On the Fence.... could I make it Ivy?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>I am applying to colleges for Fall 2010 and am in a bit of a precarious situation.</p>

<p>I am from Quebec, where we have high school until grade 11 followed by 2 years of “CEGEP”, which is a Pre-University program. I graduated first in my class out of 80 students, won several subject awards and was awarded the prestigious Governor General’s Academic Medal and the McGill Science Award, as well as other awards for positive contributions to my school and community. I am not very good at math and don’t know any scientists who could be mentors so I never did better than first in school for math competitions and the best I’ve ever done in science fair was get an Honourable Mention at the regionals. Other than that, I haven’t done anything regional or national or international other than make 3rd place in a Provincewide essay contest and place 7th in the province in the National Geography Challenge. I simply never had such opportunities, and my parents the farthest thing from scientists (both artists) who don’t care where I go to school as long as I’m happy - but I dream of going to Harvard (I know, I know, so does everyone else…). I just love the ivy league atmosphere, where everyone is as driven and exciting about learning as I am and so happy to be there! Still, I know it’s a crapshoot, so I’m also applying to Penn, Stanford, Cornell, Princeton, Brown, JHU and WashU. My safeties are McGill and Oberlin. </p>

<p>I am a very ambitious and determined person. I started a newspaper at my high school that continues to exist even 2 years after I graduated. I was head Prefect and am published annually in my school’s literary magazine. </p>

<p>I got accepted into the most selective CEGEP program in the province, Arts and Sciences, at the most rigorous and competitive English language college (I’m now in 2nd year). I am taking courses that are downright evil, at the undergrad level. While most undergrads take 5 courses per semester, I went the masochistic route so I had to take 8 last semester 7 this semester. This semester I am taking Organic Chemistry, Linear Algebra (I already took Cal I and II), International Politics and Economics, Epistemology, Quantum Mechanics, Romantics to Modern Lit., and Intro to Psych. I am pulling mid to high 80’s and low 90’s in all my subjects this semester except Organic and Quantum Mechanics, which I am finding ridiculously difficult (low 80s). My program basically has the top students in the province, two of which got accepted a year early at Ivy leagues (Princeton and Cornell, respectively) and my class rank is pretty bad (15/30 in my program) because I did abominably (mid-70’s) in gym, French and Cal I (I was not prepared for the latter as they skipped me out of PreCal because I scored extremely high on the downright evil Math 536 government final exam). My cumulative average is 84/100 for the first two semesters of CEGEP, which is considered good given the rigor of my program but it will go up this semester since I don’t have to take French and Gym. I graduated high school with a 95% and I scored 100% or close on three out of four provincewide government exams and got honoured at palais des congres for outstanding achievement in History.</p>

<p>I am heavily involved in extra-curricular life. I currently shadow a physician and volunteer at a hospital several hours a week. I am a First-aid certified member of our school’s First Aid Team and have a popular monthly column in the student newspaper. I also sit on the prestigious Student Life Committee and wrote and will produce a play that got chosen to be performed at my school as the one and only school play. I have been a professional actor for many years and have played small roles (mostly extra) in movies and television. My high school debate team won the Provincial Championship in 2007. I was a volunteer tutor at my high school for students who couldn’t afford tutoring and am a premier waterskiier eligible to compete nationally (but don’t, because I simply don’t have time or energy). I was recently accepted into the selective EMS (Emergency Medical Services) program where I will be trained this year to become a medic.</p>

<p>Summer Programs:
2007: Started a drama program at a summer camp. Was asked to come back but didn’t because of Shad. (This year I will be teaching drama during the year at the community centre that runs the camp).
2008: Shad Valley McMaster
2009: Harvard SSP (A’s in both my classes - Tragic Theatre and Neurobio)</p>

<p>Predicted SAT and ACT scores (I took both):
~2250 and 32. I do NOT test well, which is the reason for my lowish grades in CEGEP (time constraint issues that weren’t present in high school).</p>

<p>Refs: Will be excellent, as I am having my Chem teacher who taught me 2 years and was my swim coach for 3 before that, my mentor who is a professor at McGill and chief of staff and my awesome English teacher who sits with me on the student life committee in whose class I got the highest mark.</p>

<p>So… am I ivy material? I feel like I am totally on the fence! While my grades are poor and my test scores okay, my ECs are pretty good and I have a good support system rooting for me who I trust will write me great reference letters. What do you think?</p>

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<p>Anyone else feel on the fence?
And do I have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting into Harvard?</p>

3

<p>Probably not given your rank.</p>

4

<p>You think a 2250 is bad??? Can I borrow it?</p>

5

<p>The weird thing about “class rank” is that I was valedictorian in high school and aced all of my government exams which are uniform across the province like the SAT (scoring 100 on most of them).</p>

