Would I be wasting my SCEA if I apply to Princeton?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>Chinese Male (living in HK)
Lived in London for 3 years
Not Applying for Financial Aid </p>

<p>Projected Cumulative GPA (Unweighted) 4.0/4.0</p>

<p>SATs: 2100-2300 (Depending on how much I prep, probably 2200+ if I invest time)</p>

<p>APs (All 5s):
Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
US Government and Politics
Comparative Government and Politics </p>

<p>Calculus BC
Statistics</p>

<p>Biology
Chemistry
Physics B</p>

<p>Chinese Language and Culture</p>

<p>Senior Year APs:
Physics C
Environmental Science
Psychology</p>

<p>Self Study: Multivariable Calculus</p>

<p>Should I self-study APES and AP Psychology and take AP World and AP Human Geo even though I may not get an A in AP World? Should I take AP English if I know I will not get an A or a 5 on the AP Exam?</p>

<p>ECs:
Math and Science Center (Leader - 2 Years)
TA</p>

<p>Sports:
Tennis (Recreational - Twice a week)</p>

<p>Music:
Piano (10 years...dropped Freshman year - Should I include this and just say 10 years?)
Violin (3 years...dropped Freshman year - Should i include this and just say 3 years?)</p>

<p>Service:
NHS
Cheshire Home - Elderly Home for the Disable (Hong Kong Hospital Authority) (Leader)
Z Club (Director - 2 Years)
UNICEF
Heifer (Leader - 1 Year)
Interim (One week long school service trips - incl. India and South Africa)
Teach Elementary School Students English (Bring a class of Freshman) (Leader - 4 years)</p>

<p>Job Experience:
Kumon Instructor (After I completed the program in Freshman year) of English and Mathematics - Twice a week for 3-4 hours each time</p>

<p>Internship:
Summer after Junior year</p>

<p>Awards:
COMAP High School Contest in Mathematical Modeling (National Outstanding)
Mathematics Department Award
Science Department Award
Bausch Lomb Award (Possibly - Partial Scholarship for Rochester University)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Award ("")</p>

<p>AIME</p>

<p>I think my ECs and awards are VERY weak for top colleges. </p>

<p>What are my chances to Princeton?
Where would I place percentile-wise amongst the students accepted to Princeton?</p>

2

<p>90% of the people who apply SCEA will be wasting it. I’m afraid you may be one of them.</p>

3

<p>What are the other colleges on your list? For Princeton, your projected SAT may not give you a good enough chance to “sacrifice” not applying early to another school. If you have a “close second” choice where you have better chances applying early, I’d personally go that route.</p>

4

<p>Oh cool, a HiMCM national outstanding winner. Congrats =). Planning on participating in the undergrad version of the contest in a couple of years?</p>

5

<p>If I work on my SATs, I can definitely boost it to 2300+. I am more worried about my ECs in general. Even though I have one more year to work on boosting my ECs, I don’t have anything close to the equivalent to the national level in the states. Are there any other ways you would suggest to make my ECs stand out more?</p>

6

<p>get in when @jshain: What colleges do you think I should look at such that I have a good chance of getting in with an EA or ED application? Should I be looking at the Columbia/Upenn level or the Cornell/Brown level for my early application such that I am not ‘sacrificing’ my early application so to speak but have a reasonable shot at the college…</p>