Academically perfect, subjectively terrible URM applying to HYPMS

Cachorros
Thu, 26 Dec 2013 19:19:16 +0000

I am Mexican American and have perfect stats across the board (2400 SAT, 800 SAT subject tests, National AP Scholar, 4.0 GPA) but have no meaningful extracurricular activities (prospective STEM student but never made USAMO, no research experience, never started any clubs, etc.). It’s not that I have no activities or have recommendations that berate me: My activities are just blah and show no focused academic passion. My recommendations will be lackluster at best, and I don’t really have a moving story. Is having terrible ECs and subject portions of an application a deal-breaker for top schools for a URM at Ivy League schools? Is a place like Cornell out of reach for me? What about the schools people on here and similar board like to call “middle Ivies”?