Do I have a relatively good chance?

Colleges & Universities Brown University
1

<p>At first, I didn’t know much about Brown, but my guidance counselor said that Brown is the perfect school for me. She said it is very well-rounded, politically active, is filled with free-thinkers, and has a very liberal academic program that will allow me to better explore my various fields of interest. She made me fall in love with Brown, so now I really want to get in, but I feel I have a very low SAT score, so please chance me:</p>

<p>BACKGROUND:
Male, live in NY, born in South Asia, moved to U.S. when almost three yrs old, English was my third language, household income is around 85,000 so about 55,000 net, I have two older siblings, both of whom went to college. Father is a pharmacist. Mother is a housekeeper.</p>

<p>STATS:
GPA: 103 weighted, 95 unweighted (weighting system: honors = +10, AP = +12)
Class Rank: 6/300
SAT Reasoning Test: M: 710 Cr: 670 W: 670 Total: 2050/2400 and 1380/1600
AP: Last year I took 3 APs, and got two 4s and one 3. This year I am taking 5 AP classes (6 if you count economics as macro and micro as separate since tests are separate) + engineering research class + phys ed + a graduation requirement class.
SAT II: Phys: 800 MathIIC: 800 Literature: 700
Essays: Good, meaning not super because I am not an extremely creative writer and I rarely use SAT words, but good in the sense that I feel I successfully expressed my personality
Letters of Recommendation: One of them was really good, and the other two were average good.</p>

<p>AWARDS/EXTRACURRICULARS/WORK EXPERIENCE:
–AP Scholar
–Varsity Tennis Team: 3yrs (I made counties once)
–Varsity Excellence Award (received twice)
–Two-time scholar athlete
–Distinguished High Honor Roll student
–Mathletes: 4yrs (county champion last year, captain this year)
–Science Olympiads: 2yrs, ever since it was offered (I entered all the physics and chemistry competitions)
–SWEEP (an environmental club): 2yrs
–Key Club: 20 hrs community service
–School Radio: 2yrs (journalist)
–Have been working hard at a convenient store 30hrs/week for 3yrs. I have been sales manager for 1.5 years. This is big for me since it took up a lot of my time on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
–Even though I am an atheist, I have been helping every year, for five years, to help set up the food and dining preparations during the four weekend community feasts in the month of Ramadan. My counselor told me this is community service. So it took at least 3hrs/day<em>2days</em>4weekends<em>4yrs(high school yrs)=96 hours.
–I volunteered to tutor two students, on math and chemistry during junior year, after school every day, 1 hr each session, for 32 weeks. So 1</em>5<em>32 = 160 hours.
–I gave tennis lessons to a couple of persons at my tennis club during sophomore year, once a week, three hours a week, for six months. So 3</em>4*6= 72 hours. Afterwards, she became my girlfriend, which indeed was the ultimate payoff!</p>

<p>RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:
–I have completed original research on two projects, one involving chemistry at a state university, the other involving a bit of physics, environmental science, and biology—mixed—at a prominent national lab. I will be sending my abstracts for both research projects. Neither project was published, but I am entering the second one into ISEF. All this research stuff is perhaps my biggest “hook.”</p>

<p>MISCALLENOUS:
–I have been privately tutored for Arabic twice a week, for about 2 years now.
–I speak four languages fluently: Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, English; I know there are some conflicts about whether Urdu and/or Punjabi are languages or dialects, it’s acknowledged.
–I have taken part in civil protests against the war in Iraq as well as against the Patriot Act for twice a month, for two years.
–I trained at an international tennis academy in Texas for 1 month. (But please note, I do NOT wish to play college tennis)
–I regularly play tennis at a local club
–I love to play chess with my friends; I tried to create an official club, but my school’s board failed to pass it in time to make it official this year.
–My favorite album is War by U2
–As subtly mentioned above, I am taking an engineering research class. This year is the first year ever that my school is offering it, and it is very unique. I doubt many other schools have it, so this may catch a second glimpse.</p>

<p>PERSONAL QUALITIES:
–Mathematically and scientifically inclined
–Extremely politically active (I’m somewhere between liberal and libertarian)
–Very outgoing, I love my closest friends with all my heart, and I like most everyone else (except for the cocky jocks, for they are so annoying).
–Theologically open-minded
–I like to get personal with small groups of people, rather than lead a huge pack, as evident in my tutoring and tennis-lessons providing.</p>

