ACT :35 (E36,M35,S35,R35)
GPA: 3.94 (UW)
SAT subject Test : Math -2 : 730 , Chem: 720 : Bio : 670
11 AP’s (Math AB-5 BC -4 ,Bio - 4 Chem - 3 and others Most 4’s)
State: Wisconsin
Major : Pre-Med track (Neuro mostly) : Most interested option is 8yrs BS/MD program)
Awards :
1.Outstanding Academic Achievement Award
2.AP Scholar with Distinction
3.The National Society of High School Scholars
4.Honor Roll
5.Rivalry Scholar Student-Athlete Scholarship Award with scholarship of $2000
6.Solo and Ensemble
7.National Federation festivals -Violin superior rating for 5 years in sequence
Many EC’s :
HOSA : Health Occupations Students of America Club - Communications director
National Honor Society (NHS)
Project Empower- Bringing underrepresented students to the STEM field
WASC Leadership camp past 4 years (Level 1-4)
Orchestra- Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra for 5 years
Private Violin Lessons for 8 years
Hospital Volunteer at SSM St. Mary’s
Math Team
Sports :
Varsity Football for 4 years
Rugby Team for 2 years
Weight Lifting
You have an above-average ACT score, average AP and subject test scores, and a nice combination of athletic and musical accomplishments. I’d give you a 60-70 percent chance of being admitted to the university (rising to about 90 percent if you are a URM).
As to when you should apply, Rice does give a slight preference to ED applicants but it is only slight. However in many cases this is more than offset by the inferior monetary situation you put yourself in by applying ED. @happy1 is quite right that applying ED means you can’t compare financial aid offers from other universities, but in addition to that, if you encounter any glitches that delay the processing of your financial aid materials at Rice, it is possible you won’t even know Rice’s aid offer before you must decide whether to accept a slot in their entering class. For all those reasons ED is not recommended unless you genuinely place Rice as your top choice and would gladly attend with or without aid.
Are you a potential athletic recruit for football? If so that would help your chances. Rice does not get as many applicants from Wisconsin as from some other states so that may help also.
You are in the competitive ballpark for both schools, but they are still reaches. I am not a big fan of ED unless it is your number 1 choice and finances are not an issue. Maybe a better option is to apply EA Univ Wisc Madison (with a good chance of a subsequent admission to the Honors program) and SCEA Yale (allowed under Yale SCEA policy). You can see where the chips fall before the end of December in terms of other RD applications.
If a football-playing violinist with a 35 ACT who is an AP Scholar of Distinction and has attended a program for underrepresented minorities in STEM cannot get in to a top college, then I am going to lose faith in the entire admissions enterprise. Those are some very compelling credentials. I think you should choose whichever one you like better. Go out there and write a KILLER ESSAY, get those STELLAR letters of recommendation lined up, and then GO CRUSH THIS PROCESS!
I agree with the above. If it’s absolutely your top choice and you can afford whatever the calculator shows you’d have to pay, I’d apply ED. Otherwise, stick with RD.
In my opinion, at a school as competitive as Rice, it’s hard for people to say what your “odds” are of getting in. My daughter is a freshman there (and also from Wisconsin) and I truly believe it’s the perfect fit for her. However, I felt like the admissions process was pretty unpredictable. Seeing what schools my DD and her friends got into (and didn’t get into) was at times surprising. Make sure that you have a list of schools to apply to that include some true “safety” schools for you and some you know you can afford. My DD had quite a few friends who after comparing financial add offers chose to stick with Madison or Minnesota simply because they were more affordable than their top choice schools out of state.
Like everyone else said, maybe consider not sending the Math II scores. Also just be wary of ED and everything that comes with it. You are a competitive applicant for both schools, so my advice is to write the best essay you can! Good luck!
ED Rice. Your demographics doesn’t do well at Yale. Most likely to u’ll get waitlisted and sent to RD competition at Yale. At Rice, ED may actually get you in.
Are you a URM or did you work with URMs to introduce them to STEM options For you does STEM equate to your focus on health -related fields?
And dont list violin lessons. Doesn’t matter. And if weightlifting and the rugby were a while ago (what grades?) or something you were committed to, it may also be of limited benefit.
If you are a URM, what category do you fall into? If you are Asian, it won’t help at Rice.