fongle

Hi, I'm a Black male from California. I have good test scores, decent grades and activities but not outstanding. (Income level = middle class)

SAT scores: 2220 (first take; 760 math 760 reading 700 writing),
2400! (second take, 12 essay; I prepped really hard for several months and also got really lucky; it was this October)
PSAT: 233 (National Merit)
SAT 2: 720 Biology M, 790 Math II, 780 US History
PLAN: 28

Schedule: 9th grade:
Geometry
Biology
World History / PE
AP Computer science A
English 1
Spanish 1
10th grade:
Algebra 2 Honors
Chemistry Honors
European History AP
Spanish 2
English Language AP
Economics / Government
Summer: Precalculus
11th grade:
Calculus BC AP
Spanish 3 Honors
Physics Honors
US History AP
English Literature AP
AP Art Studio: drawing
12th grade:
Statistics AP
Spanish Language AP
Physics C AP
Psychology AP
English 4
Geology

My grades all range from A- to A+ except a B+ first semester of AP english lang (sophomore year) and a C first semester of AP USH (ouch , got a 23% on the midterm because it was the day after my great grandma died, but that's not really an excuse) and a B- the next semester of it. Had a really hard teacher for that class.

AP scores: Computer Science A 4 (9th gr), European History 5 (10th), English Language 5 (10th), Calc BC 5 (5 AB subscore; 11th), US History 4 (11th), English Lit 4 (11th), Studio Art 2 (11th; idk why they hated my portfolio), Physics B 4 (self studied, 11th). I was kinda sick during AP week in junior year; I feel like I could have gotten 5s on Physics and Lit if I was feeling a little better.

Extra-curriculars: Football (JV freshman, sophomore year, Varsity junior, senior year)
Track (JV freshman year, Varsity sophomore junior year, and I will be varsity again once it starts next season)
Honor Society (4 year)
Science Bowl (4 year)
Marching band (4 year)
Democrats Club (2 year)

Recommendations: Physics teacher who I had junior year (got A+ both semesters), and Spanish teacher who I have had every single year and never gotten any grade lower than an A in his class. Counselor rec should be okay, I don't know him too well though. Should I send an additional rec in from my football coach? It might be too late to ask though... early is due in a week. Peer evaluation for Dartmouth is finished; it's from my best friend whom I've known since 2nd grade and gone to the same school with for 10 years.

Intended major: Physics (with a theoretical focus)

Colleges:
Dartmouth ED
Stanford
Cornell
Duke
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UCSB
MIT
UIUC
UChicago
Ann Arbor
Harvard
Princeton
Harvey Mudd
Caltech

If you guys are wondering why I'm applying Dartmouth ED even though it's probably not that great for physics, it's because I visited the school and pretty much fell in love with the campus, and I also know it has a strong undergraduate focus. Also, I know this is a lot of apps but I've already finished Harvard, Duke, Dartmouth, UIUC, UMich Ann Arbor, MIT, and UC apps completely (at least, finished whatever is my part) although I haven't submitted anything yet.

fongle

Is it too early to bump?

fongle

Oh yeah; I'm taking the Physics SAT in November. Too late for Dartmouth I know. I was going to take the Physics in October and regular SAT in June, but I got really sick the week of the June SAT and I knew I was going to fail so I didn't even show up. Last year I got sick around a lot of my test (in school as well). So I had to push back my SAT to October and then Physics got left to november; my counselor said that retaking the SAT was more important than taking the Physics one for dartmouth.

Can I still send the Physics SAT score to Dartmouth once it arrives? I have already sent my existing SAT scores there, but can I send them again when Physics arrives even though they might already have evaluated my application? D:

fongle

Anyone know the answer to my question or want to tell me my chances..?

Freakinout2012

My Man! You are so solid for any of your schools! Congrats to you. I can not think of a reason why you would not get into Dartmouth.

cellist

Lol, black male with a 2400. You're in at all of those places. Seriously.

snipersas

Have fun in Hanover - Dartmouth is a great school.

sarcasmrules

Football at MIT, ooops. Hey, you stand out academically so no problem for 95%

fongle

Wow, you guys really think my chances are so great? Cool. Even with my C in AP US? My other scores (SAT 2 and AP) are good enough?

