umar99

Gender: M
Ethnicity: Asian
Location: California
College Class Year: 2013
High School: Public



Academics:
My school blocks the gpa at 4.32, but if i were to continue augmenting it, I would have around a 4.92
Class Rank: 1/554
Course selection:
Freshman Year:
AP Human Geography 5
Alg II, Physics, Spanish III

Sophomore Year:
AP European History 5
AP Spanish Language 4
AP Biology 4
Trig/Precalc Honors

Junior Year:
AP Calc AB 5
AP Music Theory 3
AP US History 5
AP Spanish Literature 3 (Independent Study) (I actually had a class period for this, but I was the only student and it was me independently reading the required readings)
AP Chemistry 3
AP English Language 4

Then I also independently studied AP Art History 3 and AP World History 5(very similar to AP Euro) and took both of those exams too

Next Year (Senior Year):
Possibly
AP Calc BC
AP Enviro Science
AP Eng. Lit
AP Gov (Both comparative and US)
AP Physics C (although i will independently study for 'B' too and take all 3 exams)
AP Statistics
AP Computer Science AB (or A if AB is discontinued)

..i might also consider independently studying ap psychology and/or ap economics over the summer and take those exams

Scores:
SAT total 2110 (Will retake)
ACT -32
SAT II
Math II: 780
US History: 740
Biology Molecular: 730
Chemistry: 710


ECs
-Math Team captain 4 years
-Middle Eastern Indian Club Leader for 2 years
--Science Olympiad Chairperson and placed 1st-2nd in regional and state events (9th-12th grades)
-MUN Secretary general for my school and participation for 4 years
-Piano for 10 years
-Tennis all 4 years of highschool
-i'm doing a research internship at UCSF this summer
- have 12 credits (units) at community college for classes i took last summer
-Relay for life club -4 years American Cancer Society
-150 volunteer hours at hospital

Recs
-I have 2 great teachers who'll write me recommendations

Question
-Senior year, should I participate in the Academic Decathlon (my school usually wins 3rd-4th at the state competition) and cut down on my AP classes or should I not do Academic Decathlon and have a large number of AP classes. I might get the AP State Scholar award for most AP exams taken.

Colleges of interest
Harvard
Stanford
Princeton
Brown
John Hopkins
UC Berkeley
UC Irvine

I'm planning on majoring in Bio/PreMed, Political Science or maybe even History

so where do i have the greatest chance? thanks

Fastfood15

I don't think that as an ORM with only good test scores you will get into HYPS. With those it's always about the story you tell, but there doesn't seem to be that with the ECs you list.

I don't know enough about the UC system to talk about Berkeley.

umar99

bump bump bump

dashboard

Don't start academic decathlon senior year...it's a waste of time, for one thing, and it's best to do something all four years of high school

kwaldner

Harvard - high reach
Stanford - reach
Princeton - high reach
Brown - low reach
John Hopkins - IN
UC Berkeley - low reach
UC Irvine - IN

umar99

bump bump bump

Echelon32

Fastfood - you're right about test scores. For entry into top colleges, its almost required to have good test scores as an ORM, and then some.

But umar, your test scores are not good compared to the people youll be up against. 2100 on the SAT/32 on the ACT is usually the bare minimum for most URMs. I'd say the unwritten cutoff is about 2250 for unhooked applicants, and since you're ORM, bump that up to 2300.

Also, I'm confused about your AcDec conflict with APs. Have you already taken enough APs to be competitive for the AP State Scholar award? Because if you take a bunch senior year, they would have to wait until your scores are out aka. you've already committed to a college. The award would come wayyyy too late for college admissions.

Your chances to the ivies are very low, and not sure about UCs. I guess UC Irvine is your safety?

umar99

bump bump bump

mrclassicfreak

ehh..pre-med and poli sci are two completely different branches of studies. How about you apply as "undecided"?

Shad Faraz

Harvard-high reach
Stanford-high reach
Princeton-high reach
Brown-reach
Johns Hopkins-reach
UC Berkeley-match if you are in state(reach if you are not)
UC Irvine-safety

Schmoomcgoo

I think you are are a highly accomplished student who is, academically, a fit at every one of those schools, and yet you cannot count on entrance to any of them. Your SAT scores do need to be higher for Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton. Your resume shows you are a high achiever; your application must show you are motivated by a love of learning, or a strong and genuine desire to achieve something beyond admission to HYPS (cure cancer, save the rainforest, etc.). I would recommend you do something as a senior that really interests you...something that you can write about passionately. Science, Math, Piano and Tennis are all long-term committments for you; use your skills at one of them to do something that excites you. I have a feeling you might want to think about omitting "Pres. of ...Indian Club". Exclusivity of that sort will probably not help an ORM.

Also, you need to round out that list to include some excellent schools outside of the tippity top ones (in the top 20-50 range) and apply to at least five UC's. It is of great comfort to seniors to have acceptances in hand before winter break. In your case you may even have a stellar aid package from a very respectable private school to buoy you until the responses to the UC's and the HYPSish schools are out.

umar99

thank you Schmoomcgoo, urs is probably the only honest opinion i've heard on this site, highly appreciated!

PBailey

I would apply to UCSD (i would say matchish) and another UC, maybe UCSB (safety)? Your class rank is awesome, but your test scores aren't the best when comparing to schools like Harvard and Stanford. Even Brown will be a pretty big stretch. In recent years, Brown has gotten a lot more exclusive and trying to market itself as in the same league as Harvard (one of the better Ivies). I wouldn't bother applying to Harvard and such. You *are* a great student (remind me a lot of myself) and I'm sure you will enjoy success in whatever college you chose to go to, but I can almost guarantee you that you won't be accepted to Harvard and the other uber-elite schools. Cal is definitely possible, and I think you will have a great experience in the UCs.

umar99

if i was able to boost my SAT score to around 2300, then would i have a much greater shot at these schools?

PBailey

Since you are '09, I would say don't take a bunch of tests to try to get your SAT score up. Its hard to bump it up at the higher levels, unless you are an intelligent underachiever. With your rank and such it seems you are already operating at near the highest level you can. What concerns me is your extremely high rank yet your mediocre (for your rank, don't worry, most people don't even approach 4s for AP, 700+ for SAT IIs, and etc) test scores. If you take two more tests and you get 2300 superscored, it won't look *that* much better because colleges will just think that you did some intense test prep and it doesn't show much. I mean if you think you can do significantly better for sure, then go for it, but I am wary to recommend someone take a 3+ hour test and only raise their scores by 50 points and look like a obsessive grade grubber. Truthfully, you rank already shows your academic merit. I would concentrate on crafting your applications well with what you have now and getting all As in your senior classes.