<p>ACADEMIC INTERESTS:
–Economics
–Philosophy
–Mathematics
–Physics</p>

2

<p>We aren’t the admissions board. There’s not much we can tell you.</p>

3

<p>If you are considering applying to the ivy league and other schools of that caliber, you have to go in with the idea that it is really a crapshoot and that you could have the best credentials and not get in…no one can predict anything for you, but best of luck!</p>

4

<p>^Oh yeah, I’ve read that at other places as well. But isn’t it safe to say that since I have such a low SAT score, that I am probably not going to get accepted?</p>

5

<p>Depends on how they perceive your listed “hooks” and how you establish yourself in your application.</p>

6

<p>Who the hell knows, I’m not in the admissions board.</p>

<p>Everyone has a shot.</p>

7

<p>I already wrote a common app essay, but it is rather average. I’m thinking about rewriting it. Should I make it down-to-earth, like somewhat sane and chillin, or should I go all nonconformist on their ass and be all poetic and dark and Vonnegutesque. Because I have a good idea for the nonconformist essay, but it will take a lot of hard work, and I don’t want to be too risky.</p>

8

<p>More opinions, please.</p>

9

<p>Vonnegut isn’t very dark…</p>

10

<p>Have you read Slaughterhouse-Five? I doubt you could say that after reading Slaughterhouse-Five; I’ve read it four times, and I personally, as well as all others whom I’ve talked to that read it, feel it is supremely dark, especially if you tore the book apart and truly analyzed it from the inside out.</p>

<p>Cat’s Cradle is also very similar, and so is The Breakfast of Champions, though perhaps to a lesser extent.</p>

<p>At least that is my honest opinion, you have the rights to your own.</p>

11

<p>Yes, I have read Slaughterhouse-Five, and yes I can still say that after having read it.</p>

<p>Vonnegut’s tone is candid and lighthearted within Slaughterhouse’s tale of Billy Pilgrim (with the exception of the description of the firebombing, which is fittingly solemn). His language creates a grim image of the world and of humanity in injecting humor into serious subjects, sure, but that’s simply dark comedy. He isn’t dark in the traditional sense that you would apply to a truly “dark novel.” It isn’t a dark tone. Keep in mind he is a satirist, so the crux of his work is to create humor in things that may be dark in order to point out flaws that others may overlook. Dry? Yes. Sarcastic? Yes. Dark? Only in comedic styling.</p>

<p>Regardless, I don’t think it’s wise to be painting a picture of yourself with a dark and unpleasant essay. There are other ways to be “nonconformist.” Which also isn’t necessary to write a good, eye-catching essay.</p>

12

<p>And if by dark you did in fact simply mean you would write using dark comedy, that’s not what I would consider “nonconformist.” It is very risky, though, because if you write aiming for laughs and you fall flat then your entire essay fails.</p>

13

<p>I see what you mean. Well, I’ll have to figure something out! Does anyone have time to read my current essay? I think it’s more or less average, so if anyone is kind enough to read it and comment upon it, I would be most grateful.</p>

14

<p>I finished my new essay! Will anyone read it, pretty please? It’s not dark at all.</p>

15

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<p>How the heck can a book like this be considered dark? Yes, it has its intense moments, but I agree with DaveB’s assessment.</p>

16

<p>From the Brown Admission Page: We want to emphasize that test scores are only one of the many parts of the evaluation process. Again, your application is considered in its entirety; there are no pre-set standards that must be met.</p>

<p>I think you will have an application of interest. It is important to work to make a good and compelling essay. I will read yours if you like. Also the idea for the unconventional one. They can be good, but there are some that just don’t make sense to persue.</p>

<p>Your stats are within range of accepted students. I was just looking at a school that had 10 apply with 2 accepted and 3 waitlisted. The accepted and reject were not based on SAT’s as some rejected had the same SATs as the 2 accepted. One waitlist had low 600’s, while rejects had high 700s. As long as you are ‘in-line’ the SATs cease to matter all that much, it seems.</p>