Chance a pseudo-international?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>I’m a US Citizen who has grown up in Pakistan (first generation american). </p>

<p>I’ve applied ED to Columbia, and plan to RD to UChicago, UPenn, Berkeley, Brown, Duke, Pomona, Stanford and Cornell. (No safeties, I know.)</p>

<p>SAT: 2290 (800 CR, 690 M, 800 W), 800 U.S. History, 760 Literature, 640 World History (this was a mistake) </p>

<p>Grades: Weak spot. I had 2 Cs and 2 Ds Freshman Year that keep my GPA somewhere between 3.6 and 3.7. Straight As since then, with a couple of Bs. </p>

<p>ECs:- </p>

<p>Debate: Currently on the shortlist for the National Debating Team (selection isn’t until January); Ranked the 3rd best speaker in the country; We finished as runners up at U19 National Championship. </p>

<p>Model UN: Committee Chair at school MUN conference; Asst. Director, Harvard MUN India; Best Delegate, Harvard MUN China & Asian International MUN China (at Peking University); Several National Best Delegate Awards</p>

<p>Founding member and current president of school literary society, also Editor in Chief of school literary review. </p>

<p>Interned at a leading national newspaper last summer, regularly contribute to the 3 most widely read national newspapers. </p>

<p>I’m also a certified scuba diver and the youngest ever member of the National Diving Society.</p>

<p>Community Service:</p>

<p>Helped the provincial public library launch and maintain an outreach program for underprivileged kids, 1000+ hours over 4 years. </p>

<p>Worked at a foundation that provides education to kids in rural areas for one summer. </p>

<p>Teacher Recs: Excellent</p>

<p>Counsellor Rec: Should be good </p>

<p>Not applying for financial aid. </p>

<p>Essays: Unique, pretty good. </p>

<p>So do I have a shot?</p>

2

<p>You should be good for Berkeley, Pomona and maybe Cornell and Duke too. The rest are reaches (but reachable).</p>

3

<p>To be honest you have a better shot at Stanford than at Columbia ED because Stanford does not take in account freshman year. That said, the only one that isn’t a reach is Berkeley, which does not take in account freshman year either.</p>

<p>Berkeley: Match</p>

<p>Is McGill an option at the safety level?</p>

4

<p>Columbia(ED): low reach
UChicago: depends on your essays
UPenn: reach(high reach if Wharton)
Berkeley:match
Brown: low reach
Duke: low reach
Pomona: low reach
Stanford:high reach
Cornell: low reach</p>

<p>BTW, you have unique experiences. That will be the spotlight of your app. Focus on that, and write good essays. I believe you have a good shot.</p>

<p>Chance me?<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1575443-chance-me-my-ed-ea-hyp-mit-please-will-chance-back-3.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1575443-chance-me-my-ed-ea-hyp-mit-please-will-chance-back-3.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>Columbia: low reach with Ed
UChicago- reach
UPenn- reach
Berkeley: match
Brown: low reach
Duke:high match
Pomona: high match/match
Stanford: high reach
Cornell: low reach
sorry but ivies are reaches for everyone. Your international status will ehlp you a ton.</p>

6

<p>chance me back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1576961-chance-nervous-student-please.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1576961-chance-nervous-student-please.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>You MUST have back ups. NO MATTER WHAT.
It’s easy to find dream schools - crafting a college list means finding matches (in your case, it’d be universities and LACs ranked 20-35) and safeties (universities and LACs ranked 37-60).
Even though having UPenn (super preprofessional) and UChicago (super intellectual) on the same list makes me wonder about fit, I do think you have a decent shot.
But don’t be cocky about it, or nihilistic; read andison’s story, for example. He had your profile, applied to a few match schools as an afterthought, and got rejected/waitlisted everywhere. Yes it does happen.
So, if you like UChicago? Apply to Reed. If you like UPenn, apply to B Lafayette and Dickinson. If you like Pomona, apply to another Claremont school. Etc, etc.</p>