Should I even apply?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

i want to study computer science and im applying to Dartmouth, Uchicago, Yale, WashU St Louis, Northwestern

international applicant

Rank: 13/170

SAT: 2250 (Cr: 740 M:800 W:710)

ACT: 34 (E:35 M:33 R:36 S:32)

SAT ST: Physics: 770 Math2:770 Chem: 720

ECs : Secretary of Quiz Club

Won quizzes at national level and a bunch apart from that

Quizmaster of my school’s open quiz

Director of MUN and Debate Society

Won numerous awards at national and international MUN conferences

Vice captain of Varsity swim team, win all intra school races and swim for a club too

Varsity Soccer team player, played 18 tournaments and won 11

Member of editorial board of all school publications, represent my school at essay writing competitions, won a couple

Building my own app right now (dictionary that defines a word for you when you highlight it; you dont have to open google in a different tab)

I also have a bunch of javascript projects i made in my spare time i can upload onto a website

i have 70+ hours of volunteer time logged (teaching underprivileged children basic math and science)

other minute stuff (coding jams, interhouse activities etc)

I have two solid recommendations from my English and Math teachers as well as a third from my counsellor

2

could someone help pleease

i need to know if my profile is my profile is too generic to be looked at in all the top places im applying

should i consider less selective colleges? what are my chances at the places i listed

thanks!

3

Why can’t you apply to these 5 plus some less selective schools? Regardless of how stellar your profile is, you will need to apply to handful of less selective “target” and “safety” schools.

4

Hello @utrash . For schools like these, I find it incredibly helpful to break down your admissions odds into three factors, GPA/Class rank, SAT/ACT, and involvement outside the classroom. Let’s take a look at all of these individually, shall we? Then we can go form there.

First off, GPA. Well, you didn’t give us your GPA haha. However, that being said, your class rank gives a pretty solid indication as to where you stand with regards to your GPA, and I give a big thumbs up to your class rank. Honestly the fact that you’re in the top 10% of your class is huge for the majority of these schools, so make sure to maintain that level of academic excellence! So, I’d say you’re pretty set on this end!

Next off, standardized test scores. Your scores are amazing! A 2250 SAT and 34 ACT are just about as good as you can get in terms of tests. Honestly once you get beyond 2250+ SAT range and 34+ ACT range no school is going to reject you based off your test scores, the rest is really up to everything else. So on this front, you are set!

Now, onto extracurriculars. I can gather even just by reading your post above that you are really passionate about the quiz club at your school! Make sure this passion shines through in your application! If I can tell it from simply reading a few lines about it, then make sure these colleges get 10x that passion. Your extracurriculars are amazing my friend, the vice captain, the winning competitions on the national level, the volunteering, the varsity soccer team.

In essence, APPLY EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO GO because you have a chance EVERYWHERE! I don’t know if someone’s telling you that you don’t, but if they are IGNORE THEM! You meet the criteria and thensome for these top schools, you honestly stand a decent shot applying anywhere! You have worked so hard to get to this point, so don’t riddle your life with regrets by not applying anywhere you want to go. Apply to all of these places you have listed, and then tack on more if you feel like it. I can guarantee you that you will get into most if not all of these schools. Best of luck my friend.

5

No one can guarantee that.

That said, OP, apply to schools that you’d like to attend, that you can afford, and that you think you have a chance to get into. But also make sure that your list is balanced with reaches, matches, and safeties - financial as well as admission.