[QUOTE=""]
So in conclusion, I have next to no chance for getting to any T20? <
[/QUOTE]
I would look at it a bit more optimistically. Not so much in terms of the percentages, which yes are dismally low for you or just about anyone else, but rather the general philosophy of who is responsible for what. You are responsible for doing what you’ve done: Work hard and produce excellent academic results (congratulations). Then Admissions will figure out what subset of the applicants they have to choose from are the best fit for the entering class.
I’ve interviewed hundreds of Brown applicants who seemed really well qualified but weren’t admitted, as well as a smaller number who were quite underwhelming but were admitted. Dozens of applicants from a powerhouse HS were all turned down the same year, while a couple of siblings from a nondescript public HS were both admitted instead. I’ve never seen a reliable pattern or correlation, other than for recruited athletes where it is spelled out that they will be admitted if they meet basic academic qualifications. Not so for legacies, from what I’ve seen over the years: Qualified ones get turned down more often than not, about like everyone else. The admit rate is higher for legacies, but IMO that’s more correlation (with parent’s demographics) than causality.
I don’t see an advantage to ED in your case, especially since there are two schools you really like. Admit rates are higher for ED only because there are more highly-qualified applicant in that pool – it’s not a “better” way to apply unless you don’t want to have to deal with other applications if you get lucky. I applied RD, and I would recommend it for you.
Agree with what others have said:
- You really need to buckle down and learn the schools. An applicant writing that they want Brown "for the Open Curriculum" has said nothing -- literally almost everyone thinks that. Learn a lot, and then be specific in the things you express.
- I'm a fan of semesters vs quarters. I used to muse as the Brown semester progressed how glad I was to not nearly always be a few weeks away from another midterm or final. Quarters do give you a chance to take a larger number of courses, however.
- Make sure there is focus to your application. The EC's that "count" will mostly be the ones which relate to your academic and career goals, so emphasize those. Taekwondo gets listed somewhere; "Leadership" in a medical club or whatever gets emphasized (never exaggerate -- always be completely honest in every representation you make regarding your activities and yourself).