What are my chances

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello I’m Betty and I’m riding senior.
GPA: 4.5 weighted - 4 unweighted
SAT: 1390 ACT: 35 ( I’m submitting my ACT) - no subject testing got cancelled

Classes: (9) Honors Biology, Honors Algebra 2, AP Human Geo, Spanish 3, Honors English, PE, Art 1

Classes: (10) Honors Physics, Honors Precalculus , AP World, Spanish 4, Honors English, PE, AP psychology

Classes: (11) Honors Chemistry , AP BC calc, AP Physics C, APUSH, AP macro/micro, AP Spanish Lang/culture, AP Lang

Possible 12th grade class: AP Biology, Multivariable Calc, AP Stats, AP Gov, AP Chemistry

Extracurricular: President of international club (10,11), Robotics (9,10,11), Spanish Honor Society (9,10,11)
I did bunch of other clubs for fun I don’t know whether I should list them

I have about 200+ hours of volunteer hours.

Possible major: Biochemistry or Chemical engineer, or biomedical engineering

Reach schools
Yale
Standford
MIT
Brown
Cornell

Target
Williams College
Tufts University
UCLA
Rice

I don’t have safety ?

2

Technically I have 4.59 but school don’t round ?

3

All of the schools on your list should be considered reaches for any unhooked applicant.

You need to seek out match and safety schools that appear affordable and that you would be excited to attend

4

UC GPA’s ? https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/

CA resident? College budget?

Agree that you need Match and safety schools or you could be shut out.

5

what you mean by unhooked?

6

@bettyio Hooked applicants are those who have basically a large advantage… i.e. legacy, high level in sports, parents donated a lot of money, won something or amazing at something(by amazing I mean like really good - like winning a olympiad, etc… ). Demographics and income can also be considered hooks.

7

So if I’m a minority I have lower chances ?

8

Why Williams, then?

9

To clarify a hooked applicant is a person who fills an institutional need of a college. It is a reason why a college would accept one applicant over similarly (or somewhat less) qualified applicants. Some typical examples of hooks are: recruited athlete, a child of a huge donor, a person who might bring positive fame to a school (ex. Malala, a movie star etc.). If you had a hook you would know it.

At some colleges being a minority can be a plus to your application, but it is not as powerful as having a hook. Very few people do have hooks.

Again, you need to re-think your list. Schools like Williams (13% acceptance rate), Rice (11% acceptance rate), Tufts (14% acceptance rate) and UCLA (14% acceptance rate) are not target/match schools – they are reach schools. You need to do the research and find match and safety schools that appear affordable and that you would be excited to attend.

10

If you are a URM that will be a hook at many schools.

Agree these are all reaches, even for URMs. Plus, some of these schools are very different. Can you elucidate what you are looking for in a school, such as size, setting (urban/rural/suburban), vibe, etc?

What math class will you have senior year?

What is your budget…what can/will your family pay for college?

11

I’m taking Multivariable Calculus. My family’s income is about $100,000 so I qualify for full aid on my tuition for most of the colleges.

12

State?
$100K for how large a family? Full aid? How?

13

If you are not a California resident, then you will get NO aid from UCLA except Federal student loans (Freshman $5500). With a family $100K income, you are not eligible for Federal Pell grants either. Have you run the Net Price calculators at all schools of interest?

14

Joking? Real post?

15

I don’t think your targets are targets, they are reaches for everyone.
Acceptance rates:
Rice - 11%
UCLA - 14%
Williams - 12%
Tufts - 15%
So my advice is to look for match and safety schools (financial too) that you would still be happy to attend and that are affordable. You are competitive for those schools but your chances are low, only because they reject qualified applicants all the time, and it shows in their acceptance rates. Good luck!

16

Those are all reach schools, either statistically or financially. You’re either going to get a long list of rejections, or if you’re lucky, an acceptance to a school you can’t afford. Your income falls in the category of too “rich” to get generous aid, but too “poor” to afford the tuition. I would scrap all but maybe 1 or 2. I don’t know what state you’re in, but your state flagship university is a great starting point, and should be your most serious school, along with other schools in your home state.