<p>As the title says, I am an unusual student (and certainly unusual among CCers!) and would like to be chanced for top tier schools and others. I’m not bent on attending a top tier school, though I would just like some perspective on how likely it is that I will be admitted when I apply. I would also like suggestions for schools that would fit me well. </p>
<p>In short, I’m 16, a Junior, I don’t have a spectacular GPA, loads of ECs etc…, though I do have an unusual facility for mathematics as well as other subjects. </p>
<p>I have always attended public or private day schools though I have always felt a large gap between my abilities and the curriculum as well as the abilities of the other students. I have always had a desire to accelerate grades, though my parents and teachers wouldn’t allow me and would repeat the typical cliches. However, I finally convinced my parents to allow me to homeschool and it is my first year doing so. I’m enrolled in a homeschooling program through a private school in another state. I also convinced my parents to allow me to take courses at a very good university that is about 1 hour away from the house and will commute by van through a commuting program at the university. I will start classes in the Spring semester and continue through the Summer semester and throughout my senior year as well. I am very happy with this as I am finally getting the acceleration that I had desired since I had started school.</p>
<p>I attended a public school during my freshman and sophomore years of high school and as usual, I underachieved. My GPA was in the ‘high 2s’ (I’m sure this will make most CCers cringe!). However, I am working to get my GPA up. I maintained all A’s last semester in the equivalent of 7 courses (I say ‘the equivalent’ because the school allows advanced students to complete year long courses in a semester if capable and I had completed 3 year long courses and 1 regular course). This semester I am completing 5 year long courses and one semester long course, the equivalent of 11 courses. I have every intention to maintain straight As for the rest of high school. </p>
<p>Here are some facts about me that highlight my strengths and may be impressive/useful to colleges.
I taught myself calculus in the sixth grade.
I participated in Johns Hopkins Talent Search/ CTY in middle school.
I will be taking a graduate level mathematics course in the spring at the university and hopefully two graduate level independent study courses in the summer and continuing graduate level coursework in senior year.
I will soon be participating in a study at a major university that studies exceptional and profoundly gifted children and adolescents (IQs 145+).
Although I have already taken/ scored highly on the SAT in middle school, I will be taking it again in May. I almost always score perfectly or near perfectly on the practice SAT tests that I have been occupying myself with lately. It is reasonable to expect a score within the 2300-2400 range, though I’m aiming for a perfect score.
I plan to start mathematics research while I’m still in high school though I first need to build up a large and specialised knowledge base through self study and advanced coursework. I hope to start research this summer. </p>
<p>Chance for any/ all of the following:
MIT
Caltech
Harvard
Princeton
Stanford
Berkeley
Harvey Mudd
Rensslaer Polytechnic
Cornell
Yale
Dartmouth
UCSB
University of Washington</p>
<p>wow your case is something special…i dont even know how to chance it lolol it seems like you have a good shot, but that low gpa is wow…hahah idek how to comment on this but i felt like i needed to say wow you are something special</p>
<p>These threads annoy me, ask for a chance thread once you’ve actually accomplished something, not on the particular chance that you “might” accomplish something.</p>
<p>Most colleges won’t accept the typical, “I’m einstein to smar’t fur skool” story, because they get a lot of applicants like you, and the typical image they have of your type is the arrogant kid that doesn’t like work. Join high school, take normal classes, get good grades in them and you might get into a decent school.</p>
<p>Meteman, as a simple matter of circumstance, the opportunities that are arising for me happen to be in the near future and I was merely asking the forum members to chance me on the assumption that everything will play out this way. For example, the research study hasn’t commenced yet, I just recently convinced my parents to let me take courses at the university and commute the 1 hour etc… My story (as you humorously caricature), unlike others isn’t a post hoc rationalization and I have evidence to back up my claims (participation in high IQ study, SAT scores etc…). If they perceive arrogance, they would just be reading it into my circumstances, as I don’t act or write arrogantly (unlike yourself).</p>
<p>I absolutely agree with meteman. If you consider yourself so “special” you can reach a special gpa. Lets say 4.0.
Anyway, if you really are a math genius or so, these colleges will note it.
