AMA: Admitted to Penn (Wharton), Harvard, Columbia, UChicago, etc

Hi @user_743245, here are my two cents (keep in mind this is not objective and the admissions process is unpredictable).

  1. Your grades seem fine, nothing incredible. Specifically, some importance might be placed on what IB subjects you chose (e.g., which ones are HL or SL?). SAT 1500+ would be expected and top 20/400 could be a little low for top ivies (emphasis on 'could'). Since your academics aren't your hook (i.e., no IMO gold medal/Science Fair win/Significant research/etc.), you just need to pass a barrier to prove that you can handle the intellectual rigor of Princeton or Yale classes. If you want some numbers, I'm guessing 42+ IB predicted, 1520+ SAT, Top 10/15.
  2. It's great that you've founded different clubs/projects but you're gonna have to show a lot more here. This is to say that your ECs must have weight behind them -- anyone can start a club but not many can start an organization that delivers water to 20,000 kids. If we're gonna be harsh, MUN for two years/rugby are pretty useless if you have no leadership role there.
  3. It seems like the Chemistry research you're doing is quite interesting -- hopefully you build on that and maybe mention it in your essays. At a glance, you don't have any significant hooks so your chances will depend heavily on your essays/recommendations/profile. I don't know much about you and a Lithuanian vs. a kid from Singapore/someone who grew up homeless vs. someone who had every resource will have very different chances.

Conclusion: Grades are acceptable, ECs not strong enough for a hook, so your essays/recs/profile will play a big role. So will luck.