<p>I'm a high school junior this year, set on SCEA for Princeton next year, if I get in I will ABSOLUTELY go no questions. so:</p>
<p>SAT I (breakdown): 2300 (770 CR 760 M 770 W) Will retake.
SAT II: 780 math II (taking chem and latin in June...retake MII?)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0/4.8 going on 4.9 at the end of this year
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 3 (prob. number 1) out of about 350
AP (place score in parenthesis): Comp. Sci (5) US Gov (5) Calc AB (5) Calc C, World, English Lang. Physics Mech. Chem this year</p>
<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Model UN, Math Team, It's Academic (Quiz Bowl...alternate for TV team this year, captain next year guaranteed), Ping-pong club, NHS (should be some sort of exec. next year) Science NHS (exec. almost guaranteed next year) Mu Alpha Theta, Latin Club (co-founder and board member this year, co-pres. next), Tech Honor Society (Founder, pres. when it officially starts next year), Leadership U (Kickass service and leadership program), hopefully Youth on Board (get on board of local organization)
Job/Work Experience: NSA High School Work Study (CS Research, not too much more info that I can give), basketball referee, almost guaranteed internship at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab next school year
Volunteer/Community service: Altar Server at Church, Hospitality Minister at Church, sort food donations at church
Summer Activities: NSA (considering Vanderbilt PAVE...any thoughts?)
State (if domestic applicant): MD
School Type: Public (3 Ivies SCEA this year, two princeton (though with legacy and/or URM))
Ethnicity: White (1/16 Native American...if only that helped)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: I actually don't know...def. pretty high though (prob. 200+)
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): LOL I wish</p>
<p>What do I need to do to take the next steps? Thank you! And, if you think I have a good chance, give a reason! I don't need "Oh, you'll definitely get in" (I saw 9 kids get deferred or rejected from my school this year who prob. had that said to them MANY times)</p>
<p>Is there a reason Princeton is your first choice?</p>
<p>You look great on paper. The only advice I could give you is to find a few other schools your really like, and try not to be so set on Princeton. It’s great, no question, but it’s so impossible to predict who will or won’t be accepted, you NEED to get excited about some other schools, too. My husband interviewed for Princeton last year. The three applicants he interviewed were amazing. Truly. None were accepted. I also remember a friend of mine’s son who was a math genius- top math competition scores- and had Princeton as his #1 choice- denied. No reason. He got into MIT, Yale, Stanford and a bunch of others. It just isn’t smart to be too hung up on any one school. </p>
<p>That said, your test scores are excellent and I truly would not waste time retaking any of them. You’ll have more APs to get 5s in, and that will always look great. I also think it’s pretty impressive to do well on the SAT and only take it once. Colleges say they don’t care how many times you take it, but by not taking it again, there’s a certain acceptance that you know you’re ok- and you are. Focus on other things- write fantastic essays (my friend’s son, above, got in as an early admit (before EA apps were even in!) at Yale, probably due to his wonderful essay), and make sure you get tip-top recommendations. You should have some wonderful options in April. And I hope Princeton is among them.</p>
<p>One more thing- for summer, rather than an academic study, like Vandy, why not get a job, perhaps in something in one of your areas of interest that isn’t academic? It would round your resume out nicely.</p>
<p>Thank you! I think I came across a little too strongly with my intro. I love everything about Princeton, but I would also be thrilled at Stanford, Cornell, Brown, U Chicago and totally happy at Duke, Vandy, Hopkins. </p>
<p>And just FYI: my area of interest is def. comp. sci. Do I need another summer job in addition to NSA?</p>
<p>And oh crap…I forgot to mention that I (come senior year) will be a 3-yr member of my schools programming team and will be de facto captain senior year.</p>
<p>I have no motivation to write out long responses so I’ll just give you some random points.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Don’t retake Math II. Don’t retake your SAT unless you think you’ll do better, I got in with the same composite.</p></li>
<li><p>APs matter so keep up your good streak of 5s.</p></li>
<li><p>Do NSA and research. Do PAVE if you’re interested in it, it won’t help with admissions unless you’re doing Vandy ED (or is it EA?), which you can get into without the summer program.</p></li>
<li><p>You have great extracurriculars, just consolidate and stress your achievements, leadership, passion, and unique contributions on your application. I did this through an additional info resume since there’s barely any room on the Common App.</p></li>
