what are my chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>what are my chances of getting into Upenn? columbia? stanford? duke? and other ivy league/top schools? my first choice is upenn</p>

<p>GPA: 3.8 unweighted, higher than 4.0 weighted
taken 4 APs so far, 4 more next year
SAT: 1980 (taking it again, hopefully it will be higher- aiming for a 2100)
SAT II: math 2- 800, chem-720
ACT: 33
PSAT: 198 in 10th grade, 201 in 11th</p>

<p>participated in many local and state science fairs where i have received green ribbons, 1st and 2nd place (throughout high school), research in a foreign country, internship at U of M -- research stuff will be the focus of my application. the research is very thorough and complicated, but it missed ISEF by just a margin. i will tie in the research to how i will apply it to real life situations</p>

<p>yearbook editor: 10,11,12
editor for the newsletter of the cultural organization my family is affiliated with
invited to talk on a local talk show
lacrosse player: 9- JV, 10- JV, 11- JV captain and varsity player, 12- varsity
dancing for 12 years, various awards, shows, and competitions
on the character education board at my school (12th grade)
invited/nominated to become a NSHSS member (10th)
won 2nd place in a writing competition (11th)
national spanish exam honorable mention (11th)</p>

<p>in 12th grade, i will be entering a thorough science fair project into siemens, YES, and intel</p>

<p>hoping that my recs will be good- already asked the teachers and they have agreed :)
essays will be fabulous- i will have people such as teachers and counselors and people who are in ivy leagues proof read them</p>

<p>community service- in india, 2 different local organizations that helps people who live in poverty, in school, library (total approx 100 hours)</p>

<p>this is a very general summary. in my application, i will no doubt write much more in detail</p>

2

<p>As you have noticed, your SAT I scores need to go way up. Or you can retake the ACT. whatever suits your fancy.</p>

<p>Looking at your activities, you seem to be all over the map. Narrow them down. Choose 1 or 2 (at most 3) things that you enjoy most and really emphasize them in your app. They want to see passion in a few fields, not just a laundry list of activities.</p>

<p>About the essay, many people think their essays are the best things they’ve ever written, until they are told otherwise by rejection letters. So my advice is to give your essays lots of thought and really polish them to the point of near-perfection.</p>

3

<p>well, i will be concentrating on the science fair projects and my instrumental skills mainly. i am applying for engineering so thats where the science fair stuff plays a big role and i will talk about the flute because i want to join a club band (not majoring/minoring in music). i will talk about awards, private lessons, improvising and creating my own tunes and describe how that helps me with other subjects because i am able to force myself to ‘think outside the box’ and be creative etc etc</p>

4

<p>oh and the 3rd thing i may talk in detail about is yearbook. if i decide to talk about yearbook, i will be able to describe my passion for being on the yearbook committee and designing the yearbook- being part of a team, helping me with responsibility (meeting deadlines, pages being perfect, others depend upon my work and leadership such as the publishing company) i like to take photos that capture memories and the yearbook allows me to do so</p>

<p>the other activities will still be listed in my application to show that i am well rounded and demostrate my capabilities and show the range of things i have accomplished while in high school but the main focus will still be science research projects, yearbook, and/or the flute</p>

5

<p>You need a cohesive idea for an essay. Top colleges assume all applying are responsible and meet deadlines.</p>

<p>You haven’t given class reank which is key (or where you stand if no official rank) but shoot for a 2200 and 750s on 2 SATIIs.</p>

6

<p>Your SAT II scores are solid enough and I’m sure your litany of ECs will give you good grist for an essay and set you apart from other applicants, but your SAT I will almost certainly screen you from admission.</p>