<p>Stats:</p>
<ul>
<li>SAT/ACT: 2370 (800 CR/ 800W/ 770M)</li>
<li>SAT IIs: 800/800/800</li>
<li>GPA: 4.0 UW, above 4.5 weighted.</li>
<li>Rank: top 10% for sure. School doesn’t rank, though.</li>
<li>APs: Calc B/C: 5, Bio: 5, French Language: 5</li>
<li>Course load: most difficult</li>
<li>Other stats: Qualified for AIME</li>
</ul>
<p>Subjective:</p>
<ul>
<li>Essays: Pretty good, I think.</li>
<li>Teacher Recs: One is reallllly good, didn’t read the other.</li>
<li>Counselor Rec: Pretty good, I think.</li>
<li>Major EC’s: black belt, President of something, co-president of something, treasurer of two things, co-captain of waterpolo. 2 years varsity waterpolo & 2 years JV, 4 years JV swimming. Membership in a few honor societies. Violin lessons for 10+ years.</li>
<li>Work experience: business internship, and various tutoring</li>
</ul>
<p>Location/Person:</p>
<ul>
<li>State or Country: CA</li>
<li>School Type: Pretty competitive public</li>
<li>Ethnicity: white</li>
<li>Gender: female</li>
<li>Income Bracket: middle/low</li>
<li>Financial aid?: yes</li>
<li>Intended Major: biochem</li>
</ul>
<p>Yes, you’re wonderful. If not Dartmouth, then someplace very tippy top.</p>
<p>You needed strangers to tell you this??</p>
<p>Well, I just got deferred from Brown. My confidence is a little shot.</p>
<p>Thanks, though.</p>
<p>Hi Kristina,</p>
<p>Don’t dismiss or underplay your ECs and your essays. As you’ve experienced at Brown, and you can see by looking through the Dartmouth ED thread, high scores may a necessary, but they are an insufficient condition for success.</p>
<p>I don’t think these schools are looking for computational machines. </p>
<p>Take time when writing your essays. Be sure they reveal your unique character. Present your ECs in a positive and focused light that shows your passion for them, your commitment to them and your accomplishments in them. Schools like Brown and Dartmouth are not only looking for how “smart” you are, but, in particular, want to see what you will bring to their communities that is special and that will make them better. </p>
<p>Finally, to the extent that you can do this, try to get a letter from someone who knows you well and who has known you over an extended period of time (in an EC or community setting) and ask them to write a character reference on your behalf. This will only work if it’s authentic; it can’t be perfunctory. </p>
<p>On your scores, colleges will often view the most talented among us through a kind of Biblical lens, “Too whom much is given, much is required.”</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>