<li><p>In retrospect, I was probably a million times worse than you in terms of being hung up on Princeton. I was so set on getting into Princeton that it actually became extremely unhealthy and, now that I think about it, I would have had an extremely miserable senior year if I did end up getting deferred SCEA. While I was lucky and got accepted in mid-December, I know lots of people who were just as badly obsessed that were deferred and it’s not a pretty thing to go through. So, since you’re still a wee junior, don’t get caught up on Princeton because it’s waaaaay to stressful to fall in love with.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you. NSA isn’t an option for this summer though, and I don’t really have enough connections to do research (plus that’s my JHU APL internship next year). Plus I hear that PAVE’s head writes awesome recs for everyone…I just may do it despite your advice :)</p>
<p>I think the previous posters have been too optimistic. Applying to Princeton is still a shot in the dark, even with those who are as qualified as you are. As long as you write good essays, and continue to do what you are doing, you have a CHANCE, but definitely not a guarantee. </p>
<p>As far as your ECs / Activities, it’s quite a list, but its a little unclear to me what is your passion, though you have identified comp sci. Do stuff that highlights that interest, even small little things can help. Your laundry list almost makes it seem like you’re doing things that you think Priceton wants to see, which may or may not be the case. Don’t “lose yourself” in an attempt to impress the adcoms.</p>
<p>I had a friend that attended Vanderbilt’s PAVE this summer and she enjoyed it. That’s about all i know.</p>
<p>With regards to the essays, my advice is to START EARLY, and write something that represents who you are. As long as you let your personality shine through on the app, you’re doing the right thing. I’m not saying to write an oratorio about your charming wit and personality, but don’t be afraid to speak TO the adcoms, not AT them. </p>
<p>Otherwise, don’t bother retaking any of your test scores. Focus on the APs and the SAT IIs you’ll be taking later. </p>
<p>My final thought is that since your school has a reputation for sending kids to Ivies, your chances are strengthened across the board. That knowledge is more valuable to you than any other data. </p>
<p>You are a strong applicant but you’ve got to remember that Princeton is highly selective and turns down strong applicants just like you all the time.</p>
<p>To reiterate the previous poster, I would suggest you put your efforts into your application essays instead of retaking the SAT at this point (unless you are sure you can score higher). Although, the essays aren’t the most important component of the application, I really think they can be a deciding factor at schools were so many qualified kids apply. Start your essays way earlier than you think you’ll need to (I spent like 3 months on mine). Also, you have a great breadth of ECs, but to the extent that you can in the 8 months or so, try to attain leadership positions and create a more narrow focus with your activities. Good luck!</p>
<p>You sound fantastic on paper. Your stats are amazing. Now find what drives you…what you absolutely LOVE… and focus on that! Princeton (and other top schools) accept PASSIONATE students, not resume obsessed academics!</p>
<p>You’ll be a strong candidate for Princeton next year, but there is never a guarantee you’ll make it in. I wouldn’t re-take any of the tests.</p>
<p>You should really focus on your interests and make it a passion. And write the best essays you can :). Show Princeton how amazing you are as an individual. You have a decent shot, but don’t be too obsessed with one specific college :).</p>
<p>To clarify: I’m not too obsessed with Princeton. There are other great schools where I would be totally happy. However, I would prefer to go to Princeton if it was an option. That’s all I’m saying.</p>
<p>Start your common app essay early. I worked on mine on and off from May of my junior year until LITERALLY the day it was due (Nov. 1; I applied to Princeton SCEA).
And don’t become so focused on getting into college that you forget to enjoy high school :)</p>
<p>My advice: Be a human being. Make known to the admission committee that you’re a real person and not just some numbers and EC’s on paper. Portray not just your achievements, but who you are as a person, and why love to do the things you do.</p>
<p>For me, I had blah blah good test scores and a shopping list of EC’s, but I focused really on 3-4 of them. I like playing chess, and in my common app essay I hinted why I like strategy games while talking about the meaning of maturity. The “activities” short answer was about my love for the immersion of playing in an orchestra. (I had 5-6 violin-related activities) One of my supplements talked about a favorite math teacher, while revealing my rebellious but rational character (which also ties in to the nonconformity I hinted in the common app essay). The other supplement showed that my summer research was important in that it inspired me to become an engineer, while tying in an interesting point about my broad interests in just about everything, liberal arts or not. And I’m sure my recommendations echoed what I wrote about my character.</p>
<p>I was in denial when I was accepted SCEA, because I thought that when I looked at my EC’s they were cliche and unimpressive. But after rereading my essays some more and reflecting on who my recommenders were, I can sort of see how I got in. At this point, your test scores/GPA are as high as they need be, and your EC’s are good enough. You have shot, and the essays/recommendations are going to make all the difference.</p>