What are holes in my application?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey everyone,</p>

<p>I posted a chance thread, but wasn’t getting feedback that i was looking for. I want to know what holes I have and do they affect me or not. If you guys and gals can do that it would be great!</p>

<p>Stats for admission:
1st in class of 400 (4.0gpa with AP’s)
SAT I: 2200 (Math-800, CR-740, Writing-660)
SAT II: Math IIC-800, Physics-770, US History-760
AP Scores: All 5’s (Cal, Physics, APUSH, English Language)
Taking 5 APs my senior year (Eng, Gov, Stats, Chem, Span…along with a PE class)
224 on PSAT</p>

<p>District Treasurer for Key Club (Lot’s of community service) (Senior Year)
Lt. Governor for Key Club (Lot’s of community service over 200hrs) (Junior Year)
Varsity Track (400m, triple jump, and high jump)
Church Youth Group
Church basketball league
Won 2 first places at state for Math Team (many 1st places for regionals)
AMC/AMIE qualifier (7 on the AIME)
FBLA State 4th place (again, 1st places for regionals)
Knowledge Bowl (State Competitor) (2nd at districts)
National Honors society
3 Job experiences over the past 3 summers (painting houses, photography, and Caddying)</p>

<p>Born in China
Will probably get really good recommendations from Bio, Eng and Math teachers.</p>

<p>Have lettered in Math, Knowledge Bowl, basketball, track, and community service.</p>

<p>I am looking at Harvard, Stanford, U Penn-Wharton, and University of Washington.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

2

<p>considering how RACIST ALL American top colleges are,</p>

<p>you dont have much chance since you’re asian w/ typical math/science stuff.</p>

<p>go chance a race :p<br>
if math/science is your passion.</p>

3

<p>i hate to say it, but being chinese will hurt. Nothing really stands out among your test scores. But, I have to say that AIME score is pretty amazing. I’m sure you were close to USAMO.</p>

<p>With some luck, you should get into at least one of those reaches. Probably UW and maybe UPenn. other 2 are crapshoots.</p>

4

<p>The holes in your application are that you are like every other kid applying for the same three schools. While there is nothing wrong with what you’ve done in high school, you haven’t done anything that really warrants a second look. Nothing makes you stand out from the thousands of faceless applicants that knock on Harvard’s doors every year.</p>

5

<p>SAT writing I think. Other than that you have a solid application and you need good essays to get into Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton. (I think you’d get into Penn CAS)</p>

6

<p>How competitive your school is?</p>

7

<p>The total AI (Academic Index) from my software comes to be 76 on a 100 scale because of the following</p>

<p>School: 5/10 as you have not mentioned the rigor of the school.
SAT 1: 7/10
APs: 6/10</p>

<p>So you are in the B4.</p>

8

<p>I think dizzy’s chances are pretty good. I know that Lt. Gov. (at least where I live) is TOUGH and being to balance so many activities (most obviously you do well) is quite the admirable feat. SAT Writing score might be your only setback (as well as the Chinese thing but you can’t change that). Good luck.</p>

9

<p>I was hoping my none sterotypical (good at math/sci, but bad at Eng/Wrt/Hist) academic record and my leadership Key Club activities (District Treasurer and LtG) would set me apart…at least someways…</p>

<p>Um…and my high school rigor…I’m not sure, but I am taking the hardest classes that is being offered.</p>

10

<p>i would improve your writing to a 700+</p>

11

<p>School rigor can be indicated by the following:</p>

<ol>
<li>% of students matirculating to top schools.</li>
<li>% of students making it on NM Semi Finalist, Commended, Finalists list.</li>
<li>% of 3,4,5 on the AP tests.</li>
</ol>

<p>The following is the lists of buckets. Making it to the top bucket is rare. I have come across only 2 students from my D school from the 2005-2006 batch that qualify to that bucket on my AI scale. This year outgoing batch had no one qualifying to the top bucket.</p>

<p>I’ll be happy if my D qualify as B3. You could have if your school is a known public or private school or if you had taken some more APs earlier or if you had done some research at a known summer program.</p>

<p>If you give AI a top score of 100 (what ever way you compute) there are 6 buckets. The process of buckets is totally computerized with a second manual look at the reject bucket.
B1 - 95 - 100: Auto Admit or scanned for flaws. (Reject only if 2 of 3 rejects)
B2 - 90 - 95: Auto Admit with a more thorough scan for flaws. (Reject only if 1 of 3 reject)
You don’t need recommendation for the first two buckets. The process is to find issues in the applicant to reject.
B3 - 80 - 90: Highly likely to admit with a thorough review (Get in with even 1 of 3 recommend)
B4 - 60 - 80: Likely to admit and gets the grueling reviews (Get in with 2 of 3 recommendations)
B5 - 50 - 60: Rarely admit but the applications are scanned. (Get in with all 3 recommendations)
B6 - < 50: Auto rejects but the applications are added to other buckets with a manual scan.</p>

12

<p>ParentOfIvyHope: Where’d you find out this system and how would you go about computing AI?</p>

13

<p>how do you compute the bucket scores?
what are the guidelines?</p>

<p>thanks</p>

14

<p>Jakor/dizzydxz: All schools compute AI differently according to their own criteria. The above AI computation and the related buckets are my software and has nothing to with any school. But according to it qualifying to B1 and B2 are sure short of getting into the top schools. Making it to B3 means a > 70% probability that you will make it.
I don’t have a html interface to it. My D is busy but she thinks she will have it ready soon. Once it will be there you will be able to use it freely.</p>

15

<p>dizzy,
You should add more schools. Those schools you have are very selective except UW</p>

16

<p>There is subjectivity involves in the AI computation and so it is not easy to create a straight forward interface.
This is what you got for your stats:</p>

<p>Class Rank/GPA 10/10
SAT I 7/10
SAT II 15/15
APs 6/10
School Selectivity 5/10
School Ecs 11/15<br>
Recommendations 10/10
Community Service 5/5
Special hooks
NMSF 5/15</p>

<p>So you got a score of 74.</p>

17

<p>Better get crankin’ on those essays to make yourself stand out.</p>

18

<p>^^^: True: For B4 and B5 buckets essays will be the key.</p>

19

<p>Thanks for the advice, everyone</p>

<p>I have 2 questions for ParentOfIvyHope:</p>

<p>what is NMSF?</p>

<p>and how did you figure the AP and E/C scores?</p>

20

<p>UW is not very selective, but just curious, are you in washington state?</p>