<p>Two words: Pomona College</p>
<p>Brown has great music, you'll love it. If I were you I would check it out, and possibly apply ED. My bet is you will get in.</p>
<p>You are WAY underestimating yourself. Your SAT is amazing, your grades are fin, and if you have a ton of music ECs that's all you need. Colleges are often looking for a well rounded student body, not well rounded students. IF you do one thing really well that's all that matters.</p>
<p>rocket: I live within the general area of pomona, and I've been there before. I dunno, it felt a little too much like high school. </p>
<p>slipper: Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll probably check Brown out when I tour the east coast. Can you tell me what happens to financial aid if you apply ED? Is it easier to get in Brown if you apply ED, or is it a torturous death like Stanford's?</p>
<p>Other suggestions are welcome too :)</p>
<p>Brown ED totally helps you...financial aid is a little hairy though - there's always the risk you might not get the best offer. But Brown (and all the Ivies) are good about meeting 100% student aid.</p>
<p>zoidberg, you have some similarities with Aaron Hill. See article in the following URL:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.andyhillspeaks.com/michigan.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.andyhillspeaks.com/michigan.html</a></p>
<p>Any colleges that are more of a match?</p>
<p>I hope this doesn't sound too much like a "what are my chances" question, but how much will being an Asian in CA who's into music hurt me? A lot or A LOT? I'm not internationally competitive--I supposedly have "potential", which as you all know means almost nothing, but I've also got an unbelievable amount of stage fright for a "musician". Seriously, I know that "real" musicians are supposed to be intense on stage, but I'm constantly so conscious of myself, to a ridiculously self-destructive extent, that I've never been able to get over it. So I decided to branch out from piano and now I'm proficient in about 5-6 instruments. I compete in statewide competitions/I do alright. Not great, but ok. </p>
<p>Admittedly, there are obviously lots of us who, yea, are pushed into doing the same x, y and z, and subsequently hate it, but what about the ones who don't? I know there are many more out there like me. Don't colleges want to see that you have an intense passion for an extracurricular? It kind of ****es me off that people are now telling me that I should've like... done unicycle racing or learned an obscure African tribal dialect to get into college. It shouldn't be about tricks like that. Geez. I might as well cut off my ears and use that as a "hook". Deaf kid who plays music. Maybe my left pinky too. Deaf kid missing a finger who plays music. How do you like me now, Stanford? </p>
<p>...that was a joke. But kind of an angry one.</p>
<p>St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota</p>
<p>Their orchestra, band, and choir are some of the best in the counrty.</p>
<p>zoidberg, to narrow down the schools you want to apply to, why don't you decide what part of the country you would like to live in and then see what schools there are of interest to you?</p>
<p>If you are from CA, you might not like to be where the temperature goes below zero and snow is measured in feet. Or you might not like a place where the temperature is consistently in the 90's and mosquitos and cockroaches are measured in inches.</p>