Chance a Determined Harvard Deferral for the Other Top Schools

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>Hey guys, I was recently deferred from Harvard SCEA. I do not why, but I’ve always believed that each college has sort of a puzzle that they’re trying to fit in. An olympiad winner here, a national swimming champion there to bring in a diverse class. My explanation (or excuse to be honest) is that I simply was a piece that couldn’t fit in their grand puzzle.</p>

<p>I haven’t given up hope nor will I ever but now that I know a result from a top school, I’m wondering if I could get a chance for the other top schools I’ve applied to. Namely, the usual suspects, All the Ivies, UChicago and Northwestern, and UC Berkeley and UCLA. In summary, would I be a match in their puzzle based on each college’s individual characteristics?</p>

<p>I’ve realised I’ve done a chance thread before that had gotten a lot of responses. And I also know that ultimately that everything is unto that moment that the adcom picks up your folder. Nevertheless, I’ve created a chance thread again to gauge my chances after telling all of you of my deferral. </p>

<p>You guys at college confidential have been great and extremely helpful and in advance, thank you for chancing me.</p>

<p>Note: Some things may be different from the earlier thread and may even be omitted. This is because this current thread represents the application submitted to the Universities minus all the fluff. I’ve only put things that I truly enjoy doing and have a passion for.</p>

<p>Here it goes:</p>

<p>Country: I am a US citizen but live in Mumbai, India and go to an international school. I had lived in America for around 10 years and came here around 3 years ago.</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 UW (our school reinstated a policy of GPA’s hence the change from last time)
Rank: 1/50</p>

<p>Course Load: IB (Predicted, final board exams are in May 2012 so actual exam scores cannot be given whilst applying)</p>

<p>Math HL: 7
Economics HL: 7
History HL: 7
English SL: 7
Physics SL: 7
French Ab Initio: 7</p>

<p>Total Predicted: 45/45</p>

<p>Testing</p>

<p>SAT: 2300 (Three Sittings), Superscore: 2350
SAT Subject Tests: Math II: 800, U.S. History: 800</p>

<p>IGCSE’s (9th and 10th) :6A* and 1A (Cumulative Average of 94% in boards)</p>

<p>Awards and Achievements: Indian Topper for IGCSE IT (highest score in all of India)- Cambridge Outstanding Achiever
Felicitation (face to face meeting) from the ex-president of India (Dr. Abdul Kalam) for achievements in the field of microcredit at a young age.
Many School Awards (Outstanding Student for many subjects, etc.)
TIMES OF INDIA student of the year (best student in Mumbai from the largest newspaper in India)
National Society of Highschool Scholars</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: </p>

<p>Selected to be part of the Indian delegation to the 2nd Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference of Sustainable Development (which will happen in New York this year from May 4th, before American citizenship)</p>

<p>Selected to be part of the official Indian delegation to the United Nations Conference for Sustainable Development in Rio De Janeiro but not eligible anymore due to US citizenship</p>

<p>Got selected based on merit to go to the Wockhardt Thought Leadership Conference where I got to spend personalised time with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Dr. Muhammed Yunus (the founder of Grameen Bank and Industries, pioneer of microcredit)</p>

<p>Invited to the South Asian Leadership Conference in Bangalore in IIM (the Indian Institute of Management, famous in its own right)</p>

<p>PMUN 2010- Secretary General
Got selected to go to the THIMUN Youth Assembly in the Hague, Netherlands, voted most insightful delegate<br>
Best Delegate- Cathedral Model United Nations 2010 and 2011(CMUN, Lok Sabha)
Best Delegate- Bangalore Model United Nations 2010 (BMUN, Security Council)</p>

<p>Chosen to represent the United States in the One Young World Summit in 2012</p>

<p>Chosen to give a speech in the Indian National Stock Exchange (NSE) about the importance of youth entrepreneurship and their impact on finance</p>

<p>Organisations</p>

<p>Started a microcredit organisation called Eutopia 4 years ago which is a microcredit organisation working in rural areas. Has given loans of more than $100,000 (earlier was ~$50,000 but we had a large corporate donation). Works in 17 villages and empowers thousands and also offers internships, training, etc. Affliated with Oxfam, several local businesses, L&T, and Grameen Bank India.</p>

<p>Project Synergy 2 years ago. This aims to bring all schools and NGO’s ACROSS INDIA together for collaborative sustainable development projects. Therefore schools and organisations have the help of other organisations to implement projects which allow the scale of projects to be severely increased. Is affliated with Oxfam, Amnesty International, a multinational Bank, THIMUN, and the Frankfurt Globe (media source, and the largest student run magazine in Germany). It has chapters in the IIT Mumbai and IIM Bangalore. So far, there are 30 schools (in the previous thread there were 43 organisations but not included in the application) and 1300 volunteers (students from state schools)</p>

<p>Part of the Stanford University Incubator project (called IDEAS) which is an organisation based on Stanford which uses global volunteers to implement projects based on sustainable solutions.</p>

<p>Clubs and Sports</p>

<p>Head Boy
Varsity Tennis Captain (2 years), 3rd in the entire state of Maharashtra,
Economics Club President
School Newspaper Co-editor</p>

<p>Jobs/Internship
Selected to be an intern at ASA Bangladesh, one of the world’s largest microcredit organisations, in Dhaka for 2 weeks where I got to conduct an impact assesment (IA) of their microcredit programs where I assessed variables such as business capital, income through income-generating activities, food quality, and employment generation.</p>

<p>Research</p>

<p>Research with University of Mumbai about alternate mechanisms of implementing microcredit in urban areas (as social capital is ineffective). Planning to give a proposal to the Mumbai Municipality government for implementation.</p>

