Harvard/Penn/Columbia/other top tier CHANCES!

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>Hey guys, already sent in my apps and stuff…still a little curious about chances. Can’t wait :p</p>

<p>Pretty competitive school, usually send 2-3 to HYPSM, 8-9 more to Ivies and 10 more to other top schools</p>

<p>So far for our grade, 2 kids have gotten into Brown, 1 Columbia, 1 Cornell, 1 Duke, 2 Chicago as far I know (probably more)
**
Race: Indian Male**</p>

<p>GPA (Weighted, school doesn’t calculate unweighted): 4.504
Class rank: 20/538 = top 3.7%
Freshman: 4 As 3 Bs
Sophomore: 5 As 2Bs
Junior 6As 1 B
Senior 8 As… Heavy Upward Trend
-Taking most rigorous curriculum in grade… will graduate with 11 ap exam scores and 9 AP courses
-Taking Quantitative Analysis II<a href=“advanced%20chem%20course%20for%20juniors%20and%20seniors”>/B</a> at university- achieved highest grade in class, produced research paper (INDEPENDENT research)- 9 hours of class a week
Received highest grade in exams and laboratories** in class, ended up with 4.0</p>

<p>-Will take MultiVar Calc second semester</p>

<p>-Vassar Book award, High Honors every quarter of high school, AP Scholar with Distinction, FLHS, NHS, SHS, NSHSS</p>

<p>AP: 4 Bio, 4 Stat, 5 Calc AB, 5 Calc BC, 5 Chem, 5 Comp, 3 APUSH (lol)</p>

<p>ACT: **34 Comp: 36 M, 34S, 32 R, 33E 10 Essay <a href=“got%2012%20essay%20on%20a%20previous%20testing”>/B</a>
Superscore: Still 34, 36M, 36S, 32E, 33E,12 E</p>

<p>SAT 2: 800 Math 2, 780 Chem</p>

<p>**EC <a href=“Very%20brief,%20I%20consider%20this%20by%20far%20the%5BB%5D%20strongest%20part%20of%20my%20app%5B/B%5D”>/B</a>:
-250+ hours of research in 2 year time period, produced 3 research papers, 1 of them will be submitted for publication (huge time commitment)
-1 of them is INDEPENDENT- yes, I designed and carried it out by myself
-1800-2000+ hours of table tennis training, practice. Ranked nationally (#32 for 16yr olds), #2 junior in state, won multistate tournaments, club champion, MIT kids team 4th place, pres + founder of club at school</p>

<p>-Sci bowl, B team captain 11th, A team captain 12th. Our team has placed top 10 in states each year and our A team has won states 2 times. HUGE time commitment
-Math Team (A team 11+12, 5 people on A team, 50 on B team), 3rd highest scoring junior award in league, qualified for states (CSAML), qualified for new englands (NEAML), A team got 1st in league, 3rd in state, 10 in new englands
-VP + co captain of chess team, 10th grade and 11th town champion, our team got 1st place in both years, taught chess to kids over summer at library
-Proctored at state and chapter math counts for 4 years, tutored kids for 3 years
-**250+ hours of community service<a href=“tutored%20middle%20school%20student%20each%20week%20for%203%20years,%20taught%20chess%20to%20kids%20at%20local%20library%20during%20summer,%20helped%20kids%20conduct%20science%20experiments%20in%20summer%20at%20local%20library,%20helped%20at%20cultural%20events,%20volunteered%20at%20Special%20Ed%20camp”>/B</a>
-Selected as High School Campus Leader by Ivy I nsi ders</p>

<p>-Founder/President of Table Tennis club at school for 10,11</p>

<p>Recs:
Calc BC teacher- **pretty decent<a href=“It’s%20good%20stuff%20but%20might%20be%20too%20general”>/B</a>
AP Chem Teacher- Very strong
Guidance Rec: Very strong- Talked about how skipping a grade affected me socially and academically</p>

<p>Common App Essay: I think it’s good, not sure if they will like it or not. It’s about ping pong =/
Supplements: Excellent</p>