<p>I am taking THE most difficult courses my CEGEP offers. I took 2 courses at Harvard in two completely different subjects and got A’s on both. Will this help much? Will my crappy class rank (keep in mind that my program only accepts the top 0.1% of the province, 18 out of 30 of whom were high school valedictorians). The average entering secondary school average is 92% for my particular program and 82% for all other programs at my “college” including science. Quebec high school curriculum is among the most rigorous in North America, with a dropout rate in high school of about 40%. Out of those who go on to CEGEP, 50% never graduate. I hope these colleges take this into account… when they say they will take great care in finding out where I stand within the context of my school and province, do they mean it?</p>

6

<p>Unhooked kids from Andover, Exeter and top American schools do not get into ivies with that rank. Frankly, it gives them a good idea of how you do when faced with a competitive class. Pretty much everyone gets good grades at Harvard SSP and all of the similar summer programs. These will not count in the admission process. They would have preferred your spending the summer working at McDonalds. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, rank is the most important admissions consideration at top colleges.</p>

7

<p>The unfair thing about my current class rank is that a) If I had went to any other school in the province my class rank would certainly be 1, (unless I went to Dawson, a school with 10,000 students, in which case I would probably be in the low double digits). I went to an elite private high school and my class rank was 1. b) People who have a lighter courseload - for example, we had the choice between theatre and Organic Chem and I chose Organic Chem - and have a higher rank because of it. Same goes for French. I scored 100 on the French high school leaving exam, so I got placed in high french with all the mother-tongue french people. Some people in my cohort got into the “bobo” class and scored much higher.I was also exempt from gym all through high school because I am blind, but in CEGEP they refused to exempt me, and having never taken a gym class, I was at a huge disadvantage… finally, c) The people who rank higher than me, for the most part, LIVE in the library. It is theoretically IMPOSSIBLE given the rigour of my school to have any life whatsoever and score in the 90’s. It’s unheard of.</p>

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<p>give it a shot. harvard can be arbitrary. hmom5 is known for being a bit negative, though I suppose she knows her stuff. Chances are you’re not going to get in, but with a circa 10% admission rate, everyone’s probability of getting in is no rather than yes. It’s an easy application, go for it and hope for the best.</p>

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<p>also, you do not have to prove yourself to anyone on this thread. we all came from different backgrounds and have excuses, even legitimate ones such as yours, for why we may have done badly. Colleges won’t see that and no one on here actually matters. Don’t waste your letters.</p>

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<p>In the eyes of some, to others I’m known as realistic.</p>

<p>Future, there are many, many schools in every country where you must ‘live in the library’ to be top of class. For the unhooked, you are viewed in the context of your environment and Harvard wants the top of the top.</p>

<p>Doesn’t hurt to try but have good backups.</p>

11

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<p>Excuses, excuses. </p>

<p>Never had such opportunities? How many people have the money to pay for harvard SSP, an “elite” private high school that probably costs a lot?</p>

<p>Don’t test well? Why are you bragging about your 100s on your provincials? </p>

<p>Stop making excuses for yourself. Top CEGEP? Many people should be applying to HYP then, and you should know how well you’ll do based on the past performance of your school. </p>

<p>A vague description of yourself that was written by you (which means it’s completely biased as we can see from you trying to explain everything) + random people on the internet won’t result in very accurate answers. </p>

<p>Whatever, just try, you have nothing to lose.</p>

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<p>A lot of people from my school in my program apply to HYP relative to the number of students. Especially since McGill is right in our backyard, practically, so most people who (understandably) want cheap in-province tuition fees with great value go there.</p>

<p>As for ivies, one girl from my program applied a year prematurely and got into Princeton. She was an anomaly, for it is physically impossible to excel in my program without living in the library, and the ivies tend to want people who have “lives”. There are few such people in my program, and they all are in the bottom half. I am one of them but am in the top half.</p>

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<p>hmom, I would venture to call you negative rather than realistic. We are all aware that Harvard wants the top of the top. What you don’t seem to be aware of is that exceptions DO exist.</p>

<p>It’s anecdotal evidence and therefore you will probably ignore it, but a girl in my brother’s graduating class got accepted/went to Harvard. She was not a valedictorian, she did not have the best SAT scores, and she did not have EC’s that bursted with passion.</p>

<p>If you want to tell someone that their chances are even lower than the 8.x% that Harvard carries, that’s fine. But to act like it’s impossible for an unhooked, non-val to get in is going a little too far.</p>

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<p>I was valedictorian of my high school class though, and my EC’s are bursting with passion, and my SATs are excellent (except for writing).
I’m just in a CEGEP program that is FULL of high school valedictorians like myself. Kind of like a mini-harvard. In fact, a girl from my program got into Princeton and she said Princeton is a joke compared to our program. I believe it. I wonder if my high school transcript will count or not…</p>