<p>I have narrowed down my college list and the schools to which I want to apply are: Yale, MIT, Brown, Northwestern, Rice, UPenn, Baylor, and Boston University, i'm also considering Johns Hopkins. I want to get into either a biomedical or chemical engineering program at these schools. My GPA is a 3.96. I got a 31 on my ACT. I got a 5 on both my AP Chem and AP English Tests, and a 4 on US History. I took a very rigorous schedule this year and will have one for next year as well: AP Bio, AP Physics, AP English, AP French, AP Calculus BC, and Government/Econ. I also got a 780 on my chemistry SAT II. I would be the firt person in my family to graduate from college. I do attend a private school on partial scholarship. I play 3 sports a year. I am a part of the NHS, head of the diversity club, vice president for student council and a member in several other clubs( Science, Victorian Literature). I teach with Breakthrough Collaborative during my summers and during this upcoming schoolyear I will be doing both physics and chemistry research with professors at a local university. Do you think that I have a good chance of getting into the schools that I want?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone can give you a good answer to your question. You seem to have similar stats to my D. I would love to keep her list down to 8 colleges (because of costs). A synopsis of her stats:</p>
<p>GPA - around 3.9 uw (ranked in top decile in highly competitive public hs)
SAT - 2250 (will retake in Oct.)
SAT IIs - Bio (750), USH (760), Chem (760), Math II (790), German (800)
APs - Has taken 8 and received 5s on all of them (National AP Scholar)
Courseload - thus far 7 AP courses, 5 more senior year
Great ECs, scientific research, various science, math, sports and volunteering awards, National Merit Semifinalist (probable based on yearly cutoffs), Naional Achievement Semifinalist (probable for same reason)…</p>
<p>But, we’re still struggling with the college list. Which colleges are safeties and which are reaches? We’re considering UCB, UCLA, Duke, Northwestern, Wellesley, Columbia and Johns Hopkins, but should we even consider HYPS & M?</p>
<p>I think it will all come down to how passionate you are about the school you are applying to. If they can sense through your essay that you really want to attend, that will give you a bonus. When my D tries to add a college to her list, I ask “Why?” “What is it about that school that you like?” and, “If you get accepted, will you go?”</p>
<p>I can’t give you a good answer, but I can say that #7 of our class had similar stats to you and get denied to Yale. I do think that you’ll definitely get into Boston University and Baylor. You seem like a good match for Rice. Brown, Yale and MIT are definitely reaches and Northwestern might be attainable. UPenn I think you’ll get denied (Fifth in our class got into Yale, Princeton, Harvard and Stanford and was denied from UPenn somehow…)</p>
<p>I honestly think it’s going to come down to your essay writing and your ability to garner great recs. Your stats are really good, but never underestimate the soft facets of your application as they may be the deciding factors in your admission. With the schools you’re applying to, I also think you have BU, Baylor and Rice under your belt, Northwestern and JHU are possible matches and Yale, Brown, MIT and UPenn are reaches … For everyone to be quite frank. </p>
<p>Like I said, write dynamite essays that are creative, original and show a sense of who you are as a person, as well as your eagerness to attend those schools and that you have the potential to do amazing things with the education that you’ll be provided there. this can oftentimes set you apart from your peer applicants who may have similar stats as you with impersonal and dry writing responses.</p>
<p>@dignified1; definitely consider HYPSM ! … Specifically the “S” haha =D</p>
<p>honestly, with the unfair way AA works, you’ll probably get into all of them, even though there will be many other students, even black ones, who are more qualified and more deserving. A 31 isn’t great, but i guess life just isn’t fair. i’m just glad i wasn’t negatively affected by the heavily skewed AA system; my superior testing scores, grades, etc. were not mocked by my denial in favor of black students with much lower scores, like yours.</p>
<p>Even with AA it’s very unlikely she would get into Yale unless she’s top 10 in her class at a somewhat competitive school.</p>
<p>A 31 is well above the national average and very much within the ACT ranges of the schools that the OP is applying to. Stop venting AA please; it’s becoming very old within these threads.</p>
<p>*most of the schools.</p>
<p>I think starlight* is a ■■■■■. Just a few months ago, he/she posted about all of the top schools he/she was accepted to :/</p>
<p>^Hope so. It’s ridiculous to try to denigrate individuals for applying to colleges whose stat profile they easily match.</p>
<p>I’ve had words with starlight* in the past … I’ll just leave it at that.</p>
<p>But yes, I agree lapras and dignified1. it’s incredible how fast people shout AA to put others down in an effort to uplift themselves.</p>
<p>wow…you must be some type of jealous to call me a ■■■■■. umm i actually earned all of my accolades, thank you very much. please, i have no reason to make anything up, i’m just that smart. you know its true when someone w/ a 1700 gets in to a lower ivy and thery’re black, when every other student with those scores is just tossed out of consideration.</p>
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<p>Don’t worry, I’m not jealous of you for any reason. I got into my first choice college 
you posted in the AA results thread, which lead me to believe (SHOCKER! :O) that you too were AA, which is why I DON’T understand why you’re insulting others for “taking your spot”. In the minds of other (ignorant) people, you’re “taking their spots” too. Which is why I believed that you’re either really confused, or a ■■■■■ :)</p>
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<p>Don’t worry, you can get in too! As long as you hide your blatant ignorance and ******baggery ;)</p>
