What are my chances? (Engineering/Science)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm almost done with my Junior year. I have just taken the PSAE (ACT + WorkKeys) 2 days ago, and did good until Science, which I guessed half of them due to brain failure at seeing so much Biology (I HATE biology).</p>

<p>School Preference: UIUC or MIT or Caltech or Berkeley or any good engineering school. Mainly UIUC though, it's close.</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<h2>Freshman Year:</h2>

<p>-JV Tennis
-Ran as admin on a team website/forum for (for a computer game...)</p>

<h2>Sophomore Year:</h2>

<p>-JV Tennis
-Intramural Weightlifting </p>

<h2>Junior Year (current):</h2>

<p>-Math Team
-Hospital Volunteering Hours
-Sci-Fi Club
-Weight training (first 1/4 of year for recreation)
-Theater Guides (club)
-Chess Club (barely showed up, ever...)
-Worked at JCPenney (Seasonal)
-participated in BOINC, <a href="mailto:Einstein@home">Einstein@home</a>. </p>

<h2>Will start doing soon:</h2>

<p>Internet Club
Folding@home
Wikipedia participation
running another website</p>

<h2>Things that standout:</h2>

<p>-I started Freshmen year with regular average classes,
and now I'm in Accelerated and AP courses (listed below).
-Was invited and took Gifted Enrichment class fresh/soph
-I have had nothing but A's in Math and Science (so far)</p>

<h2>Current Classes:</h2>

<p>Spanish 3 - (grade is C+, but it's not updated yet. doens't count)
AP US History - (A- but the earlier grades are B's)
Trig/AP Calc A - (A, straight As)
Accelerated English - (A, throughout)
AP Physics - (A, throughout).</p>

<h2>Next Year:</h2>

<p>MAYBE Spanish 4. -Don't want another year of it.
SeniorSurvey-(an avg. lvl class, can be replaced w/ AP Macro and Govt, but)
AP Calc BC
AP Chem
AP Computer Science - hopefully, my school hasn't offered it for past 4 years due to low student interest in it.
AP Lit/comp. (english class)</p>

<p>Other:</p>

<p>Gender = male.
Race = Indian (India, NOT Native American)</p>

2

<p>Oh, and:</p>

<p>GPA regular = 3.7568. Rank 45/581. 7.7%
Weighted GPA = 4.3865 (used to be 4.5!!). Rank 29/581. 4.9%</p>

<p>ACT scores:</p>

<p>Test1:
English 31
Math 29
Reading 29
Science 27
Composite 29</p>

<p>Test2
Eng 33
Math 31
Reading 27
science 28
composite 30</p>

<p>test3 (older one):
eng 30
math 32!
reading 25 :(
science 25 :(</p>

<p>Who knows about the PSAE...:(</p>

3

<ol>
<li><p>You didn't give us any colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>Your stand-outs are pretty ordinary things if you ask me.</p></li>
<li><p>I have not taken the ACT, but I do know that the trick to the science section is to not pay too much attention to the text, but rather read the question and then skim the graphs and data selectively. You don't have to like Bio to do well here.</p></li>
<li><p>Your application is full of filler. I'm a bit of a geek myself and can understand how some of your cyber-activities may seem good, but honestly they're not anything you should list unless perhaps if you're interested in a CS major at MIT.</p></li>
<li><p>Have you tried the SAT? I haven't seen a case of a better score on the SAT than the ACT yet, but maybe you should try the SAT instead of taking the ACT so many times. Hurry up and register.</p></li>
<li><p>Do your colleges need SAT subject tests? You had better check quickly. If I were you, then I'd take 2 or 3 of the following in this order: Math II, Physics, US History.</p></li>
</ol>

4

<p>Oh yeah, sorry. I just edited it in. UIUC, MIT, Caltech, any engineering that's good. UIUC preferred.</p>

<p>I was thinking of Math I or II, and Physics. Do the Physics involve Physics C/Calculus?</p>

5

<ol>
<li><p>DEFINITELY take Math II. I think all of your schools require it. Again, check their site for admission requirements NOW.</p></li>
<li><p>Math II has a batter curve than Math I. It'll also look like your stupid for taking Math I when you're in calculus.</p></li>
<li><p>SAT Physics is one of the easier SAT subject tests. I have not taken it myself, but I know people who have gotten decent scores while not being particularly amazing at physics or math.</p></li>
<li><p>SAT Physics has no calculus. It is all Honors Physics level (probably below honors physics level actually).</p></li>
</ol>

6

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Yes, I just checked. UIUC only wants either ACT or SAT (and essay parts).
MIT, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon want either 2 or 3 Subject Tests.</p>

<p>Sweet, I will take the Physics, Math II, and uh...I'll have to think about the third. I am no good at US, nor Spanish. Unless it's Spanish 2 mainly.</p>

7

<p>The US SAT II is pretty easy from the looks of it. Try sample questions from CB's website.</p>

8

<p>So what are my chances at UIUC? (Engineering...)</p>

<p>And frogot to add, but I've gotten 10 out of 12 on writing (I don't know if you can even get an 11, because it's graded by 2 people, out of 6, and then something is done to it).</p>

9

<p>I don't think editing Wikipedia is something to include in your application, if that's what you mean by "wikipedia participation". Just a thought.</p>

10

<p>You can get a 12 on the writing. I don't even know why you'd metnion that on your application that you got a 10 on the essay.</p>

11

<p>Not mention it, they require the essay score. I'm good at essays, very, too. It's possible that I hit the 12'er this PSAE's ACT (won't find out until 4 weeks).</p>

12

<p>anyone else? what are my chances?</p>

13

<p>bump, what are my chances?</p>

14

<p>hate to be the bringer of bad news, but i dont think you have much of a chance at getting into places like MIT and Caltech. your gpa seems decent and your grades in math and science classes are good, but these days it seems even sciency-math types are performing very well across the board, and therefore a lot of people will be applying with 4.0s. not only that but many will have 800's on SAT and SAT II math. your EC's seem pretty weak also, and they play into admissions a lot these days. i'd still take a shot and apply, but you need some matches/safeties. make sure to write good essays as that could be your determining factor. ask around, i'd suggest some but i dont know many tech schools.</p>

15

<p>how about UIUC? I've already kinda realized that i have no chance for MIT/caltech (o well, instate is better...).</p>

<p>I have mixed answers from people. One says it's hard to get in since their 32 ACT composite with 35 math was a "fluke"! The other says it is easier than I think,and I will have no problem (this kid's borhter got in, with a 28, in Aerospace Engineering, and didn't have that many EC's).</p>

<p>So yeah, what are my <em>UIUC</em> (sorry, should have been specific) chances?</p>

16

<p>? bump, chances?</p>

17

<p>Chances are rated on a scale of: high reach, reach, semi-reach, good fit, likely, safety.</p>

<p>University of Indiana-Urbana Champaign... GOOD FIT. LIKELY if in-state.
MIT... HIGH REACH.
Caltech... HIGH REACH.
University of California-Berkeley... REACH.</p>

18

<p>I think you're in at UIUC</p>

<p>I go there also</p>

19

<p>Sweetness...although I must try and make UIUC a safety. And yes, I'm instate.<br>
I just read that UIUC doesn't look at EC's as much as others, is this true?</p>