Hi! I’m new on College Confidential, and am planning to apply to Princeton. I’m a sophomore. So, here are my grades and ECs:
GPA: 4.0 (honors everything; Mandarin student)
School: prep school in New York
Info: African-American, low-income
Extracurriculars:
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (gifted program); in “scholars” program, for low-income, high-promise youth
Chess; competed in national tournaments for chess, ranked top 1,000 teenagers in US
Music; play saxophone and clarinet, very good
Tutoring; free tutoring for music students
Volunteered for Habitat for Humanity over summer
All of that looks good so far. You will need to do well on the standardized tests and write essays that set you apart. If you do well on this component as well, you will be a viable applicant. This still means that Princeton is a long reach for you as it is for nearly everyone. You’ll still need to apply to safety schools and some near reaches when the time comes to apply. I wish you the best!
I agree that you are definitely on the right track. However, if there is one thing I can say that you have probably heard over and over, you never know your chances for any of these schools with such low acceptance rates. You could be absolutely outstanding and get into say one Ivy, but get outright rejected from another. It is a process that no one understands. I’m currently a senior and I am attending Princeton next year, and all I can say is stay true to your passions. Be yourself. Quality is much better than quantity. So shoot for the stars, and I wish you luck. Please always remember that the process is a mystery, even to the admission reps. Good luck!!