<p>Schools Applied to:
Harvard
Berkeley (CoC)- OOS
JHU
WashU
Penn (SEAS)
Cornell (CoE)
Columbia (SEAS)
Gtech
Duke (CoE)
CMU (CIT)
Northwestern (CoE)
Chicago (CAS)</p>

<p>**Possible Hook?- Submitted my 3 research projects to all of my colleges (abstracts + papers) **</p>

<p>Thanks. Feel free to leave a link if you would like me to chance back.</p>

2

<p>I think you’ll get into UCB, Georgiatech, CMU, JHU and Northwestern. I think you have a reasonable shot at Cornell, Duke, Chicago, WashU. Penn could happen. Harvard and Columbia probably not.</p>

3

<p>Thanks. As an out of state applicant to Berkeley-CoC, I think that is going to be my highest reach next to Harvard. </p>

<p>The rest seem to make sense, but, for Columbia, I think that’s definitely within my reach since the kid that got in ED to Columbia had similar statistics +ECs to mine (also Asian). He has a higher class rank (7/538), but I have higher SAT/ACT, am more focused and dedicated towards ECs, and he read my supplements + essays and said they showed my clear passion toward research, engineering, table tennis. Having said this, I know Columbia has become extremely competitive over the last few years, so anything could happen. </p>

<p>Anyone else?</p>

4

<p>Not even close with Berkeley. They are significantly raising the number of OOS students this year. They badly need the money. I think you’ll easily be in there. It is waaaaay easier to get into than Columbia. Not in the same league at all, no pun intended.</p>

5

<p>^where does it say that Berkeley needs money and is increasing the OOS rate this year?</p>

6

<p>Note that Columbia’s applications increased by 32% this year, to almost 35,000. Same as Harvard, for what it’s worth.</p>

7

<p>Here and lots of other places:</p>

<p>[UC</a> Berkeley and all UC campuses move to boost enrollment of non-Californians - San Francisco Education | Examiner.com](<a href=“http://www.examiner.com/education-in-san-francisco/uc-berkeley-and-all-uc-campuses-move-to-boost-enrollment-of-non-californians]UC”>http://www.examiner.com/education-in-san-francisco/uc-berkeley-and-all-uc-campuses-move-to-boost-enrollment-of-non-californians)</p>

<p>Do be aware however, this ends up costing more than an ivy would for many. It can be hard to get out in 4 years due to class cuts which go along with the financial crisis the UCs are having. That’s why they have to take lots of OOS students to get the yield they are after (and take lesser stats), they get about half the yield from OOS as they get in state. Don’t think I’d pay the $50K given the crisis unless it was my best option by far.</p>

<p>Berkeley is easier to get onto than every other on your list except maybe CMU, but that’s close.</p>

8

<p>Great news. I’m much less worried about Berkeley, now, as it’s one of my top, if not top, choice. </p>

<p>@pbr- I’m aware of that.</p>

9

<p>woah I think out of everybody’s app I’ve read on this site, you have the most likely chance of getting into Harvard. If you don’t get in to most or all these schools, I don’t understand who does! Though I guess being Indian/Asian will hurt you (as it always does with AA - sigh). You’ve racked up a lot of extra curriculars and in the fields of your interest while maintaining a high GPA so I think that puts you at an advantage for the schools you listed, plus you’ve steadily improved in your academics and I think that shows growth and everybody likes growth right? :D</p>

<p>I think it’s cool that you wrote an unconventional essay - that will get you noticed at least (hopefully!)</p>

<p>I think you’ll have stiff competition for Harvard and the SEAS schools and John Hopkins just because the students going into them are just like you and doing significant research with equal or great grades. It’ll come down to chance it seems - which schools ~click~ with your application and how your interviews go I think. </p>

<p>Good luck man! Let us know how it goes.</p>

<p>Here’s my thread <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1071667-chance-me-looking-ivies-other-top-schools-environmental-studies.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1071667-chance-me-looking-ivies-other-top-schools-environmental-studies.html&lt;/a&gt; I’d really appreciate your input on what I should do to have a better chance too!</p>

