What are my chances as a junior of getting into Ivy League?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>I am an Asian (Bangladeshi to be exact), and I was wondering what my chances were of getting into any Ivy League school.</p>

<p>my resume isn't complete yet (since Junior year hasn't even started) but I will post what I have so far: </p>

<p>Class rank: 1/430 (noncompetitive high school)
Unweighted GPA: 98.75, WeighteD: 100.3</p>

<p>SAT scores:
SAT: 2320 (M:800, W: 770, CR:750)
SAT Biology M: 750 (planning to retake this one)
SAT Chemistry: 800
(Will take Math I, Math IIC, Physics, and US later)</p>

<p>AP Scores:
Self study AP Biology: 5
Self study AP Chemistry: 5
Self study AP European History: 4</p>

<p>(will take calc BC, Stat, Environ. Sci, Physics C, English Lang, Computer Sci A, as self study)
(will take English Lang, Physics C, and US History as classes in school) </p>

<p>Clubs:
1. Freshman class public relations officer (2010-2011)
2. Founding president of the Red Cross Youth Club (2011-present)
3. Friends for Honor Society member (2010-2012)
4. National Honor Society recording secretary (2012-present)
5. Multicultural Club member (2010-present)
6. Math Club secretary (2011-2013)
7. Habitat for Humanity Secretary (2011-2013) + member (2010-present)
8. Sophomore Class Recording Secretary (2011-2012)
9. Editor and chief for the Rapier School Newspaper and CI Voice magazine (2011- present)
10. Junior Class Recording Secretary (2012-2013)</p>

<p>Awards:
1. American Legion Essay Contest first place winner (April 2011)
2. Honorable Mention: Level 3 National Spanish Exam
3. Chemagination 2nd place winner: “Nanotechnological solutions for Alzheimer’s”
4. AP Scholar (so far)
5. President’s Volunteer Service Silver Award
6. US Congressional Award Silver medal Recipient</p>

<p>Music:
1. Concert Choir 1st soprano (2011-present)
2. Sweet Adelines lead (2011-present)
3. SCMEA all-county festival & Soloist for “Esto Les Digo” (March 2012)
4. Performer inside the White House with the Central Islip Concert Choir on December 15, 2011.
5. NYSMMA solo, level 5, 2011: 97/100
6. NYSMMA solo, level 6 (all state) 2012: 99/100
7. Concert Choir & Sweet Adelines: Gold with Distinction NYSMAA 2012
8. SCMEA all-county festival (November 2012)
9. Won "best overall choir" for Concert Choir and "best women's choir" for Sweet Adelines in the Willamsburg Music festival</p>

<p>Others:
1. Employee as a page at the Central Islip Public Library (11/15/2010-12/2/2011) – 12 hrs/week
2. Research with Professor James P. Dilger at the Stony Brook University Medical Center (July 9, 2012- September 2013)- 30 hrs/week
3. Science and Research Awareness Series at Stony Brook University Medical Center (July 5th - 22nd, 2011)
4. Volunteer at the Stony Brook University Medical Center Nursing 15N $ mother baby-unit (08/10/11 - present) [total so far = 210 hrs]
5. Fall Girls’ Varsity tennis player: 4th singles/1st doubles (2010- present)
6. familiar with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, MCell, Blender, Neuron, Igor, and Python.
7. Shadowed with Dr. Bylskal (family medicine) and Dr. Nasreen Kader (psychiatrist)
8. Participated in the Boston National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine (6/26/12-7/3/12)</p>

<p>Please recommend what I need to improve on. I know I have to improve on Sports and I'm upset I got a 4 on the APEuro, but what do you think my chances are? Do Ivy Leagues look at how competitive your school is? </p>

<p>Thanks! :]</p>

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<p>chickpeas23,</p>

<p>You certainly are solid as far as stats go (SATs, Grades, ECs). However, looking at your long list, it’s kind of unclear as to what you like. President of this, secretary of that, founder of this, etc etc. I have heard about the NYSSMA festival, and being named All-State is quite a feat, congrats. Anyway, it might make it look like half of this stuff is just resume fodder that you’re not actually interested in, and just did it to load up that resume. Also, self-studying APs shows that you have determination and focus on doing well in school, but it says something about the type of person you are. I could see studying for a science AP (ONE science AP) if your school doesn’t offer it or something, and you’re truly interested in it. But yours are all over the place, indicating you did it just to get National AP Scholar or something like that. Also, getting a research internship doesn’t show talent, anyone with a connection can have his name on an authored paper. You need to show interest in one thing, and shine in it. Screw all of those APs and board positions. If you love research, just go to Stony Brook everyday after school, make an awesome research project, and then smoke the competition at Intel. That would make you standout. </p>