But remeber, Harvard, MIT … ect come across students who consider themselves genius all the time, and they know how to deal with them — they cannot be fooled that easily by just sayning I taught myself calculus in 6 grade. Holding the book open and just reading weird symbols doesn’t mean that you learned calculus…
So my advice: Do not pretend that you are the smart guy — show them yourself and if the think you are not what they want, you will get rejected. But being accepted is not the point. Find a college were you will belong to. Graduate math seems to me as an desperate attempt to stand out from the applicant pool — but just some As+ in your high school math would sound more solid. Just excell (if you can) where you are right now. If this is high school, get full As. When you go to college, then study graduate math.</p>
<p>Geekstudent, thank you for your reply and your attempt at constructive criticism though I have to say, you are making the same error as meteman. You are assuming that I am pretending to be smart to appeal to colleges. This is not the case. I am both willing and able to present evidence that backs up my claims, unlike some others who, I imagine are just making things up and rationalizing their circumstances. I can present them with SAT scores from both high school and middle school, IQ test results, participation in the high IQ study, and recommendations from professors once I start coursework in the spring. As for the claim that I taught myself calculus in the sixth grade I can present evidence for that as well, as I still have the notebook that I outlined conceps and worked exercises in. I dated it (05) and the handwriting is characteristic of a middle schooler. As far as graduate math, I’m deciding to take these courses because they interest me, not out of a desperate attempt to stand out.<br>
But you are right that I need to find a college that fits me best and not focus only on its prestige.</p>
<p>Wow. You are quite unique. Somewhat of a Good Will Hunting type scenario. Because you stray so much from the norms, people will often mock or criticize. But, if what you say is true, you are in quite an interesting position. When writing admissions essays, I would focus on your extraordinary aptitude for mathematics. If you do receive a high score on the SAT, you will have further evidence to corroborate your claims. Personally, I think your case is rather interesting, for it shows an incredible mental capacity. I feel your pain, for I skipped two grades in elementary school. It is very difficult for me to socially interact with people at my high school. In terms of chances, provided you score within your projected range on the SAT, I would chance you as follows:
MIT-Reach (it’s a reach for anyone)
Caltech- Low Reach/Match (I had a friend whom attended. They have a disproportionate number of “unique” students, and they would gladly accept someone like you.)
Harvard- High Reach (From what I hear, they stick with the usual applicants more often.)
Princeton - High Reach
Stanford - Reach (They have more ecclectic tastes. If you really work that essay, you will have a shot. Talk about the math, and, I would assume as a fellow grade skipper, the social problems that occur.)
Berkeley - Low Reach
Harvey Mudd - Low Reach
Rensslaer Polytechnic - In
Cornell - Reach
Yale - High Reach
Dartmouth - Reach
UCSB - Low Reach (Public schools tend to be more conventional, unfortunately.)
University of Washington - Low Reach</p>
<p>I would say stick with privates. They tend to have more lenience for people in a situation such as yourself.</p>
<p>It really depends on what your accomplishments and academic situation is when you are applying for colleges. It is difficult to chance such a unique case before first seeing the results of the normal high school period. If you will have taken graduate level courses as well as conducted scientific research and brought up your GPA to the high 3’s, I see no reason why you cannot be considered a top applicant for schools that offer excellent math/science departments such as MIT, Harvard, etc. I would especially think that MIT being more of a unique technical school would consider your case in an extremely positive light. Keep up the good work and keep challenging yourself. Good luck 126 :P</p>
<p>I don’t know why you’re so defensive, you asked for a chance, we gave it, and 140 isn’t even that high compared to what a lot of the kids at a lot of the schools you are applying to.
An interest in math with intangible achievements like calculus in 6th grade, will not help you much. Qualify for USAMO, win some competitions because the SAT and some lame “high iq” study will not help you that much</p>
<p>Meteman, where exactly was I defensve? I politely responded to your complaints and if you were offended by my response then you must be one of those people who gets offended when the wind blows. And you did not chance me, you merely engaged in sarcasm. You do not know what my IQ is and it is not 140, 145 is the minimum score to be eligible for participation in the study.</p>
<p>(Would you mind terribly if I call you Cloudy?)</p>
<p>As the mom of an exceptional kid, I know the path to college is not always the same for everyone.</p>
<p>But there are characteristics that colleges care about as much (maybe more than) raw smarts. You need to demonstrate a lot more than IQ: ability to get things done, work with others, rise to a challenge, and manage priorities that are not your own. Top level colleges want each student to be able to handle a demanding workload and also contribute something of value (passions? talents? leadership? unique perspective?) to the college community. IQ is easy to demonstrate, as you know. But do you know for sure that you can handle pressure, sometimes with conflicting priorities, and still have energy and joy left over? Cloudy, can you work hard and get a good grade in a class you don’t want to take, working with people you may not totally enjoy, perhaps taught in a manner you may not agree with? What if you also feel that class doesn’t measure up to your abilities? Because every successful college student will have to do that at some point. If you know yourself that you can do all that, what in your record now demonstrates that? (I’m asking, not challenging you. Your post doesn’t include this info.) You need evidence that you have already done those things, and that’s one of the values of completing a “standard” high school experience - it’s a track record that the college can understand, and not just your assertion that you can do it. Homeschool has pluses and minuses, and one negative is that it doesn’t clearly show you thriving in an academic community - it can give the impression you are a lone wolf who can’t/won’t participate in a program of someone else’s design. You state in your post that you have not been satisfied with any of the schools you attended - that’s going to worry admissions officers. </p>
<p>So, you asked to be chanced, and I think we do not have enough data to do so. Top schools look for more than academic smarts, and so far your presentation of your record only covers your abilities, not what you have accomplished with them.</p>
<p>Memot, thank you for your response. To answer your questions, I can do the things that you asked of competently, and I can’t pretend that I have a whole lot of experience with them. The things you described are not exactly my strengths, but they are not my weaknesses either.</p>