Chance Me?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Intended major: Biology

Intended minor: Music

Early Decision: Johns Hopkins University

Other top choices: Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, UChicago

Coursework:

CBSE in India. Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English(regarded as the hardest subject combination available.)

Lowest percentage in any one subject in 11th: 92%

SAT Superscore: 1580/1600(1530 and 1560 were the scores)

SAT Subject Tests: Chemistry(800), Biology(780)

AP exams: 5s in Calc BC, Chemistry, Biology

ECs:

Deputy Head Boy in 9th grade

Head Boy in 10th grade(school did not have 11th and 12th)

As Head Boy, I started a program called the Joy of Giving, more specifically, a supplies drive for an organization that takes care of kids affected with AIDS/HIV or orphans of parents affected as such. Every year for the past three years, it has raised enough food for 75 kids for 2.5 months as well as other miscellaneous supplies.

I also started an annual school tradition where graduating 10th graders would be taken to a resort by the school to relax and have some fun before the board exams.

I was Secretary-General of a Model Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet, a conference, similar to an MUN, but with less focus on politics and foreign policy and more emphasis on solution building.

Director-General of an MUN

I started a teaching program at the above-mentioned organization(I do not want to mention the name) for affected kids who were deemed either “low IQ” or “too immunally compromised to go to school” There were about 5 of these kids in total. We teach phonetics, English, art(for those who were interested) and math. Our goal was to get these kids ready for school, particularly the low IQ ones. Having achieved this goal, I am now turning this into a tutoring program for all the young kids at Desire Society. We started out with 5 kids and 2 teachers, but now we have 20 kids and 5 teachers.

I have also organized, along with my piano teacher and played at recitals for the past two years, as fundraisers for said organization.

I also volunteer with another organization that aims to promote Western Classical Music in my city in India. As a part of it, I have helped in organizing several concerts, including a music festival and a masterclass this year. We are also planning to start a non-exam based string instrument program in my current high school for the next academic year(still just a plan though)

I have played the piano for the past 10 years, and received Merits in Trinity piano exams in grades 6, 7, 8(only 8 grades in Trinity). I have also received a Distinction in Trinity grade 7 music theory exam, and am currently preparing for the final grade 8 exam.

Apart from this, my musical repertoire includes pieces such as Rhapsody in G minor by Brahms, and Impromptu in A flat by Schubert. An international pianist listened to my recordings, saying they were quite decent, but definitely not professional(that feedback was much better than I expected considering I am not a full-time professional pianist).

Apart from this, I also teach piano under my piano teacher, where I teach up to grades 5 and 6 and supervise grades 7 and 8.

My interest in biology stemmed from the Young Innovators’ Program at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, which I attended in 9th grade. It is supposed to be the only high school science program at any governement research institute in India.

I am also an intern at the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, where I work under and shadow a scientist in the genetics lab(more specifically, the Platform for Transgenic and Translational Research).

I have another extraordinary job that I was told not to speak about, but I can say I picked it up out of my interest in biology. My counsellor(a US-based high school counsellor who was an undergraduate admissions officer at one of the top universities I mentioned) loved the idea of it, so much that he convinced me to write my Common App Essay about it.

Other issue:
In 12th grade, one or maybe two of my subjects might be 89%, though my predicted grades will be higher than that. Will that affect my admission in anyway?

Anyway, please let me know what you guys think.

2

Sorry, I forgot to add that I am a US citizen, but a South Indian male.

3

I think you’ll get into JHU ED. You’d also otherwise get into Cornell, and likely at least one of UChicago, Columbia, and Harvard.

4

They won’t see the 89%,but its driving me crazy. It’s okay though right?

5

Clearly, you have excellent stats. No one can tell you whether or not you will actually get in. All of those schools are extreme reaches for everyone. Do you have some good match and safety schools you would be happy to attend?

6

Yes I do.

7

Would Emory, University of Rochester, UCLA, UNC Chapel Hill, UCSD be considered matches?

8

Honestly, your accomplishments are so impressive, I can’t imagine any school not wanting you. I’m generally humbled by the resumes of students who post here. Unfortunately, this website is full of stories of amazing kids being rejected. It looks like you are from India so would be applying as an international student which makes things harder. Even harder, if you need any kind of financial aid.

I don’t know about the California schools, but I would think Emory and Rochester would be excellent matches. “Almost” safeties but NOT safeties. So, you still need safeties just in case. We have seen some really strange results on this board so make sure to protect yourself and congratulations on all of your amazing achievements.

9

Yeah I have safeties like Rutgers. Because I am a US citizen, I am not considered an “international” applicant as such, only my coursework and situation is seen differently. I’m not subject to the low acceptance seen by non-citizens.

10

Sounds good Anonymous.

11

At least that’s what my seniors told me, and a lot of them knew what they were talking about.