BTW I'm not gonna be a recruited athlete, in case anyone wondered.

vernontwg

that C might hurt you... but you're a URM with killer stats so it shouldn't affect you that much. Your chances are very good at the UCS (don't apply to davis or sb! let people with lower stats like me get a chance :P haha)
ivies are very hard to judge...
good chance at harvey mudd

chance back? Compsci schools for students with bad stats like me? *UC chancers please look*

jshain

I also think your chances are excellent at most if not all the schools on your list however I'd wait until your financial aid packages comes in before becoming emotionally attached to one particular school. Since you come from a middle class background, your EFC could be rather high and you may or may not get enough merit-based aid, depending on the school that accepts you. Tell your parents not to go into debt.

Additional comments:
If you would attend UCB over UIUC, I'm not sure why you are applying to UIUC since you will be accepted to UCB. I'm not sure you need to apply to BOTH UCSB and UCD. Are UCSB and UCD your ELC auto-admit safety schools? Which school do you prefer, pick that one, and save the $60.00 application fee. UMichigan is very expensive for OOS students and they don't give much merit-based aid. It's a great school, but you will have lots of options. Since you will be accepted to Cal, you don't really need UMichigan.

All the best to you. If you are lucky enough to get into Princeton and get a good FA package, that's where I'd go. If you liked Dartmouth I think you will REALLY like Princeton!

OsakaDad

You'll do great buddy. TOTALLY AGREE with jshain. Play the schools against each other for $$$$. A kid like you should not graduate with debt. Also, I would not apply ED to Dartmouth. Even though they say that acceptance ED for a school does not affect your financial aid it does. They know that they've got you. Let Dartmouth compete for you like all the other schools.

corona276

Congratulations on getting a 2400! But I do have to wonder,
1) Have you demonstrated leadership in any of the clubs you're a part of?
2) What's your gpa/rank?
3) Where's the community service?
4) Do you have any physics related awards?

I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but I wouldn't say that anyone is an automatic in solely because of a combination of race + test scores. There are plenty of AA students out there who have decent test scores in addition to great transcripts and outstanding EC's. i just don't see a clear focus here...Good luck anyway--definitely write killer essays that demonstrate your passion for physics!

fongle

I just want to be safe. You're right, I think I will take out UCD. Are you sure I will get into Cal? Some people I know have been rejected with good scores and grades.
I might not submit UMich application, we'll see.

I really really want to go there. Also, I think there's a policy that you can not attend the school even with ED if they don't give enough aid.

1) VP of Democrats club this year, nothing else.
2) GPA is 3.889 unweighted and 4.5 weighted (Freshman year is low weighted because only 1 weighted class, and my C and 2 B's bring down the unweighted). School only ranks by decile and I'm in the top 10%.
3) Minimal, around 50 hours. Should I even list it? 50 hours is better than nothing I guess, but a lot of kids have 100+, 200+, even 500+ hours...
4) No. I took the olympiad last year but did not do well. My Science Bowl team does pretty well though.

Anybody know about my Physics SAT question? I think I can maybe get an 800 so it might help, since my other science SAT is low, if i can send at all to Dartmouth.

jshain

ED is binding however if you are unhappy with the aid package, you DO have some wiggle room to back out. I would NOT apply ED to Dartmouth since you have schools on your list that are much better options in your major such as Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Cal Tech, Berkeley, etc. but that decision is yours and yours alone. And yes, you very likely WILL get accepted to Berkeley although I still wouldn't call it a safety. My S got accepted to Berkeley (Engineering) last year with stats much lower than yours (but his SAT II's, ECs, CS, and leadership were better) and he is also a URM for Berkeley.... he's White! (lol)

Only about 300 or so seniors got a perfect SAT score of 2400 last year. I believe a lot more get perfect ACT scores but not sure how many. You are in an elite group.... REGARDLESS of your race.