I’ll get right to business.
SAT: 2400, 1 attempt
Math 2: 800
Physics:800
Chemistry: 800
GPA 4.0, IB diploma program with 7 courses instead of six (bio chem plus physics), 4 Higher Levels. I received a 7 in all of them, awaiting the IB test next year
Extra curricular activities: interned at my country’s space agency for almost a month, Chess.com rating of 1500 probably the same in the FIDE ranking system when I compete
white international male
Where can I get into? I really like princeton. Is it a match for me?
Princeton is a “reach” for anyone due to selectivity/admission rate. You haven’t told us what you’re looking for in a school, so it’s hard to say whether it’s a “match” based on fit.
Do you require financial aid?
Your chances are as good as anyone’s (and better than most), meaning that - despite your extraordinary stats - Princeton is still a reach. Have you had a chance to visit Princeton. If it’s what you want, then Early Decision might be a good option. It is not a match for anyone, regardless of qualifications, since it will attract applications from the most accomplished students in the world. They will undoubtedly give your application a serious review. What specifically attracts you to Princeton? Try to devise a list that includes a few less-selective colleges that offer some of those attributes. With your stats, you might as well aim high, since all but a tiny, select handful of colleges will admit you unhesitatingly - just be sure to apply to one or two (more, if you need a significant amount of financial aid) of them.
As an int’l applicant, Princeton is a super reach. It’s a super reach for domestic students, but even more so for an int’l.
What country are you from? some countries have a ridiculous number of applicants…India, China, and I think England, etc.
@Dunboyne I don’t need financial aid. I don’t have much criteria. I want the school to be prestigious. Is it really a reach? I’m not bragging but I have perfect scores, only about 300 people get 2400 every year so could I get rejected easily?
@woogzmama If I have good chances at princeton, does that mean I could easily get into berkeley? I don’t think I want to apply to anywhere less prestigious than berkeley, basically it’s my safe school . I like princeton because Einstein was a professor there and that it’s really famous. I don’t need financial aid.
@mom2collegekids Really? I don’t need financial aid and I have perfect stats. Would any school really be a reach? Only 300 people get 2400 every year. I will apply to a safely (berkeley) but I think even if I do not get into princeton, I’ll get into another famous school like harvard or MIT. I don’t have much extra curriculars but they’ll probably understand that because you can’t get the scores that I have and have time for extra curricular activities. Most people i’ve seen on posts getting accepted to those schools usually don’t have scores like mine. I don’t want to say exactly where I live but not many people apply from my country. What school do you think I have 100% chance of getting into? Would duke or university of Pennsylvania be one of them?
@MikeTyson51, if you are interviewed for Princeton do not give this as your reason for wanting to attend. “Because it’s famous” doesn’t give the school any insight into you. It doesn’t distinguish Priceton from the other 25 famous American Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges, and frankly, makes you sound terribly shallow.
Einstein (who has now been dead longer than he taught and nearly as long as he lived) also taught in Berlin. If you get accepted at both, how will you choose?
Everyone who attends Princeton performed well on their SATs and did well in school. Princeton wants a student who has put in the effort to examine himself and discover what motivates him. They’re looking for someone who can be reflective and recognize that scores do not make the applicant. Good luck.
UC Berkeley is nobody’s safety. I hope that your remark about not wanting to attend any college less illustrious than Berkeley and your obsession with brand prestige will not appear in any college application essays, and that you are not bitterly disappointed by your options next April.
One very prestigious college that might actually be pretty safe for you is McGill, in Montreal. It is a globally-recognized university, and they place a lot of emphasis on test scores in admissions. Washington University-St. Louis and Vanderbilt are also known for showing love to high scorers provided you indicate that you are genuinely interested in them. Judging from other students who’ve posted here, they aren’t always kind to the kids who “shotgun” (ie. apply to all eight Ivies, Stanford, Chicago, Berkeley, et al), but even some of those ended up waitlisted.
College admissions at a place like Princeton is based on a holistic evaluation by the admissions team of each individual applicant’s file. Admission is not automatic based simply on test scores; admissions officers are looking for a “fit” with their individual schools, and that is something which does not show up on a standardized exam.
One thing that you can do that will help you in the admissions process is to display less arrogance and more humility than you have shown in your postings here.
@urbanslaughter obviously I’ll give them some BS like “I love the atmosphere at your school” or something. Everyone’s shallow, no one actually likes harvard because of their “traditions”, people just want the swag of saying they studied in harvard. I know Einstein is dead. just cool that he taught in that university. I don’t like germany and the german school he taught in isn’t famous. No one “puts effort in discovering” themselves. I’ve seen these posts with people being all rounded and stuff but none of them have the academic motivation to spend over 10 hours a day studying every day outside of school. If I didn’t do that, sure “discovering myself” might be relevant to my application but I think colleges will understand why I didn’t have time to do that. Sure everybody who attends princeton did well on their SATs but what about the people who applied? I don’t care about distinguishing myself at princeton, I want to get in. Princeton accepts 2000 people every year but only 300 have the SAT score I have and furthermore they probably don’t have my GPA. Are you saying that I don’t have a very strong chance of getting in?
@woogzmama Why? They accepts about 10,000 people every year but only 300 people have 2400 on their SATs. Why can’t it be a safety?
@woogzmama
None of those schools are well know enough. Do I seriously stand a chance at getting rejected from berkeley?
Wow, @MikeTyson51, just stop. Admissions at any of the top schools in the US (and I’m including about 50 schools in that group) are not black and white (in spite of how you’re attempting to portray them). All these schools want intriguing individuals with a story, not just a machine. If it were as simple as getting perfect scores everyone would sacrifice becoming a complete individual and focus solely on their scores. Scores are indeed important, but they are far from the whole story. Every year students with perfect scores are denied from all kinds of schools.
None of the “prestigious schools” is 100% guaranteed for ANY applicant. At Stanford, approximately 19 of every 20 applicants are denied admission. There are simply way more applicants with great qualifications beyond test scores, than there are available spots. That means overwhelmingly qualified applicants are denied admission all the time. This happens at dozens of schools every year.
@gandalf78 Isn’t the ‘holistic’ crap just for show? Aren’t scores the most important thing? I have perfect IB scores and SAT scores. Why would the school reject me?
^ Just read your answers to the various posters.
I’m starting to think that you are t r o l l i n g on here simply to get the kinds of responses that you have gotten.
@urbanslaughter
“If it were as simple as getting perfect scores everyone would sacrifice becoming a complete individual and focus solely on their scores.”
But most people don’t have what it takes to study over 10 hours a day while going to school.
“Every year students with perfect scores are denied from all kinds of schools.”
Do you have any sources on that?
“None of the “prestigious schools” is 100% guaranteed for ANY applicant. At Stanford, approximately 19 of every 20 applicants are denied admission.”
Yea but again only 300 people every year have the SAT score let alone grades that I have.
OK, obviously Mr. Tyson is trying to have some fun with everyone here. Haha, funny stuff Mike. Thank goodness there are not real applicants who think the way you do.
@urbanslaughter @gandalf78
haha, looks like just another case jealous people calling an ambitious person with good grades a t r o l l.