rhyn0

Please note that I am not yet a senior. I am making a few assumptions here, all of which are in my extracurriculars.

I want to study Biology.
General Information:
High School: One of the top 20 in the US. (It's a boarding school not in NY)
Sex: Female
Location: NY
Ethnicity: White

Stats:
GPA: approximately 90 (it's very good in context of the school I go to)
Rank: School does not rank.
SAT: 2180 (CR: 700, M: 720, W: 760 [12 Essay])
SAT II's: 800 Math IIC, 720 US History, 760 Bio M, 680 Lit
ACT: 32

Significant Extracurriculars:
Math Team: 4 years (Captain during Jr. Year)
Engineering Team: 3 years
School Newspaper: 4 years; Positions held: Staff writer, Business Manager, Publisher (basically 2nd in command )
Internship at a prestigious cancer research lab: Spent over 360 hours here during my sophomore year summer, and will spend all of my junior year summer there as well. I will probably publish a couple papers this summer.
Chorus: 3 years
Sports: I've done sports every season of every year in high school (mostly track/cross country)
Quiz Bowl: Team founder and captain (Junior and Senior years)

Significant Awards:
- Likely National Merit Semifinalist (PSAT: 224)
- School Fellowship ($3,500): This is one of the things that makes my application unique. The fellowship that I won is awarded to one student in my grade every year, and it's extremely competitive. My fellowship has a lot to do with my focus on cancer research, and I will be going to the pacific rim to pursue it.
- I will be applying to the Siemens-Westinghouse competition.

Schools that I'm interested in: (This list does not include every school I'm considering--just the ones I'd like to be chanced for. Do I have any chance at the following?)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (legacy)
University of Pennsylvania
Duke University
Brown University
Cornell University
Rice University
Tufts University

THANKS!

rhyn0

bump! chance me :P

stockguru92

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (legacy) - reach (does MIT even count legacy)?
University of Pennsylvania - reach (everybody)
Duke University - mid-match
Brown University - high match
Cornell University - high match
Rice University - exact match
Tufts University - you might get the syndrome

Play up that cancer research in your essays and you have a good shot at every one of these schools.

OneMom

You have a chance at all of them. You exhibit communications ability as well as scientific and mathematical ability. That should be appreciated. The newspaper work also shows leadership ability.

rhyn0

Thanks for the comments so far!

OneMom: what do you mean by "communications ability?"

palmettotree

Be sure to mention on your applications that you have aspirations.

diffy q

(FWIW legacy status doesn't do anything for you at MIT :P)

Write good essays and you'll get in everywhere. See you at MIT sometime within the next 4 years?

rhyn0

bump!!!!!!!!

rhyn0

buuuuuuump

auraeight

emphasize your cancer research, that's the sort of stuff that will stand out. if you manage to do very well at the seimans-westinghouse competition, you'll probably be in at most, if not all, of these. otherwise, I would raise that SAT score by a lot.

rhyn0

bump! thanks.

OneMom

By communications ability, I meant your newspaper work plus the high score on the writing SAT. Make sure that they notice!

rhyn0

Ah ok Bump!

sherlock1016

rhyn0, did I see you in the TASP thread?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (legacy): Reach (everyone)
University of Pennsylvania: If engineering then I would say low reach. From what I hear the engineering school is easier to get into than the college of arts and sciences
Duke University: high fit
Brown University: high fit
Cornell University: fit
Rice University: fit
Tufts University: fit

upton

the papers may be difficult to publish in such a short time. the publication process is highly rigorous and selective, lasting usually around 6 months. if you want these publications on your app, you should submit them as soon as possible. I would also recommend that you submit your research in Intel STS and Seimens contests in your senior year.