<p>Anyways, that’s just my perspective. I think Harvard might see right through all of that resume fodder and see that you’re missing out on the more important things in life. Just imagine the great things you could do in this world with all of that free time if not for the self-studying for APs? Clearly you’re a bright kid, so maybe you should focus your talents where they would change the world most, not your chances of getting into Harvard (ACCORDING TO CC). But, just do whatever you want. Good Luck!</p>

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<p>Agreed. Impressive stats, but you lack a bit of focus. What makes you different?</p>

<p>Sent from my MB865 using CC</p>

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<p>Hi chickpeas23!</p>

<p>Since they’ve already mentioned what point could be missing, I’d suggest that you work out in your essay how these activities impact your life and how they impact other’s lives, too.</p>

<p>And I’m just curious, since AP programs are not commonly taught in my country(Asia, Philippines). From what I’m seeing, I could self study a certain subject and take an AP exam of it? Could you shed a clear light on this?</p>

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<p>mvp 1993,</p>

<p>Wow, I have never thaught about my resume like that.
Thanks for giving me a new prespective on my likes and activities!</p>

<p>In response to your post, I see what you’re saying.
I would have to say Choir/Music, Red Cross Club, and Newspaper club are my main priorities.</p>

<p>You’re right… Looking back, I now feel I took those AP’s just to stand out, which I definitely want to do, but now I realize I can do that in another way.</p>

<p>I feel every applicant’s application will be cookie cutter, but not many admission officers come across a student who has studied a majority of his/her AP’s and got a 5 on them.
Since I posted the thread, I have cut back on some self-study AP’s and I am just doing AP Calc BC and AP Statistics, subjects that I am actually interested in. Last year, I took AP Bio and Chem because I love those subjects, but AP Euro wasn’t something I was interested in (in fact, I deplored it!), and it’s reflected in my score…</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your help and meaningful response.
I actually started to go to Stony Brook every day afterschool since September! :-]</p>

<p>Once again, Thanks a million!</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>This is garbage advice. Why is this only ever said to students with a lot of impressive activities, and not students with a dearth of such activities? Surely doing a lot of good things is better than doing few good things. If not, should you make an effort to hide your accomplishments? Perhaps you should submit a fraudulent application, fraudulent because you fake not doing things. </p>

<p>In reality, problems come up if you go for breadth at the expense of depth. Like every other applicant, you must show depth. If you can do depth and breadth, that’s even better. But the student is “all over the place” isn’t inherently worse than the student who only does one type of activity because of some supposed need for “focus.” Anyone who tells you to "screw all the AP"s doesn’t know what they’re talking about.</p>

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<p>^ Seconded.</p>

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<p>Thirded.
I believe the poster in question is still a hs student. Looking at your list, I see some activities that could be combined into categories, as needed- you need to make sense of the whole before editing, look for patterns. For now, just think about that and keep up the good work. Good luck.</p>

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<p>^ fourthed? ( or whatever the correct word is)</p>

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<p>-Your GPA, SATS, and grades are wonderful.
-Idk who said that they weren’t clear on what your mostly interested in but I can tell that it’s in Biology, Research, and Music
-You do make yourself stand out a little bit with your musical background but alot of other kids do Choir, get solos, get accepted into All-State and get wonderful scores in NYSSMA ( ex. myself :)) so you gotta make yourself stand out more in that field
-Other than that, you researching in StonyBrook does show your passion in the medical field.
-But in truth, if I were a Ivy League Dean or whatever, I would look at you and say that your dragging it with your EC’s and AP classes.
-You have alot of clubs but many of them are short-termed. Colleges like Quality not Quantity. It’s better to have clubs that you’ve been attending for years not just 1 or 2 years and then quit. But you do have some that you’ve done for quite a while but there are many that I notice that you attended for less than 2 years.
-Overall I think your a wonderful candidate and I hope you go for it and apply to an Ivy League school
God Bless you and good luck :)</p>