<p>Again, thank you very much. It really does means a lot.</p>

2

<p>All of your stats are absolutely amazing, but top schools are pretty much a toss-up because there are so many near perfect applicants applying. I’d recommend you apply to one school that is not like a top 10 school just for safety.</p>

3

<p>@nick- thanks a lot but I’ve already sent in my applications so no point applying to somewhere else. As for safeties, I’ve gotten accepted to UCL and Warwick in the UK so I guess that leaves less stuff to worry about. </p>

<p>Can I have more opinions please?</p>

4

<p>Bump. Please guys, can I get opinions?</p>

5

<p>Relax. You have an awesome profile, and our opinion isn’t going to change anything.</p>

6

<p>@green- Thanks a lot mate. Your words are wise. Great advice!</p>

7

<p>UCB, UCLA: Great chances
NW, Cornell: Decent Chnaces
Ivies (except Cornell), Chicago: Reach unless you have hooks</p>

8

<p>Could be your essay…not sure where your focus is…you obviously have a varied amount of ECs and accomplishments. Also Fin Aid may play a factor though they are supposed to be need blind. It just depends who else from India fit their needs this year.</p>

<p>Another thing - recommendations…if teachers hold back and not give you the stellar recs, that can put you in the maybe pile.</p>

9

<p>@tryingforcollege- mate, I thought I had a theme going to fulfill the focus. I mean I had many microcredit related activities and being part of India’s sustainable development theme. All of this is geared towards economics and the social sciences. Correct me if you thing otherwise. As for the aid part, I’m a US citizen so would it matter? In fact I heard its a boost if you’re a citizen and living overseas as it gives diversity. As for the recs, I read them and well I was speechless. I expected some good words but I was taken aback with their copious praise.</p>

<p>I really appreciate your input mate and please don’t take my response as criticising your viewpoint. I’m simply trying to give you more information. Again thanks.</p>

10

<p>Amazing chances. Great EC’s/academics. In at UC’s/Northwestern, you’re bound to get in a few Ivies (unless they’re dumb and throw you into the international pool).</p>

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<p>@mathnerd- Thanks a lot mate.:)</p>

12

<p>I don’t even understand how you got deferred. In the Harvard thread you said your income was 30,000? How do you found companies with that much money?</p>

13

<p>@define- Yeah it is 30,000. But then I never used my parents money for starting it up. I went from place to place to get donations and to get people to support an idea. And luckily it worked. It couldn’t have as well. </p>

<p>Thanks for the chances guys. They always help (and act as a nice moral boost):)</p>

<p>Anymore would be welcome.</p>

14

<p>On the screen, everything looks pretty amazing, but I have no idea of your chances, but even a deferral from Harvard is an achievement. At least you were good enough not to get rejected! </p>

<p>Frankly, you worry too much IMO. The text wall of your OP, the meticulous way you respond to every post. Even the perfect spelling and grammar lol! I got deferred from my top choice EA school as well, so I understand the freak out, but freaking out doesen’t really do anything for any of us.</p>

<p>You sent your applications in, and have written all the essays. Now just sit back and whatch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in 1 weekend or go bungy jumping if that’s your thing. You already got accepted into UCL, why not just take advantage of the temparory chill before the IB exams?</p>

<p>One thing that worrys me is that you seem to have applied to XXX school and for the sake of namesake and reputation. I.e. the ‘ususual suspects’ and ivies - that is not the reason to choose schools. Why didn’t you do your own research on which schools you like, and self-select into those institutional personalities you seek to be chanced on?</p>

<p>And your EC’s - particularly the one about the Dalai Lama - did you write an essay or otherwise demonstrate that your experience was one that contributed to your development rather than a shallow resume-padding thing? Many of your descriptions of your EC’s were more of how impressive the organization is rather than how impressive your contribution and development is from that EC.</p>

15

<p>Very hard to predict with the Ivies since you are a US citizen applying from India. UCLA and UCB will consider you as OOS and will admit you for full tuition as OOS.</p>

<p>Northwestern - depends on your essays and how much love you showed them in your essays. Chicago may work similarly.</p>

<p>Your resume looks attractive to some ivies. Hopefully you made use of the sections that ask you about living in other countries since some have sections on it. </p>

<p>Did you have your Ivy interviews?</p>

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<p>@zhang- Your advice is a breath of fresh hair. Honestly. You aren’t the first person to tell me I worry too much and now I can’t help but agree with you. Thanks mate. And yes my main common app essay was about my microcredit activities and on the additional information sheet I mentioned all that I’ve learned from meeting the personalities that I have. And you’re right I chose my colleges based on reputation (bar some such as HYPS that I’ve actually visited and Cambridge). Thanks a lot nevertheless. If you don’t mind me asking, where did you apply early?</p>

<p>@Texas- please forgive me for my ignorance but what is an OOS :P. And yes I’ve had a Princeton one and a upenn one coming soon.</p>

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<p>out of state. The tuition at california state schools jumps to 35-40,000 when someone is out of state.</p>

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<p>But don’t they give out aid? I’m basing this on the fact that I submitted the FAFSA to the UC’s.</p>

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<p>@ noncensure I applied to Uchicago EA b/c I like the “life of the mind” philisophy there. Such a shame they had a 25% increase in EA applications lol. Their early acceptance rate was lower than that of stanford, princeton and probably a lot of others’</p>

20

<p>Your stats are excellent! I have a feeling you’ll make it into the top schools you’re hoping to get into.</p>

<p>I would really appreciate it if you responded to my thread, which I included a link for below.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1282036-emergency-ap-french.html#post13803041[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1282036-emergency-ap-french.html#post13803041&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;