I don’t really know how to use CC yet so sorry if this is not in the right place - These are my three big reaches. I made this account when I was a junior but I’m a senior now so don’t be confused by my screen name
Demographics: mixed (black/white) female from Kansas
School: one of the top public schools in state within best public district in state
Intended Major: Undeclared (will this hurt my chances? if so, I’ll apply political science)
GPA: 3.91 UW/4.35 W
ACT: 33C (34E 28M 36R 34S 10W) - will take again in Sep. for a 34
Course Rigor: 3 APs so far (4,4,5) but have 5 this year, most other classes have been honors level
ECs:
- 400+ hours community service from this year alone, mostly from fostering kittens (I raise homeless kittens in my bedroom until they’re old enough to be adopted). Other hours from coaching a middle school cheer team, running Petsmart adoption events, KC community kitchen
- Lead Ambassador of student ambassador program. We show new students around school as they come and help them assimilate, as lead I work one on one with the counselor who is our sponsor to pair up individual students with ambassadors, type reports on pairings, and normal administrative duties.
- Sports - Cheerleading for 4 years (varsity 2 years, captain 1 year, personally invited by Universal Cheerleading Association to apply for staff position and looking to cheer in college). Also swim/dive team for 4 years
- Member of Black Student Union at school, we read stuff over announcements during black history month and stuff
- Social Media manager for BLOOM club at school, we are a women’s empowerment group and we boost morale around school (random acts of kindness, etc.)
- Work - Cashier at dad’s business (car wash). Another job doing food prep, cashier, and food running at Corner Bakery Cafe
- Cofounder and copresident of History club at school
- Oboist in more competitive band in school for two years
- Attended ALA Sunflower (Kansas) Girls State. There I was elected a Senator and I have been accepted to be a counselor for the program next year
- Member of state champion We the People civic Constitution team. We win state every year so we’re anticipating another win and to go to the national competition in Washington DC
Awards (not very many)
- NHS
- Spanish NHS
- Science NHS
- AP Scholar
- 1x winner of Bronze level Presidential volunteer service award (100+ hours I think) and 2x (anticipating another) winner of Gold level of same award (250+ hours I think)
Essays:
My personal statement’s first draft is done, my writing is pretty good and I have some cool storied to tell so they will be good just not necessarily make or break I think
LORs:
Same situation as essays, although I will get one from my adoption organization’s founder who’s been my mentor for years now and has kind of taken me under her wing, that one might be 10/10
Those are three great schools. Your chances at all three are good, especially if you ED. Vandy has ED1 and ED2. All three are hard RD admits. Your URM status should help you at all 3. Applying into the School of Social Sciences rather than Engineering or Natural Sciences and being from Kansas rather than Texas may help you stand out a bit at Rice. All three have Division 1 sports programs, and you possibly could continue to cheer in college. https://cheer.rice.edu
Can you visit all three to see which one you think is the best fit? All three are in/near great cities. Chicago/Evanston, Nashville, and Houston are very different in terms of weather.
At Rice, you apply into a school, not into a specific major, with the exception of music and architecture. For example, if interested in political science, you would apply into the School of Social Sciences. Once admitted you can major in anything you like (except architecture and music which require a portfolio/auditon). At Rice you do not have to declare a major until the end of your sophomore year. At Vanderbilt and Northwestern you also apply into a school within the University.
Rice is ranked very high for race/class interaction. Vandy and Rice also are ranked very high for happiest students. If you want to be a part of Greek life, Northwestern and Vandy have that while Rice does not. Rice has residential colleges instead.
Very strong candidate for admission to all three schools, in my opinion, since you are an URM.
Northwestern chances best for ED applicants. You do not need to apply for a specific major at NU.
Three great universities, no wrong choice. Weather could be a slight factor if adverse to cold weather or to humid weather. Vanderbilt has best weather, Northwestern & Vandy both have beautiful campuses. Rice is near medical facilities.
Getting in is one thing. Affording the tuition for private and out of state is something entirely different. Before you get too far, you’ll need to find out if you can afford to go to these, otherwise you’re wasting your time.
@coolguy40 I’ve researched this, thanks
@Houston1021 thanks! do you think the fact that I’ve only taken 3 APs previous to senior year will hinder my chances even though I have 5 this year?
No. You are taking a rigorous course load. Rice accepts 4s and 5s from AP classes for credit. It does not limit the number of AP credits a student can get. https://registrar.rice.edu/students/ap_credit
Look into taking the SAT subject tests for some of the subjects you are taking AP now and anticipate doing well in as soon as you finish the course. Rice recommends, but does not require applicants, to send scores from 2 subject tests. If you are applying into the School of Social Sciences you can choose any 2 you want to send. so pick the 2 with the highest scores. https://admission.rice.edu/policies/standardized-testing
@Houston1021 thanks so much! I’m awaiting scores on two subject tests but I’m not sure if I will send them because most of the subject matter tests are over material that I won’t cover until the end of my senior year, so I will not perform well enough on them in time to apply. Hopefully the two I took went well! (I took US history and math 1)
All three colleges are pretty similar in terms of their admissions, that you may want to consider ED as others have noted, if you have a clear #1 or even solid #1. Going non-stem at Rice may also help, as well as you being an URM from Kansas. These chance me threads are harder to do each year as admissions has gotten more unpredictable, but for sure ED will help at all three schools. Good luck!