What are some good reaches, matches, and safeties for me?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>BACKGROUND:
Male, live in NY, born in South Asia, moved to U.S. when almost three yrs old, English was my third language, household income is around 85,000 so about 55,000 net, I have two older siblings, both of whom went to college. Father is a pharmacist. Mother is a housekeeper.</p>

<p>STATS:
GPA: 103 weighted, 95 unweighted (weighting system: honors = +10, AP = +12)
Class Rank: 6/300
SAT Reasoning Test: M: 710 Cr: 670 W: 670 Total: 2050/2400 and 1380/1600
AP: Last year I took 3 APs, and got two 4s and one 3. This year I am taking 5 AP classes (6 if you count economics as macro and micro as separate since tests are separate) + engineering research class + phys ed + a graduation requirement class.
SAT II: Phys: 800 MathIIC: 800 Literature: 700
Essays: Good, meaning not super because I am not an extremely creative writer and I rarely use SAT words, but good in the sense that I feel I successfully expressed my personality
Letters of Recommendation: One of them was really good, and the other two were average good.</p>

<p>AWARDS/EXTRACURRICULARS/WORK EXPERIENCE:
--AP Scholar
--Varsity Tennis Team: 3yrs (I made counties once)
--Varsity Excellence Award (received twice)
--Two-time scholar athlete
--Distinguished High Honor Roll student
--Mathletes: 4yrs (county champion last year, captain this year)
--Science Olympiads: 2yrs, ever since it was offered (I entered all the physics and chemistry competitions)
--SWEEP (an environmental club): 2yrs
--Key Club: 20 hrs community service
--School Radio: 2yrs (journalist)
--Have been working hard at a convenient store 30hrs/week for 3yrs. I have been sales manager for 1.5 years. This is big for me since it took up a lot of my time on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (no dates, but I have a dream…)
--Even though I am an atheist, I have been helping every year, for five years, to help set up the food and dining preparations during the four weekend community feasts in the month of Ramadan. My counselor told me this is community service. So it took at least 3hrs/day<em>2days</em>4weekends<em>4yrs(high school yrs)=96 hours.
--I volunteered to tutor two students, on math and chemistry during junior year, after school every day, 1 hr each session, for 32 weeks. So 1</em>5<em>32 = 160 hours.
--I gave tennis lessons to a couple of persons at my tennis club during sophomore year, once a week, three hours a week, for six months. So 3</em>4*6= 72 hours. Afterwards, she became my girlfriend, which indeed was the ultimate payoff!</p>

<p>RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:
--I have completed original research on two projects, one involving chemistry at a state university, the other involving a bit of physics, environmental science, and biology—mixed—at a prominent national lab. I will be sending my abstracts for both research projects. Neither project was published, but I am entering the second one into ISEF. All this research stuff is perhaps my biggest “hook.”</p>

<p>MISCALLENOUS:
--I have been privately tutored for Arabic twice a week, for about 2 years now.
--I speak four languages fluently: Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, English; I know there are some conflicts about whether Urdu and/or Punjabi are languages or dialects, it’s acknowledged.
--I have taken part in civil protests against the war in Iraq as well as against the Patriot Act for twice a month, for two years.
--I trained at an international tennis academy in Texas for 1 month. (But please note, I do NOT wish to play college tennis)
--I regularly play tennis at a local club
--I love to play chess with my friends; I tried to create an official club, but my school’s board failed to pass it in time to make it official this year.
--My favorite album is War by U2
--As subtly mentioned above, I am taking an engineering research class. This year is the first year ever that my school is offering it, and it is very unique. I doubt many other schools have it, so this may catch a second glimpse.</p>

<p>PERSONAL QUALITIES:
--Mathematically and scientifically inclined
--Extremely politically active (I’m somewhere between liberal and libertarian)
--Very outgoing, I love my closest friends with all my heart, and I like most everyone else (except for the cocky jocks, for they are so annoying).
--Theologically open-minded
--I like to get personal with small groups of people, rather than lead a huge pack, as evident in my tutoring and tennis-lessons providing.</p>

