Academics:
GPA (Unweighted): 3.9
GPA (weighted):4.7
ACT: 32
Rank: Top 2% (4)
AP Courses: World History, APUSH, Physics I, Physics II, Calc, Economics, English III, English IV, Latin IV,
Extracurriculars:
Band - President
Jazz Band - President
Classics Club - Vice President
STEM Club - Vice President
High School Scholars Club - Officer
Band Camp Counselor
Chicago History paper finalist
Soccer - Varsity (2 years)
Senior Leadership
Lector (2 years) and Altar Server (8 years)
Spent 6 hours every Saturday at University of Chicago Medical School volunteering/learning
Took University of Chicago Biology Class - Got an A
Worked 10 hours a week in maintenance
Recommendations: Excellent - Professor from University of Chicago, High School Principal, Physics Teacher, Counselor
100% Hispanic
Intended Major: Engineering / Biology
My Colleges List:
Harvard
Stanford
Princeton
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
University of Wisconsin
Purdue
Vanderbilt
What’s your budget?
What are your two affordable safeties?
Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, UChicago, Vanderbilt are so selective as to be totally unpredictable. You have a nudge at UChicago but that’s move you from say 5% to 15-20% chance, perhaps.
Did you apply to both engineering and biology?
Purdue sounds like an odd choice - you’ll likely be full pay and their tech focus would make it the opposite of a ‘core’ school such as UChicago.
Why aren’t you applying to Columbia and Georgetown as well as some Catholic Universities with a core (Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Fordham)?
From what I hear from friends, Purdue has an excellent Engineering program & perhaps they have merit aid (with your high scores, that may help if it’s available). I also think you have excellent chances at UWisconsin and Michigan! I’ve found over the years that specifying potential schools as reach, target and safety is useful at the start of your college application process, but as you look deeper into the schools and programs, it makes more sense to narrow those down to which places have what you want to study & seem to be a good fit for you!
You’ve obviously applied yourself in high school and have a lot of strengths in your applications to show for it! Keep reaching out those admission reps of schools you really truly like and feel would work well for you & spend time on your Admissions Essays. Before submitting your applications, try to have someone look them over to catch any errors and to give you valuable feedback (everyone needs a good editor, no matter how much they write!).
Mostly, try not to let the stressful days of waiting interfere with your enjoying your Senior Year and your friends from high school. This part of your life is very important too – just in a different way than your higher ed years will be.
Thanks for the reply! For college, I have a Low budget, pretty much hoping for merit and financial aid. Purdue is in state and hoping for merit scholarships. I might look at Columbia again…HS counselor said I wouldn’t like it…
I am hoping UC is more like 75 percent chance of getting in, but you never know.
Semi Finalist for Coca Cola scholarship.
I applied EA UC…how much does that hurt with Harvard, Princeton, Vandy, and Stanford?
Is there a reason you aren’t looking at Urbana Champaign? It is a very good engineering school and in state (Assuming, given that you volunteer @ chicaho med).
I hear that Illinois gives very poor $$$. Also, do you think my A in a UC biology course will help offset the 32 ACT score when it comes to the IVIES…the admissions regional reps at Harvard said they first look to see if you can “do the work” then if you make that cut they look at fit/essays/recs…hoping the A in UC gets me past the first filter…What do you think?
Purdue does have many merit scholarships, however, ACT 32 is not likely to get one. For UMich, it is a mid reach to high reach depending on which school you apply to. For CoE, what is your Math section score? FYI, ACT 32 is below their admission average.
Thank you for all the responses! I live in Indiana. Purdue gives out about 900 merit scholarships a year. What about the ivies? It’s a reach, but is it fantasy? Does the A at UC give me a chance and a recommendation from a UC professor? Thanks!
900scholarships for 7,500 freshmen isn’t a lot, but you do have a shot at a scholarship-did you belong to the “promise” program? Apply to Earlham too, it’s a good safety for Biology/Biochemistry. IU also offers science programs and may be more willing to offer scholarships for your stats considering the competition with Purdue. Apply to the HOnors college for both.
For engineering you have Rose Hulman of course, but if you like UChicago and its core (and intellectual/humanistic bent) you may like Union better than Rose.
Run the NPCs.
If you’re instate for Indiana, UIUC would indeed be unaffordable, very true.
What’s your exact budget? Does it match your EFC? For instance, are you in a situation where your EFC is 20K and your parents can afford 7K only, or are you in a situation where you have EFC zero because your parents can afford zero?