<p>Starlight, I think we’ve had enough of you talking about how “superior” you are in comparison to just about every goddamn person in this forum. Congratulations … Moving on … I’ve had the distinct honor of meeting a white female with a 1680 SAT score at Princeton and an Asian male with a 26 ACT score while visiting Stanford, both at previous admit weekend events. Take that AA s**t and shove it down your throat.</p>
<p>Yea have it you’re way…I guess i’m ignorant, discrimination doesn’t exist, and we live in a world inhabited by unicorns that prance along our rainbow filled skies…Not surprising you don’t believe AA gives non URM’s the shaft, you’re black too. I was waitlisted at the top 2 schools i applied to ND and BC: 31 act, 3.9 gpa, 6 ap’s, ranked 11/1,025 in the class, nhs leadership, key club, and heavy duty soccer committment. I 99.9% chance myself that if i were black I would’ve been accepted. Whatevs tho I’ve gotten over the fact that my skin is white. UPITT '14!</p>
<p>@Starlight, you are a boss, I love you’re condescending tone, enjoy being smart and reaping benefits not on the account of your skin color. Spread the word AA=reverse discrimination.</p>
<p>What actual evidence do you have for you claim, anyways? (Since you claimed that there’s a 99.9% chance that if you were black you would’ve been accepted)</p>
<p>"Yea have it you’re way…I guess i’m ignorant, discrimination doesn’t exist, and we live in a world inhabited by unicorns that prance along our rainbow filled skies…Not surprising you don’t believe AA gives non URM’s the shaft, you’re black too. I was waitlisted at the top 2 schools i applied to ND and BC: 31 act, 3.9 gpa, 6 ap’s, ranked 11/1,025 in the class, nhs leadership, key club, and heavy duty soccer committment. I 99.9% chance myself that if i were black I would’ve been accepted. Whatevs tho I’ve gotten over the fact that my skin is white. UPITT '14!</p>
<p>@Starlight, you are a boss, I love you’re condescending tone, enjoy being smart and reaping benefits not on the account of your skin color. Spread the word AA=reverse discrimination."</p>
<p>I DEFINITELY believe AA exists. I just believe that you weren’t shafted because of a black person. But if that makes you feel better, keep saying it 
2010 admissions are over, what’s done is done.</p>
<p>@tfeduardo: Yes, absolutely ignorant. Explain to me the young lady I encountered at Princeton, or the gentleman I met at Stanford. African Americans have just began gaining some sense of ownership for their accomplishments in this nation after being delayed for nearly 360 years behind Whites and because of that, we’re now undergoing reverse discrimination. I find it absolutely hilarious how Whites and Asians b**** and moan over, on average at prestigious PWIs, 7% of admission spots for Blacks for freshman classes, measuring to about 200 odd African Americans per admit class out of about 2300 students (using Stanford as a guestimate base). 200 spots/2300 … really? Trash the Asians and your fellow White student admits for your f*** ups. More than anything, it seems like you’re either really threatened by URMs and insecure with your own abilities, or you’re feeling salty over your admissions results. Tough.</p>
<p>URM status gives a competitive edge; no one’s denying that. Your assumption that minorities totally depend on that edge is completely erroneous, outrageous and not backed up with facts … facts that don’t exist. HYPSM, the rest of the Ivies and prestigious LACs are aware of their admissions data and they wouldn’t want to let the impressive numbers they let in annually deviate with decreases in average ranges, but would rather seek to increase them. Obviously, someone’s doing something right. The African Americans and other URMs that are admitted into these institutions are the best and brightest in their respective races, thus making them competitive. You’re acting like these colleges will just accept complete idiots or something. Get over yourself. </p>
<p>And to your comment about starlight*, he/she will never ever know if he/she achieves success because of his/her skin color. In fact, no URM will ever know. Starlight may have been admitted to college based on the same thing you’re arguing against. What a dumb statement …</p>
<p>Essentially, step your game up so you wouldn’t have stupid things, like AA (which is clearly deteriorating in effectiveness as time goes on), to blame for your mishaps and shortcomings.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that looking back I most likely would’ve chosen Pitt anyway since its so cheap and I got into a a fastrack pharmacy program ND doesn’t offer, if I WERE BLACK like Shyman, a CC’er and 2010 Notre Dame applicant who was accepted ED with these stats:
“SAT: 610M, 570CR, 530W
GPA: 89 Unweighted or 91 Weighted
Rank: 10 out of 292
Ap Courses: World History 3, United States History 4, Psychology 5
Other stats:
Essays: AMAZING STORY I wrote about dealing with death at a young age.
Teacher Recs: wavied my right…but I trust them. Got 3 recommendation, 2 English Teachers and AP United States Teacher
One went to University of Chicago
Counselor Rec: Amazing overal…she live down the block from me.
Hook (if any): um yeah, were all URM!..indeed
State or Country: New York
School Type: Public School in Harlem
Gender: BLACK MALE
why you think you were accepted/rejected/defered where you were: Amazing story.
significant awards/recongitions: Goldman Sachs Expo Winner, ARISTA, National Tech Champ
summer activities: LEAD (look it up the best business program) @University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign”
…I would’ve come to the honest opinion that I would’ve have a 99.9% chance of not only getting in but also recieving a full ride due to my “diversity” and superior academic standing in comparison to the relatively poor academic profiles of most blacks of my 2010 high school graduating class. With that said, due to justadream92’s post, I would’ve been left with only a 99.9% chance since I might have risked falling into the extraordinarily rare case where a white female with a 1680 SAT beats you out…It’s not personal the beef I have with AA either Lapras, it gets me where all over the country asians, indians, whites are “shafted” by blacks, hispanics, and native americans who, in a significant number of times, have less impressive resumes yet are more attractive to admissions counselors because of their race.</p>