10

<p>^What the hell are you talking about? </p>

<p>With the increase in applications to Harvard this year, bringing their total to 35,000, you don’t have that great of a chance, but a chance you do have.
Columbia is probable. Also, if YOU think Columbia is within reach, why the hell are you asking other people for their opinion? Do you want them to tell you what you want them to say?</p>

11

<p>The NEGATIVE THING IS THAT you are the ASIANEST of the ASIANS from your activities. You don’t really seem to shine. That’s where you will **** up.</p>

12

<p>^ no need to be rude and/or stereotype Asians C:</p>

<p>I don’t think your ECs are “Asianest of the Asians.” Rather, they seem a bit generic for the typical prospective science/math majors. However, you’ve excelled in them and showed both commitment & leadership, which is good. I think Harvard will like all the research you’re doing, but I still think it’s a reach (as it is for more or less anyone).</p>

<p>JHU, CMU, Berkeley, Northwestern, Chicago, Duke - high match/low reach
I think you’ll get into JHU and Berkeley but I’m not as familiar with the other schools.</p>

<p>Columbia, Cornell, Penn - reach, but I think you’ll get into one, probably waitlisted at the others.</p>

13

<p>Sorry for the brash words…didn’t mean it that way. I was simply preparing you…</p>

<p>Anyways I have a feeling you will get into Duke.</p>

<p>Also, are you planning on going to Grad school? And are you rich?</p>

14

<p>bubbabubba, the news is that Harvard applications total “almost 35,000.” Columbia’s applications total 34,587. Which is “almost 35,000.”</p>

15

<p>I think you have a good chance at most of these schools. Something that I believe stands out is that you are focused with all of your ecs and leadership as well. Your community service also centers around your passions so that’s good.
Btw, are you the primary author for your published research?</p>

16

<p>Lol ***********… <-lol censor…</p>

<p>Harvard - reach
Berkeley (CoC) - low reach/reach
JHU - low reach/reach
WashU - low reach
Penn (SEAS) - low reach
Cornell (CoE) - low reach
Columbia (SEAS) - reach/low reach
Gtech - high match
Duke (CoE) - high match
CMU (CIT) - high match
Northwestern (CoE) - high match
Chicago (CAS) - high match</p>

17

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</p>

<p>Then you haven’t read a lot of apps. There are much more impressive apps on CC than mine. Look around, you’ll find them. ;)</p>

<p>Also, for everyone who is complaining about the increase in Columbia’s apps, if they really want you, they’ll take you- regardless of how many people apply. I honestly don’t think Columbia is a high reach, but we’ll see. </p>

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<p>Ouch…Gtech was supposed to be my ‘safety’…oh oh. Also, is CMU really a high match? My GPA is above their reported average, and my scores are above their 75th percentile, and I doubt my ECs will drag me down any. Can you elaborate on how you came to those predictions? I’m not complaining- I’m just curious.</p>

18

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<p>No, but I would like them to explain their reasoning behind it.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I plan on obtaining a PhD, so yes. I’m not sure what you consider rich, but in the last year, our total income was 100k. Unfortunately, due to the current state of economy, my dad was only able to work for 4-5 months. However, for the years before this one, household income was around 220k+. I don’t think this matters for college admissions. We don’t plan on donating money to any college.</p>

19

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<p>No. However, I will be listed as one of the authors (only 2 will be listed).</p>

<p>Some additional info:</p>

<p>As far as supplements go for colleges, I spent a good amount of time on them and had them read by current students, which really helped me write a stronger essay.</p>

<p>Also:
For Berkeley, I talked to the president of table tennis, and he volunteered to write me a ‘special talent’ recommendation. I also talked to the president of Columbia table tennis and she volunteered to write me a recommendation, but I declined. For all of the schools I listed, each of the presidents said I would be able to be part of their A Team for the NCTTA.</p>

20

<p>10characters is actually 12 characters long.</p>

<p>Bump.</p>