<p>I have seen many posts of students with exceptional grades, test scores, and ECs who feel very unsure if their qualifications are sufficient for admission to a good school. This worries me, because I am lacking in all three, especially grades.</p>
<p>I’ve taken every Honors course available at my high school (We don’t have AP)
GPA: 3.8
SAT: 2250
SAT Bio: 750
SAT Math II:690</p>
<p>ECs:
Founder and President of Science Olympiad Team
Summer Program at University of California Irvine
Research Grant from Intel
Internship at a Molecular Biology lab (May-August)
6 years of volunteering for a Youth Theater Organization</p>
<p>The problem is, I don’t feel that the above information would accurately describe me to an AO. It doesn’t include the fact that I’m in the first graduating class of my high school or that it’s a unique Project-Based school that detracks students from traditional AP vs Honors vs College Prep vs Going Nowhere level classes. It doesn’t include the digital portfolio of work that I’ve created in the past four years. </p>
<p>Do universities only look at the information that I see posted in the typical CC chance post?
That would seem to give a very narrow look of who an applicant is as a person. I assume that the essays and interviews help, but I have little knowledge of the extent that they help an AO judge an applicant.Will I be able to explain the unique experiences of my high school education through the essays, or is there another means to do so? </p>
<p>While I’m creating this massive wall of text, I’d like to get a couple opinions of what my chances are at Pomona, Carnegie Mellon, and Occidental. I think I match Oxy pretty well, Carnegie being slightly a reach, while Pomona is way up in my ‘reach zone’. </p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to read my half rant, half concerns!</p>
<p>Arts profiles, teacher recommendations, college counselor’s explanations of their school’s program, school profile, and whatever you write to them in your essays/applications. They also see all of this, but I think parts of your profile are very impressive. Your GPA really isn’t bad considering that you probably don’t have weighting; the SAT score is pretty high, the subject tests could use work but aren’t bad. You’ve also been fortunate to participate in some very interesting projects, like the research grant and the internship at the lab. I think you have a very bright future with this kind of thing if you are currently succeeding at it now.</p>
<p>You could probably get into the Mellon; perhaps consider UC Berkeley or Georgia Tech…</p>
<p>I have looked at UC Berkeley, it seemed like a bit of a reach considering my qualifications. Are there any other schools that you would recommend for a Bio or Chem major?</p>
<p>i wouldnt say Berkeley is a reach for you i think you are qualified. ideally you would want the math II subject score higher but if you are taking the most rigorous courses your school offers that is whats important and i think you have a decent shot at a lot of good schools, especially with that strong SAT score</p>
<p>Yeah, I know the Math II score isn’t so great. </p>
<p>I like to joke that I have no chance with Berkeley because of something that happened to me a few months back. I was presenting at the California Nobel Laureate Dinner, and a man asked me what my number one choice was for college at the time. I, not knowing who I was talking to, said Stanford. He responded by saying that he was the Chancellor of UC Berkeley, Robert Birgeneau, and that I should reconsider my decision. </p>
<p>Of course, there’s no way he remembers me and he’s not involved in admissions, I still feel a little embarrassed about that moment.</p>
<p>that’s a funny anecdote. really it is. anyways berkeley focuses pretty heavily on stats. also my stats are not much better, so i hope i shouldn’t be worried. you’re a cool person. keep that in your heart and you will go far</p>
<p>College admissions look at the individual in context of his or her state/city/high school. Not everyone has equal opportunities. So a person from a prestigious high school in the northeast will be scrutinized more than a kid out west with fewer opportunites.</p>
<p>Actually, I would say Berkeley is a reach. If you raise your math II score up, it might be easier to gain admission, but nothing’s guaranteed. Like the above posters said, UCs focus more on objective stats. CM is a high match. You’re probably in at Occidental.</p>