<p>ACADEMIC INTERESTS:
--Economics
--Philosophy
--Mathematics
--Physics</p>

<p>Well, I gave it my all; looking back at my past four years, I feel happy, and satisfied—that’s what matters the most.</p>

2

<p>U of Chicago as a match/ reach.</p>

3

<p>Big schools you should consider: Michigan, Ohio State (safety?), Berkeley</p>

<p>Medium schools you should consider:, Brown, SUNY-Binghamton (good value and a good safety, I’ll second University of Chicago, Columbia, Tufts, University of Rochester</p>

<p>Small schools you should consider: Bates, Vassar, Whitman (safety?), Wesleyan, Reed, Oberlin, Pomona, Haverford</p>

4

<p>It’s really funny and interesting both of you recommend UChicago, because my dad really wants me to apply there too. I absolutely love their essay topics, they are so unique, just like the school. The only problem is that the two history teachers, and the one english teacher I talked to a lot both in and out of class are not teaching in the school anymore, for retirement/maternity purposes. So I don’t know who to ask for a letter of recommendation. I do talk to one other history teacher a lot, I even had tea at his house a couple of times, but he is EXTREMELY lazy, and writes like one paragraph long recommendations even for his best students, so he’s out. He is sooooo cool though, I absolutely love him! Oh well, I’ll figure something out. Thank you both for your suggestions.</p>

<p>MORE SUGGESTIONS NEEDED, PLEASE!</p>

5

<p>I’m a student there, so I tend to recommend it a lot (maybe too much?) what made me (and probably menloparkmom) think of it, is your preference to socialize in small groups of people (making me think you’re less inclined to meet people at a party and more inclined to talk to people at a coffee shop or whatnot), your academic/intellectual strengths, and your academic interests, which, taken together, look like a very Chicago package.</p>

<p>It’s very hard to tell what you want in a school even by your personality breakdown, that’s why I gave a list of big, medium, and small schools. If you give a list of things you want or things you think you want and rank them in order of importance to you, I think we can come up with a better list.</p>

6

<p>Are you a senior? If so, you need to get moving on asking teachers for letters of recommendations! Give your History teacher [the lazy one] a written summary of your accomplishments, interests, etc., so he can write a personalized recommendation letter for you that is not generic. You also need to submit a letter of recommendation from a math/science teacher for the Chicago application. If you are not from Calif. then I doubt you have a chance at Berkeley, as very few OOS students are accepted there, and those that are have higher SAT scores than yours. And the application deadline for UC schools is Nov.30.</p>

7

<p>Well…I have to give you points for being honest. I dont know many kids who put their political views up front for the world to see. That being said, and I dont share your views personally, I would certainly focus on fit, and less on your raw stats which are very good…but not incredible. In the Northeast you might look at locations that are both welcoming to you culturally as well as politically. I think Vassar sticks out there for you. So does Tufts. So does Brown and Middlebury, but they may be a reach. Most schools dont care if you speak Hindi or Urdu, unless your goal is to become a translator for the US State Department or Homeland Security and that is not likely given your political leanings and other interests. Being South Asian may be a plus or a minus. Being muslim is the same. It all depends on the school.</p>

<p>I am perfectly fine with people who dont share my views and I welcome the challenge of a healthy and civil debate on various topics. But it is also important to learn HOW to get along with people and WHEN to share your views. Being politically active can be very rewarding and enlightening, but it can also be a deep dark cave of loneliness and isolation or worse. And that works for both sides of the political fence. If you have an open mind and are tolerant of others and are willing to change your views, rather than prognosticate and preach, you will be fine. If you are in the latter category, be prepared to meet resistance and isolation. And that does not necessarily mean people from the opposite side of the political fence…as often people are uncomfortable expressing radical views or views fueled by emotion, regardless of how righteous you may or may not be in your cause. College is a place to learn and share. There is a lot of give and take between students, faculty and administrators. That is not a judgment upon your views and ideals but a simple statement of fact. Many colleges would welcome your thoughts and encourage you to express them openly. Some others may not be so welcoming, because of cultural differences etc. </p>