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<p>As a highschool student, I can say that if not HYP, then I can see you’d be able to go just about anywhere else. I agree with DwightEisenhower but I can see mvp1993’s perspective, for the sake of your own mental happiness. It looks like your pushing yourself a way bit too hard and theres more to life than going to HYP, your only a kid once. But then again, I guess this must be the “norm” for what a student without an inherit hook must do to get into HYP.</p>

<p>I’d say if you continued this path you would have a decent chance at harvard (as good a chance as one could get without legacy/minority/athlete/etc) but remember, you never hear that Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Stephen Hawking, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Larry Ellison, (insert extremely successful person in their field), had gotten to where they were by overloading their teenage years with difficult schoolwork that they probably essentially aren’t interested in. </p>

<p>As a fellow stranger, I think you should re-prioritize whats important to you and drop the things that you really don’t care for and pursue your true interests. Not for the college admissions but for your own sake.</p>

<p>Just a reminder, I don’t have any credentials to go by, I am another HS student :).</p>

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<p>Hi,</p>

<p>You sound like an amazing kid. That being said, I guess it all comes down to how you sell yourself to the Ivies. Your Personal Statement has to be an amazing journey & only you know how to craft it. It’s your story after all. Being a Columbia-mom, I can assure you that the Ivies will love you. BUT, since thousands of amazing kids apply to these colleges, your essay has to set you apart.</p>

<p>Tell them who you are, what you want to do, and why you want to do it. Tell your story in such way that it grips them and make them cry. Remember, your admission officer will fight for you all the way, but he/she needs your help. So far, you have all your hard work. Now you need to work on your essay.</p>

<p>As for sports, well lopsided kids don’t need to excell in sports because they are well lopsided. That happened to my kid. Sports didn’t matter because her curriculum in math and sciences was so strong.</p>

<p>BTW, congratulations on your accomplishments. You are an inspiration. Don’t let anybody make you feel guilty for your dedication to your studies. That’s your story: Why did you sacrifice so much in order to excell in your studies?</p>

<p>Hope this helps. :slight_smile: Good luck</p>

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<p>You certainly have a shot. However, when the time comes, I urge you to also apply to schools ranked numbers 10-30.</p>

<p>It is very hard to get into an Ivy, even with a perfect record.</p>

<p>Their acceptance rates are often 5-10%, and almost everyone applying is a good candidate.</p>

<p>In other words, don’t forget schools like John Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Emory, Rice, Washington University, Berkeley, USC, etc.</p>

<p>Also, don’t forget the top schools in Canada, like McGill and University of Toronto.</p>

<p>And perhaps schools in the United Kingdom, where they seem to go more by SAT/standardized test scores than in America.</p>

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<p>how do you manage your time to self study and have high grades, and excel in extracurricular activities(tennis,music,volunteering,etc…)???</p>

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<p>I think you could probably pull off Cornell at the very least, and you’d have a fighting chance at Columbia, UPenn and Princeton (I’m not too familiar with Brown, Dartmouth and Yale by the way so I have no idea what their student bodies are like [you also might be good at harvard]). Although, your extracurriculars are very good. Don’t worry about AP Euro and sports. You don’t have to be a sports superstar to go off to a good school. Honestly though, it really comes down to which schools you are a fit for, how your interviews go, and whether or not you’ve maxed out your potential (I don’t think you have though). My advice is to not lock yourself into just ivies. Apply to some good state schools (UT Austin, U Maryland, U Michigan), some non-ivy privates (U Chicago, Stanford, MIT, Wash U, Duke), and some LACs (like Williams). Start your college process early to see what schools you like, although you have a REALLY good chance.</p>

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<p>Princeton would love you. Harvard would reject you. And, I’m not sure about Yale.</p>

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<p>Columbia would accept you if you chose one thing to highlight. Penn CAS would accept you instantly for ED. Dartmouth would strongly consider you ED. Cornell would beg you to come to their school.</p>

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<p>Nothing-you’ve done all that you can. GL.</p>

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<p>I wouldn’t focus too seriously on some of the posts about how you are too broad, or whatever. I understand where they’re coming from with how it’s nice to have a focus and really know what a student is interested it, but it’s rather silly to expect a student to have their lives planned out and have all of their activities directly connected in some way. </p>

<p>All I’m saying is don’t change how you’re going about your college search just because some posters on CC suggested it. You know yourself the best, so do what you enjoy doing.</p>

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<p>Bump --------------------------------</p>