What are my chances for Berkeley/UCLA/Ivy Leagues?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm a junior who has always dreamed of going to UChicago, UPenn, Brown or Cornell, but recently I'm not so sure anymore if I'd get in. I'm thinking Berkeley or UCLA would probably be more realistic, but I'd appreciate it if I could get feedback.</p>

<p>I'm hoping to major in marketing or international business. Possibly communications.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.97 unweighted, about 4.31 weighted.
I had a 4.0 up until first semester junior year when I got a B for the first time ever in one of my classes :/ AP Chem.
SAT: 2150 (Planning to retake)
PSAT: 222 (Possibly a NMS)
SATII Chinese: 790 (Retake? :/ )
SATII Math 2: 700 (Planning to retake)
I will also be taking SATII Chem.
AP Chinese: 5
AP World: 4
I'm taking AP Calc BC and AP Chem, possibly self-studying AP Econ.
I plan to take AP Stats, AP French, AP English, and AP Econ if I don't self-study this year.</p>

<p>Community service: I have ~300 hours from my clubs, working this past summer at a local food bank, and helping out here and there.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Key Club: board member last year, secretary this year
FBLA: board member last year, president this year
Business Manager of my school paper</p>

<p>I've also been in Interact since last year, and I participate heavily in my church youth group - we fundraise for causes. We also volunteer at nursing homes, food banks, etc., and we're also working on a city park beautification.</p>

<p>I'm thinking about running for FBLA state office because I enjoy the club and it's my main focus. I pretty much only have a few extracurriculars, but I focus on them because it's stuff I enjoy doing. I used to be ambitious and wanted to run for a lot of clubs, but unfortunately I didn't have the right connections to run for those clubs.</p>

<p>Awards/Honors:
I've been recognized at school for stuff, and I've been a finalist in FBLA events. I have certificates for perfect attendance in middle school and a 4.0 in middle school, if that counts.</p>

<p>I know my stats aren't top notch, but it'd be great if you could give me feedback on my chances for Berkeley, UCLA, and Ivy Leagues (UPenn, Brown, Cornell, NYU, Columbia) in general. Should I give up on the Ivy Leagues and focus on a more realistic goal such as Berkeley? My parents are not incredibly enthusiastic about privates due to the cost, but they will probably be upset with me if I went to a community college or a UC other than Berkeley or LA.</p>

2

<p>Personally, I think you shouldn’t give up on your chances. I’m in a similar boat; I’ve always dreamed about going to the elite Ivy schools, but nowadays, I don’t know if I’ll make the cut. </p>

<p>What State position do you plan on running for? I know that State President has a large amount of weight put on it, so it looks really good to colleges.</p>

3

<p>Oh also, I don’t think you should retake SAT II Chinese. I heard retaking an SAT score that high looks pretty “desperate” to admissions officers, even if you are Chinese.</p>

4

<p>The first thing I noticed of immediate concern: “My parents…will probably be upset with me if I went to a community college or a UC other than Berkeley or LA.”</p>

<p>First of all, this is the beginning of your life. These are your decisions, and while your parents must be a huge guiding force for you through such an important time, choosing part of your future based solely on their emotions is fundementally wrong. Take what they say into account, but just remember - you have a good future ahead of you no matter what you choose. If you choose a private school, fantastic for you! You get a top-notch college with good street cred. If you choose a CC, congratulations! You just saved both you and your parents years in debt, stress, and tears. It’s a win-win, not a lose-lose as you put it. </p>

<p>Now for my actual analysis. </p>

<p>First of all, don’t be down on yourself at all score-wise. First of all, your GPA is phenomonal. Your courseload is very rigorous at the least, and a B here or there won’t kill you. In fact, it will probably help - it shows that you’re taking the courseload for academic benefit, not for an easy A. It shows that you’re at school to work, to think, and to learn, without minding the consequences as crazily as others do. </p>

<p>Retaking the SAT might be a good idea. If you have the resources to do so, I would say go for it. If you get a better score, then good job! If you get a worse score, Collegeboard’s Scorechoice is a beautiful thing. But you never know if you’ll do better if you don’t take it. Study up! Also, your PSAT is very, very good, and i’d be surprised if you didn’t pull at least NM semis.</p>

<p>Now, here’s another thing that bugs me.
“SATII Chinese: 790 (retake?)”</p>

<p>no.
just…no.
use that money for your SAT retake. Retaking a 790 is a waste of time and money. That’s like…capturing a legendary pokemon, only to release it because you didn’t like the pokeball you captured it with. You don’t do that XD</p>

<p>On your next SAT II run, just do Math 2 and Chem. And also, good job with the APs. That’s a pretty tough load and you seem to be handling yourself well so far, kudos to you. Just keep those AP scores up with your 4s and 5s. Can never go wrong with those :)</p>

<p>Your community service is very good as well. Shows that you’re willing to get involved in good things, which is a great thing both for college apps and morally as well!</p>

<p>Now, your extracurriculars are probably the one thing that irk me. I liked reading about your FBLA achievemnts - if I were an admissions officer, I would be thinking about how you enjoy getting involved with business. </p>

<p>But here’s the catch - and in no way do I mean to undermine your resume. Other than FBLA, it seems like there is nothing pertinent to your major, besides AP Econ. I’m not saying what you’ve done is “bad” in any way - in fact, you’ve done a fantastic job. But what I am saying is that you’ve built a foundation. Now you have to start building off of that, and showing why you love business. Get an internship over the summer. Volunteer at a marketing company. Hell, start a business yourself. The point is, find something that will make people say “wow, that guy? he’s got a knack for business.” by just reading your resume. You seem to really like the whole business/marketing/finance thing, so it shouldn’t be tough. It just takes a bit of searching. </p>

<p>Middle school does not matter much to college admissions, unless you like won Scripps or Nat Geo Bee or something. </p>

<p>Finally, in regards to chancing. You are on the right track. Don’t count yourself out of this crazy, crazy game that we call “Admissions”. I think that if you worked a bit harder on showcasing your talents in business, you have as good a shot as ANYONE when it comes to college. And yes, that means you stand a chance against the bastion of Ivy admissions that you seem to fear. Work for it, apply to them, see where it takes you. You’re doing great so far. </p>

<p>If it wouldn’t be too much, could I ask you to chance back, or provide some pointers of your own? Thanks!
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1280113-chances-junior.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1280113-chances-junior.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>@funkeicool I ran for a section office several weeks ago, and I didn’t make it. I’m feeling pretty down about it because I realized it’s pretty much a popularity contest, so I don’t think I’ll run for state office. I’ll reach for those elite schools, but focusing on the UCs.</p>

<p>@shrey96 Thanks for the advice! I scored 800 on my January Math II, and I’m planning to take Chem in June. I’m looking into working/volunteering over the summer and possibly starting up something.</p>