<p>What is best for you in the long run only you can decide. But I strongly encourage you to focus on the fit, rather than the prestige or raw scores. I would personally love to sit down and debate with you, because that is my nature. But I have learned along the highway of life that not everyone is interested in the same issues and topics or at the same decibel. And yes, I have known and befriended muslims in my lifetime. All of them were moderates from the Middle East and are horrified and reject violence of all stripes.</p>

<p>Best of luck to you and may you bring a healthy debate to the school you choose to attend!</p>

<p>I would NOT go to a conservative school or a school where you are not likely to fit into the general student population very well. Chicago is a superb school. It attracts liberals and libertarians but also a significant number of conservatives too. The city of Chicago is a nice place, but it is very midwestern and I dont know if that works for you or not. Make sure you visit and get a feel for your fit, if you decide to apply.</p>

<p>While most colleges openly profess diversity and welcome different cultures, ethnicity and religious backgrounds, some are more diverse than others and some have student bodies that are not entirely welcoming. Perhaps you are a contrarian and welcome the challenges of being “different”. Perhaps you are someone who fits well into any environment and your language abilities, your faith and your politics are part of who you are and what you believe, but you are quite tolerant of other views. I dont know you so I cant really advise you on what to do. I just caution you to be honest with yourself and look for the school that is the best fit for you and where you will be happy and thrive, which is not necessarily the highest ranking school on your list of applications.</p>

8

<p>well that was weird and interesting…that last post of mine had the paragraphs all out of order…some gremlin in the system I suppose. Oh well, you get my point.</p>

9

<p>Catfishin,</p>

<p>First off, thank you for posting. I understand what you are saying catfishin. Just as a sidenote though, I am atheist–this was a huge and most controversial moment in my life. I put in that I still help with the Ramadan stuff to show that I am still open minded and that I value helping good causes (community feasts) over superfluous emotions. I also put in the political stuff to show that I care, and that I am active. To show that I am NOT someone who just goes home, and studies his calculus/physics book until dinner, eats dinner, then studies some more calculus/physics, and then goes to sleep. Everyone told me that such is a stereotype South Asians face, and so I am trying to show I am not at all like that.</p>

<p>But again, I am very open-minded. And I absolutely LOVE to have nice discussions with smaller groups of people? Why? Because it makes it a lot easier to have discussions that don’t go out of countrol, and it also allows me to make certain that those involved in the discussion are more or less mature persons, which is important when in high school, perhaps less so in college since more people are wiser/mature in college. And people that know me say that the thing they love most about me is that I am very easy to talk to on a personal level, and I cherish this ability.</p>

<p>But I absolutely agree with you on being open-minded and the sort. And to add, I am not really extremely liberal, even though my activism may say I am. I just personally feel that some of the decisions that are being made today, mostly from the White House, are just irrational. Many conservatives themselves feel the White House today does not exactly have the smartest officials in its history. Such can be shown from the approval ratings of Bush. But simply because I dislike some of his policies does not automatically make me liberal. </p>

<p>I personally like to think of myself as independent, though the more and more I read of economics and the social effects of the open market system, I tend to lean on the liberal side socially, and on the conservative side economically, thus making me a sort of libertarian. But I am still learning, thus I am simply going to say that I am an independent “free-thinker” for now, which is the way I feel more students should be. And this is the reason why I have a genuine academic interest in economics and philosophy, both of which go hand-in-hand.</p>

<p>Again, I very much appreciate your post, it was most delightful to read.</p>

10

<p>Hi UnaLove and Menloparkmom,</p>

<p>Yes I am a senior. I have gotten three letters of recs, but one from physics teacher (with whom I talk A LOT outside of school, mostly theologically and politically), one from my math teacher (also talk to outside of school, mostly about books of all sorts), and one from my guidance couselor. </p>

