Please Chance me for my 20+ college applications with all selective schools 😭

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Here are my stats/application!
Demographics:

  • Asian American (male)
  • Small private school (on scholarship)
  • Hawaii
  • First Generation (low income family)
    Intended Major(s):
  • Political Science/IR on prelaw track
  • Undecided for LACs
    ACT/SAT/SAT II:
  • SAT 1st try: 1550
  • SAT 2nd try: 1600 (super score)
    UW/W GPA and Rank:
    UW GPA: 4.0
    Weighted: 4.6
    Coursework: AP/IB/Dual Enrollment classes, AP/IB scores, etc
    12th grade (no scores)
  • AP Micro/Macro economics
  • AP Calc BC
  • AP Psychology
  • AP Stats
  • AP Literature
    11th
  • AP Physics 1 (5)
  • AP Bio (5)
  • AP Lang (5)
  • AP Gov (4)
  • Pre Calc Honors
    10th
  • AP Chem (5)
  • APUSH (5)
  • Algebra 2 Honors
    9th (school doesn’t allow us to take APs)
  • Geometry Honors
  • Bio Honors
    Awards:

  1. ISEF 2025 Finalist

  2. Coca-Cola scholarship Semifinalist

  3. Presidential Volunteer Service (2x Gold, 1x silver)

  4. Valedictorian

  5. National Merit Semifinalist

    Extracurriculars: Include leadership & summer activities

  6. Varsity Cross Country (4x team state champion, Captain Senior Year)

  7. Varsity Track (2x Captain, 4x 8 state record holder)

  8. Internship with General Counsel of the largest bank in the state

  9. Research with state university that got published in state university’s research journal

  10. Orchestra 5 (9-12th and played with State’s symphony multiple times)

  11. Model UN

  12. Science Olympiad (state champion and placed at nationals)

  13. Work Experience (Barnes and Nobels, at school, etc)

  14. Head Math and Writing Tutor at school

  15. 300+ hours of community service from clubs/organizations

    Schools: List of colleges, ED/EA/RD,
    SCEA: Princeton

    Regular Decisions

  • Harvard
  • Duke
  • Cornell
  • Yale
  • Brown
  • UPenn
  • Standord
  • USC
  • UVA
  • Haverford
  • Amherst College
  • Williams
  • Grinnell
  • Carleton
  • Pomona
  • Claremont McKenna
    UC Applications
  • UC Berkeley
  • UCLA
  • UCI
    International Schools
  • University College London (accepted)
  • Imperial College
2

Is it affordable? If yes, it is a safety. If no, then it is out of reach.

You may get better responses if you create a post in the chance / match me section and fill in the template.

4

Budget? You say low income. The UCs give no aid to out of state students. Do you have a source of funding for UCL? Have you checked if all the RD schools on your list meet need (I know a lot do but not sure about all of them)?

Your stats and rigor look inline for the schools on your list, but so are many other applicants. Do you have the time to devote to completing solid applications for all these schools? It may be wiser to cull the list and focus on fewer. What are your preferences in a college - you have some widely divergent types of schools there?Are you looking for suggestions for targets and safeties?

How many years of foreign language do you have?

5

For the UC schools, my dad is an instate resident in California and got confirmation that I would only need to pay the instate tuition rate. I spent a good amount of time on each of my essays as I started writing them early and over the summer. I also got good feedback from teachers and counselors and already submitted most of them. I do not have any funding for UCL but I can afford the tuition and lodging. My other RD schools thankfully do offer the financial need packages I need.

I applied to the LACs due to the fact that I don’t mind a small college community and I can compete XC/track on the d3 level. A few of these colleges reached out to me for recruitment and I also have been in communications with all of the coaches confirming my spots on their teams if I get admitted.

I have 3 years of Japanese and I am fluent in Korean.

Please ask me any other questions you have!

6

Tuition and lodging at UCL works out at around $55-60k a year at current exchange rates, then there’s food, air fare etc. Is this your budget for other colleges too? Not wanting to get too into the weeds but that’s hard to reconcile with being a low income student. Bear in mind that US meet needs schools use their definition of need. If your family financials tally with $60k to spend on college a year you might not get the aid you’re expecting.

I think your achievements are impressive and you’re a strong candidate. That said, your list is all reaches. You’ll probably get some admits out of there but we also see sometimes very strong candidates get closed out of everywhere they apply when they have a reach-heavy list. I strongly urge you to add a couple of targets and safeties to your list unless you are treating UCL as your sure thing and know for certain it’s within your budget.