I desperately need an outside opinion (selective schools)

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>I’ve held out long enough. </p>

<p>White male, Florida, small private school, upper-middle class</p>

<p>Scores:
SAT: 770 M, 770 V, 800 W (2340)
SAT II:
US History 800
Math IIC 790,
World History 790
Chem 760</p>

<p>AP:
Sophomore year–World History 5, Biology 5
Junior Year–French 3, Calc AB 5, Chem 5, English Language 5, APUSH 5</p>

<p>GPA–unweighted 4.0, weighted ~4.35 (this is for all three years of high school, junior year was like 4.7 weighted)</p>

<p>My school doesn’t rank, but I’m in the top 10% and most likely second or third in my class.</p>

<p>In addition to the APs, I was in an accelerated “Lyceum” program all through high school that was supposed to compete with the local IB. </p>

<p>Senior Year:
AP Calc BC
AP Government
AP Macroeconomics
AP Physics
AP English Lit.
AP Vergil
AP Music Theory
Journalism
AP Microeconomics (self-study)</p>

<p>Pretty much most rigorous courses all through high school. I should get good teacher/guidance counseler reccomendations as well.</p>

<p>EC/Awards
-Been involved in Boy Scouts/Order of the Arrow since 6th grade (Eagle Scout)
-Played classical guitar for 5 years and was in a quartet that won 1st place at the Brownsville guitar festival
-A-Team (quiz bowl) all high school
-Teen Court for past two years (I work as an attorney)
-Disney Dreamer and Doer award (prestigious award for central Florida students on all levels)
-Appointed to school’s Honor Council
-Writer on school newspaper junior and senior year (possibly editor), participate in student-written section of county newspaper
-National Merit commended (probably finalist)
-Placed high in national French and Latin exams
-Sports Information Directory (statistician)
-Cross-country
-Several school musicals, acting in Macbeth next year
-Tutor
-Model UN
-Honor societies–National, French, Classical League, Tri-M Music
-First place local National History Day
-Numerous school “Academic Achievement Awards”–best student in a particular subject for each grade</p>

<p>Summers
2005–School’s classical guitar summer program, CSLC “Leadership Camp” congressional forum etc. Not a whole lot else.
2006–Lab research at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center, tutoring at my school, summer courses at Duke University via the Duke/TIP “Pre-College” program (Lab Chemistry and Psychology) which supposedly will help in Duke admissions</p>

<p>I will be applying to:
Princeton (probably ED)
Duke
Davidson
Dartmouth
Columbia
UVA
Washington and Lee
Wake Forest</p>

<p>What do you think? Are my choices unrealistic? Also, if I were to take the SAT or subject tests one more time, which should I try to improve?</p>

2

<p>Your scores are fine. Your ECs are average. White umc ewill make you a very average candidate at P and C. Maybe 20% chance at best at those. 50/50 D and D. The rest you should be in.</p>

3

<p>Your stats are great. Although, Princeton is probably the most picky, selective school out there. I do know that an applicant’s chances rise dramatically if they apply ED, so go for it. </p>

<p>I don’t think you should retake any of the SAT scores, a matter of 30 or so points isn’t really worth the hassle.</p>

4

<p>you have great shots at davidson, wake, UVA (even though you are OOS), and W&L (i was accepted with much lower stats). Duke, Columbia, Datmouth, Princeton can all be question marks for even the best applicants such as yourself. if you want one of those four more than the first four, apply ED to one of them; it will greatly increase your chances. good luck.</p>

5

<p>your test scores are awesome, those will be great for all of those schools. your GPA and rigor of classes also makes you an excellent candidate. like others have said, your EC’s are kind of average, but you seem like a strong enough candidate all around to make up for that. P and C really are crapshoots (more so P), but applying ED will increase your chances so do it! I think your choices are great.</p>

6

<p>Thanks everyone, my school sends very few kids to highly-ranked colleges (only one to an Ivy, and he was a legacy) and my guidance counselors and friends are not as informed as they should be.</p>

7

<p>No! </p>

<p>Don’t sweat the extra 60 points. Show them you are not that obsessed. Please tell me that you are not. </p>

<p>Apply to all since Princeton is EA, not ED. Go for the scholarships, which will give you a good opportunity to experience each institution.</p>

<p>If your school has a Jefferson Scholarship nomination for UVa, ask your college counselor about it. If your school does not, it can still get one by asking the Jefferson Scholarship Foundation – do it now since the application is due by Nov 1. I know they are trying to increase the nominations. My son was a finalist this year – fabulous experience, and although he did not get the scholarship (no surprise!), the honor and interviewing experience no doubt helped him get other scholarships (incl W&L, where he will be going this fall). You have to agree not to apply ED elsewhere though. Also, being selected as a JS finalist (by late Jan) means you are accepted to UVa – and you know that early, so that’s a relief.</p>

<p>Start working on your Wake Forest app now since it has an unbelievable number of essays! Good news is that you can adapt some of them for other apps.</p>

8

<p>your stats are amazing, but nothing really seemed to “pop” out. what makes you special besides your good scores/grades?</p>

9

<p>Also, I think your classical guitar is a “special” EC, esp with the first place award. If you intend to pursue this in college, it’s a good focal point for your app.</p>

10

<p>I’m not sure how “special” the classical guitar is because 1) I am not nationally ranked on an individual basis and 2) I have not entered any individual guitar competitions (partly because there aren’t any in my region)</p>

<p>I’m still considering sending a tape, since it (supposedly) is a fairly rare instrument compared to piano, violin, etc.</p>

11

<p>Guess that wasn’t THE Brownsville Festival competition then? In any event, schools look to see what you do that you would continue to do on campus, i.e., what your contribution would be. Answer that question before you decide what to write on your application. If not guitar, what would it be?</p>

12

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</p>

<p>Princeton is ED.</p>

13

<p>Esquette’s advice is very sound. I know I am not an adcom but on your ECs I see a student who is diverse and not one dimensional. You’ve done a sport, music,drama, academic extras, scouts–wow–I’d be proud of you!</p>

<p>Agree that Wake’s essays take a good bit of time. They have 2 EA options–one is single choice and the other you can apply to other schools.</p>

<p>I know more about the Carolina schools and IMO Duke, Davidson and Wake are all good matches for you.</p>

14

<p>OK, do not retake any tests. If you do, the college admission gods will curse you.</p>

<p>Excellent scores, GPA. a LOT of ECs, but without significant leadership. DO apply Princeton ED. If you write a great essay, i say 50% shot.</p>

15

<p>I stand corrected on Princeton! </p>

<p>Agree that being well-rounded is a strength. But you still need to identify which of your ECs you expect to pursue in college. </p>

<p>If you apply P ED, you cannot go for the Jefferson Scholarship, which, though a long shot (approx 35 full tuition and expenses awarded), you do have the scores and well-roundedness to compete for. It’s a plus just to get a nomination (only one per school), one that can help you with other schools. Esp if you are your school’s first nomination (my S was). One of the keys is how good you are in person, because you have to make it through several rounds of interviews, so take that factor into account.</p>

16

<p>Again agree with Esquette. The Jefferson Scholarship opens many doors even if you don’t receive it, but at least make through some of the first (rounds?). Know a couple students locally who were finalists, didn’t receive it, but received full merit scholarships at other institutions (one Morehead and one was Parks).</p>

<p>That is a good point—you need to check consequences of EA or ED applications against scholarships, etc at other institutions.</p>