scores? Of course you should apply to some of those you mention. As you know, the odds of acceptance are low in those highly selective schools. The good news is that you can comfortably get into an excellent safety school too and in physics, the basic undergraduate education is the same all over the country. Everyone has the same suite of courses and uses the same books. You will get a great physics education just about anywhere that suits you.

3

I just started my junior year; I take the ACT for the first time in october. Last year I got a 206 on the PSAT (with no prep, obviously)

4

There’s no way you’re a real person . . .

5

hahaha i just happen to really really enjoy math, and I met a group of really dedicated kids over the summer who have helped me get the nonprofit working

6

If you prep and bring up your test scores, I’d say it is definitely worth applying, as long as you have some match & safety schools.

7

Your current resume would certainly draw a serious review from any of those colleges, but nobody can assess your chances in any meaningful way without junior grades and test scores. You will be competing against the most talented and accomplished students in the world, but you certainly appear to have a chance . . . that’s the best anyone can say right now.

8

Thanks!!