<p>Ok, so theres the obvious class rank, standardized test, essays, recs, but that’s mainly to get you in.</p>
<p>Axliners have all that plus what?</p>
<p>Research competetions?
National awards?
20 (litterally) AP’s?
What else?</p>
<p>You’re lucky that I am bored. I poked through the 2010 official decisions threads. Here are the stats of the two (I know three but I don’t think the third posted his stats) axliners that I know of.</p>
<p>1)</p>
<p>Decision: ACCEPTED WITH AXLINE!!</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<pre><code>* SAT: 2320 (790 M, 760 CR, 770 W)
- SAT IIs: 800 Math IIc, 760 USH, 730 Phys.
- GPA: 98.125 w
- Rank: 18/330
- Other stats: Research awards, including national finalist @ Siemens and top 10 @ STS
</code></pre>
<p>Subjective:</p>
<pre><code>* Essays: I thought they were pretty good. I was writing so many essays then, maybe I got the hang of it! Both really helped demonstrate my passion for astronomy.
- Teacher Recs: I would imagine they were as good as I could have wanted, but I didn’t see them (though I heard about them). One was from my science research teacher, one from my English teacher, and one was from my research mentor. The people I picked really like me, so…
- Counselor Rec: Same.
- Hook (if any): Research. I definitely demonstrated my passion for astronomy, and backed it up with demonstrated success in research that’s going to really impact the field.
</code></pre>
<p>Location/Person:</p>
<pre><code>* State or Country: NY (Long Island)
- School Type: Public
- Ethnicity: Jewish
- Gender: Male
- Major Strength/Weakness: Research. I showed a real passion, what I really love, and pursued it, and that’s all you really can do in high school.
- Why You Think You Were Accepted/Rejected/Waitlisted: Because Caltech likes people who truly love science? That’s all I can speculate upon.
</code></pre>
<p>Other Factors: Not sure what to say. Congrats to everyone who got in, this is quite spectacular!!!</p>
<p>2)</p>
<p>Decision: Accepted (Axline, Lingle)</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<pre><code>* SAT: 1600
- SAT IIs: Chem, MathIIC, Writing (800s)
- GPA: not sure–5/5ish
- Rank: school doesn’t rank
- Other stats: a few APs; RSI; Siemens regionals; Intel 10th; decent-but-not-great math competition stuff
</code></pre>
<p>Subjective:</p>
<pre><code>* Essays: I liked pieces of them. Also sent in a copy of the research paper I submitted to Intel.
- Teacher Recs: Good, I think.
- Counselor Rec: started with “free-spirited” (we had to read them)
- Hook (if any): ?
</code></pre>
<p>Location/Person:</p>
<pre><code>* State or Country: MA
- School Type: public
- Ethnicity: caucasian
- Gender: female… hope that didn’t matter!
- major strength/weakness: research/not-so-great other ECs
</code></pre>
<p>Other Factors: graduating a year early</p>
<p>I already read both of those, but I appreciate you boredem…erm…support. Other thoughts?</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone can tell you about how the admissions department picks axline except for the admissions department. All the rest of us can do is point to examples. Maybe try to find the 2005 decision thread and look through that?</p>
<p>Ben has a very helpful post on this somewhere-or-other. One thing to keep in mind is that although it’s really cool that Caltech offers merit scholarships, your application is not some absolute indicator of your potential as a scientist, person, giraffe, or anything else. The admissions department does not seem to have an especially clear set of rules (at least not one discernable from the outside) other than seeming to like passion for math and science, and it’s hard enough to predict their decisions that it’s not really a good idea to worry about such things in advance.</p>
<p>Hiya Kim! How do you always know when I’m talking about you???</p>
<p>Hiya Tom! What makes you think I only know when you’re talking about /me/?</p>
<p>lol i heart u kim</p>
<p>And I presume, Tom, that you had also mentioned me in passing?</p>
<p>With regards to the Axline, don’t get your hopes up. That seems like an easy recipe for disappointment.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m not at all planning on getting one…I just am a curious person.</p>
<p>neapol1s, you would be the one who I did not believe posted his/her stats.</p>