<p>Like the title suggests, those three are my reach schools (for mechanical engineering). I live near Milwaukee in Wisconsin.</p>
<p>EDIT: Ahhh shoot, I forgot to add University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign!</p>
<p>-Ethnicity: Hispanic
-Weighted GPA: 4.156
-Class Rank: 2 of 370</p>
<p>SAT
-Math: 740
-Critical Reading: 740
-Writing: 660
-Essay: 9
-(subject tests later)</p>
<p>ACT: 34</p>
<p>ECs:
-Pep Band (9-12)
-Pit Orchestra (11-12)
-Marching Band (9-12)
-Drum Major (12)
-Polka Band (11)
-District Solo/Ensemble (9-12)
-State Solo/Ensemble (10-12)
-Soccer, high school and club (9-11)
-Tennis (10-12)
-FBLA (11-12)
-NHS (11-12)
-Forensics (9-10)
-Lake Restoration Project (9)
-Red Cross Bike Restoration Project (9-12)
-International Model and Talent Association (11)
-Barbizon Modeling and Acting (10-11)
-Tutoring (10-12)
-Assistant Soccer Coach (9-12)</p>
<p>Awards
-Academic recognition every year
-Rotary-acknowledged each year
-Rotary student of the month senior year
-Leadership award at WCATY (wisconsin center for academically talented youth)
-A ton of music awards for involvement and achievement</p>
<p>APs, taking the four without scores this year
-Calc AB (5)
-Calc BC
-Stats
-US History (5)
-Physics
-English Lang and Comp (5)
-Literature
(I took mainly all honors classes otherwise. My issue was that I took band and jazz each year - there was no way I would drop my two favorite classes, especially jazz, but it really limited my class options. Is it a good thing that I stuck with it? That and I had multiple course conflicts scheduling senior year - should have AP Computer Sci and AP Spanish but I thought calc was more important and I needed lit to satisfy my english credits.)</p>
<p>Is there anything I can improve on? I’m taking the subject tests (math II and physics) this fall to make EA too.</p>
<p>Your a solid canidate with a passion for music. However, MIT is probably out of the question because you have no math/science EC’s compared to thousands of other applicants who have tons of those. You are Hispanic which is working in your favor. I would eliminate some of your EC’s that you only did for a yr or two caz you list is sort of a laundry list.
MIT-mid-high reach
Cornell-low-mid reach(not enough leadership)
Northwestern-match/slight reach(probably in)
University of Illinois-???
Good luck :)</p>
<p>Your GPA and and ACT score will definitely help. I’m curious as to what your unweighted GPA is. Being hispanic helps too. I would say the only thing is weak EC.
I can see you’re very involved with music, but the other things just look like a laundry list. Get into leadership roles and if you’re interested in mechanic engineering, do something related to that. </p>
<p>Northwestern: In
Cornell: mid-reach
MIT: high reach</p>
<p>Thanks for the help! I’d love to get a few more opinions but I’m pretty sure it’ll all be the same =\ Any ideas to help out my ECs in this last year that wouldn’t just be a scramble to add one more math/science EC to the list?</p>
<p>EDIT: 4.0 GPA unweighted by the way</p>
<p>your SATS are subpar, but you did great on your ACT, so you can always send that in…your EC’s are scattered and don’t have a particular theme, but your academic history is stellar
Cornell and Northwestern: match
MIT: mid-high reach</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/983485-chance-upper-tier-schools-i-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/983485-chance-upper-tier-schools-i-will-chance-back.html</a></p>
<p>Um, a little confused why nobody thinks you have any leadership…drum major anyone??</p>
<p>if you do well on your subject tests that could make up for not having any significant math/science ecs.</p>
<p>i’d say…
MIT, high reach, but that’s true for anyone
Cornell, low reach
Northwestern, match</p>
<p>I’m really serious about band too so I get where you’re coming from…it does make scheduling harder</p>
<p>^^ That has been my issue ever since freshman year - I was always banking on the fact that my passion for music would make up for one less social studies credit, that sort of thing. How can I place more emphasis on being a drum major so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle?</p>
<p>maybe write an essay about it. that’s what I’m planning to do, especially since, for me, it’s definitely one of the things that had the most impact. since music seems to be your focus, i’m guessing it’ll be number one or two on your extracurricular section? hopefully if you include drum major prominently in the leadership/awards section for band, it’ll get noticed.</p>
<p>and hopefully admissions officers will know what being drum major is lol! another thing that could be solved in an essay.</p>
<p>and as for not having many math/science ecs, I just went and got my mail and the MIT Admissions Guide has this to say:
In a nutshell: you should be invested in the things that really mean something to you (we’re not particularly picky as to what). Choose quality over quantity–we don’t expect you to do a million things. Tell us about those few things you’ve put your heart into and you truly care about and that will be enough.</p>
<p>hope that helps!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the help! Could anyone give me some ideas for UIUC admission?</p>