<p>As far as the qualities I want in a school, I really don’t exactly, and I certainly can’t rank them. But here it goes anyway (in no particular order):
–Professors who don’t just love their fields of study, but also genuinely love their students.
–Students who are almost ways up for a nice, long, intellectual debate.
–An atmosphere with a mix of the urban spice, but also with a relaxing suburb feel; so sort of like jazz.
–A place with a great diversity of studies, where all the students love what they are focusing in, and love to share their unique knowledge with everyone else.
–A school with a rigorous academic program.
–Great economics department.
–Where the students aren’t partying and getting drunk all the time, but rather have a nice balance, excelling both academically and socially, and where they support each other.
–A school where everyone feels they can change the world, and just love to learn for the knowledge itself, not just for the money good grades can bring.
–Political diversity, with students and a faculty from both ends of the spectrum, and everywhere in between. If there is a slight majority, I don’t mind.
–Oh, and GREAT food!</p>

<p>Hope that helps, and I sincerely thank you for helping me so much.</p>

11

<p>“one from physics teacher (with whom I talk A LOT outside of school, mostly theologically and politically), one from my math teacher (also talk to outside of school, mostly about books of all sorts), and one from my guidance couselor”
UH, OH. Are you aware that Chicago requires 2 letters of recommendation -1 from a Humanities teacher- English, Language, history, etc AND 1 from a Science/ Math teacher? You CAN’T submit 2 science /math letters. Ask for one from a Humanities teacher asap. If you try they will likely toss your application, because you did not follow directions. See below from the Chicago admission website.
English/Social Studies Teacher’s Recommendation: Form 3A [PDF]
Science/Mathematics Teacher’s Recommendation: Form 3B [PDF]<a href=“http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=310”>http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=310&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

12

<p>^Yeah, I’m aware, as I stated in post #4. I’ll definitely use your advice in post #6 too. Again, thank you very much for the help again.</p>

13

<p>Chicago does not have great food, but it does meet your other requirements.</p>

14

<p>My son, who is at Chicago, says breakfast at Bartlett is not great, but the dinners are! And there are quite a few good places to eat off campus- Medici on 57th being a fav with most students.</p>

15

<p>“…relaxing suburb feel”</p>

<p>Chicago is honestly not a match for that criteria. You should really look into Claremont McKenna College, part of the five-college consortium that includes Harvey Mudd and Pomona. The five colleges are grouped on or near the same campus, so although each one has a LAC size enrollment, combined they have the diversity and range of activities of a medium-sized campus. Claremont is a small suburban town, but it’s not hard to get into L.A., which has all the urban buzz from high to low that you could ask for. I don’t know how the policy works, but students at one college are allowed to take courses in another in the consortium, so you could possibly take some amazing math or chemistry classes at Harvey Mudd, or some incredible history class at Pomona. CMC could be a nice match for what you want in a college.
Check out the research institutes. [url=<a href=“http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/academic/]Academics[/url”>http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/academic/]Academics[/url</a>]</p>

16

<p>jazzymom: First, thank you for your recommendation. I briefly looked into Claremont McKenna College and it did look like a great school. I’ll have to further research it, but I’ll definitely consider it, thanks for the help! I should have clarified better though what I meant with the atmosphere thing though. I meant like I certainly don’t want to go to a school like NYU, since they don’t even have a campus. But, I wouldn’t mind go to a school with the environment of, say Columbia for instance, since they have a very nice campus, like a school you would find in the suburbs or rural, even though it’s in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world. And I also wouldn’t mind going to a school like the one you suggested, Claremont McKenna College, since it is close to a city.</p>

<p>Everyone else: Don’t worry too much about the food thing, it’s not really a deciding factor. I mean it’s nice to have good food, but I wouldn’t ignore a college just because it doesn’t have the greatest gourmet meals or something.</p>

<p>Also, I’ve been looking into Oberlin College and Brandeis University, do you all think they fit the bill?</p>

17

<p>I apologize, but since this thread was kicked off the first page, I am going to “bump” it, but I will only do it once, so please don’t find this “bumping” overly annoying.</p>