<p>I'm quite curious. Is it for reassurance or reality checking? One can always look up the acceptance and admission stats of their desired school, which can give one an idea of what scores and grades to aim for. I would think that comparing the researched stats with one's own would be a little reassuring. However, college applicants with mindblowing GPAs, SAT/ACT scores, and ECs are, at times, rejected; who is to say what will be key individual factor an admission officer will look for/find that would make or break someone? So what is the need for all the "Chance Me" threads if the replies will be mainly speculation?</p>
<p>Sometimes a well-crafted answer to a “chance-me” thread can cure the OP’s neurosis, while other people got a rather brutal reality check.</p>
<p>People also point out weak spots on an application that you might not see…:</p>
<p>Maybe because some people might know alot people who got accepted to a certain university and might could help with average stats they had. Online stats are not really accurate. they are exceptions such as excellent extracurriculars might get you in.</p>
<p>Plus having various strangers chance you could give you an unbiased opinion on what your chances are for getting into certain schools.</p>
<p>Certain things can’t be looked up as easily, such as ECs (which people tend to be biased about when evaluating). Also an outsiders prospective is helpful in general when you are dealing with schools that reject applicants that are extremely qualified (specifically top 20 schools).</p>
<p>You’ve probably overestimated yourself before. Maybe you told yourself not to study for that exam because it’s going to be a piece of cake, only to not do well at all. You’ve underestimated yourself as well. Overall, it can be extremely difficult to evaluate yourself, and you often need outside help to get an accurate chance.</p>
<p>Okay, I can understand maybe getting advice here and there, but why not just try to get the best grades and scores you possibly can, take on a doable amount of ECs, try to make academic connections at the college, write a killer essay and cross your fingers?</p>
<p>Lol, I guess that sounds easier than it is in reality.</p>
<p>The only (potentially) useful purpose to chancing is to open the eyes of naive applicants. There are a lot of high school students who perform well and who get told by well-meaning teachers and parents that “Of course you should apply to Harvard, Yale & Stanford with MIT as a safety. Who wouldn’t want such a nice person with a 3.5/1700?”</p>
<p>A chance thread for people like that can help them realize how competitive things are and get them to expand their lists to include more likely schools.</p>
<p>As for finding exception admits based on ECs and essays, I think that only offers false hope. We don’t know the full story of those applicants. Maybe they’re 5th generation attendees. Maybe their parents donated $1M. Maybe they’re really good (scholarship level) cheerleaders/athletes/debate team members. </p>
<p>They are ‘one-off’ random data points. We don’t know the details and we have no insight or power into the decision process. We can’t change the outcomes in any way; in that sense, asking anonymous internet posters what your chances are is utterly pointless.</p>
<p>A good chance me request would list all the colleges the applicant is planning to apply to, their financial situation, their state, sex, race, along with their stats, and ECs.</p>
<p>Good responses will tell them which are their safeties, where they might face problems if they don’t have enough money, and what might be important to specific schools and also provide a strategy in terms of where to apply early or ED etc.</p>
<p>A thread saying can I get into HYPS and I have 2390, 4.6 GPA, and a set of ECs truly is trying to get mainly positive feedback to feel happy. Such a thread serves no purpose other self affirmation if posted a month before application season but people can point out EC holes to be rectified if it is an year early.</p>
<p>I think you will get much better information if you call your thread, “Need help with my college list” than you will with “Chance me for Harvard.” As texaspg suggests, list your stats, and the colleges you are considering (and why you are considering them). You will get a reality check, and you may also get some good suggestions for schools to add to your list.</p>
<p>As the previous posters mentioned, it’s really a reality check, as well as getting input. </p>
<p>IMO I’d rather have a good “gut check” rather than asking for “chancing”, be a bit more critical, “slap to the face”. But that’s just me.</p>