What are my chances? UCs and more.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Schools I am looking at:
UC Berkeley
UCLA
UCSD
Northeastern University
Boston University
Brown University
University of Massachusetts: Amherst</p>

<p>I think a lot of these schools are maybes on accepting me.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.75 weighted
Rank: 24/249... last one in the top 10%!!!</p>

<p>SAT:
Math- 690 (hoping for a 720 at least)
CR- 610
Writing- 560</p>

<p>Retaking this sunday.</p>

<p>SAT IIs
Math Level 2- 710
Chemistry- 560 (Bombed this one, never took AP chemistry)</p>

<p>APs Taken:</p>

<p>AP Calc AB - 3
AP World History - 3</p>

<p>Senior year:
AP Calc BC
AP Statistics
AP Economics
AP Physics
5/7 blocks are AP this year =)</p>

<p>Other Stuff:
National Honors Society (Tutor Coordinator)
National Junior Honors Society
Habitat for Humanity
Member of several volunteer groups.
Director/President of Video Production Club
I have lived overseas for 14 years of my life, American Citizen. (Brazil and Egypt)
I work 32 hours a week as a apprentice plumber during the school year and summer.
Several Years of Fencing
Play the Alto Sax in concert/jazz band. Second Chair.</p>

<p>Essay:
Should be very good, talking about how my Master Plumber has taught me a lot about morals, value of hard work, courtesy, etc.
I will do personal statements on my experiences overseas and how it has made me worldly.</p>

<p>Recs should be positive as well.</p>

2

<p>OK, let’s do these in order, using Berkeley as an example:</p>

<ul>
<li>Academic Rigor & GPA: check minus. Only two APs so far and barely passed the exams.</li>
<li>Test Scores: check/check minus on CR + Math, check minus on writing. FYI, there is an open thread discussing the strict formula for a good SAT essay… check it out and good luck Sunday bringing that score up to CHECK. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/565800-steamedrice-s-essay-scoring-feedback-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/565800-steamedrice-s-essay-scoring-feedback-thread.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
<li>EC: you did a bunch of stuff, you can fog a social mirror … check/check minus.</li>
</ul>

<p>Your senior year – will not help, and will only hurt if you get a lot of Bs. your academic strength relative to other applicants is already firmly established by your performance and tests in 10th and 11th grades.</p>

<p>Overseas experience: honestly this is the only really strong attribute you bring to the adcom. Here’s my summary: Pretty good student… pretty good intelligence, OK ECs. OH! Has lived overseas… that’s interesting. Maybe we’ll take him for the diversity angle.. otherwise easy denial.</p>

<p>I would put you in the selectivity group of USNews ranked Unis 35-75, with 35-50 slight reaches, 50-75 matches, and 75-100 Safeties. For Top 20 schools like Brown and almost Berkeley, you’d need to have had at least 700/700/700 on tests, only 4 or 5 on APs, and be in top 3% of your graduating class in order for them to say: OK, academically strong, now let’s see who this person is! Are they a compelling person?</p>

<p>You did not say if you are an underrepresented minority (or in the case of the UCs-- overcome many life challenges like 1st gen college, single parent home, lousy high school, etc.). If so, you move up one rung on each of my categories.</p>

<p>So, from your list:</p>

<p>Brown: Huge reach
Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD: reaches
Northeastern, BU: Matches
UMass: Safety</p>

3

<p>If you’re in-state, then UCs are matches/slight reaches. If not, then they’re pretty big reaches (mostly Berkeley and UCLA).</p>

<p>Brown is a huge reach as well.</p>

<p>BU, Northeastern, and UMass you are likely to get accepted to.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the help!
I will count as in-state in both states, im a special case.</p>

<p>I knew brown was a huge reach, I was just applying there to see what happens.</p>

<p>I’m doing early action to Northeastern.</p>

<p>I think besides the overseas aspect, you have to notice that I worked 32 hours a week on top of my school year.</p>

<p>I hoping to break my Math score into the 700s this sunday, and break the writing into the 600s.</p>

5

<p>good luck to you on Sunday. Stay calm, and focused.</p>

6

<p>With your GPA/SAT combination, you are not a match for the above UCs even with in-state status. UCs go by weighted GPA not ranks.</p>

<p>NorthEastern, BU: matches</p>