Chance an Asian guy with average ECs for not so average schools

milesrainier
Thu, 04 Jun 2020 01:38:57 +0000

I’m pretty set on applying to Duke ED, other top schools being Rice, Vanderbilt, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Northeastern. Considering my ECs I don’t know if I even have a chance but yeah

Hooks:
I’m half Chinese, half white, not really a hook at all to be honest other than some unique cultural experiences
I’m a transgender guy, reason I put it as a hook is because I can (and have) written a pretty good essay about it. Sent it to my English teacher and he said it is a top 10% essay, and I’m pretty sure I could make it even better.

Stats:
UW GPA: 3.93/4.0
W GPA: 4.38/5.0
ACT: 36 (36/36/36/36/8)
PSAT: 1460 (at least national merit commended, waiting for September to see if I am a semifinalist)
APs: Human Geography (5), World History (5), Physics 1 (3), Psychology, US History, Spanish, English Language, Calculus AB, US Gov, Statistics, English Literature
My school offers the IB diploma, I am not in the program but have a full IB schedule of classes (6 IB or AP classes out of 7)

ECs:
co-founder/president of mental health club
youth leadership program at children’s hospital, we plan workshops at conferences and speak on panels
trumpet player in jazz band, marching band, and wind ensemble
podcast with said youth leadership group (started during covid-19)
class officer during sophomore year (I had to quit due to a schedule conflict with jazz band)
I work 15-20 hours at Starbucks
summer before sophomore year I had 110 volunteer hours at science summer camps

I know a lot of the schools on my list are high reaches, I don’t even know if I have a chance at them, and obviously I am applying to matches and safeties (UCSD, UCSB, UPortland, UW, UT Austin, UNC Chapel Hill). Just trying to get a gist of what I should expect from this whole process/if there are other schools I should consider. Thanks in advance