Where should I (try) to get in? Please help XD

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>Hey~ I will be a senior next year and need to compile my college list! Please help! Thanks so much XD!!!</p>

<p>Nationality: Chinese-American
Gender: F
Legacy: My dad did Post Doc training at Stanford
School: Semi competitive public school in WV
Rank: 1/400 something
GPA (UW): 4.00
GPA (W): My school doesn’t weigh grades; they are starting next year though</p>

<p>high school Courseload: All honors and APs
Senior Courses:
AP Stats, AP Physics C, AP Calc BC, AP Eng. Literature, AP US Gov
Spanish 4, Mentorship Program at CC, Adv. Human Anatomy and Physiology
By the end of senior year I will have taken all of my school’s AP classes except AP art and AP Euro</p>

<p>SAT: 2250 (660 CR, 800 M, 790 W) I will retake to improve CR
SAT II: 770 Biology M, 800 Chemistry, 770 Math IIC (might take more)
APs: Bio: 5, Chem: 5, US Hist: 4, Calc AB: 5, Eng. Lang: 5</p>

<p>Awards/Activities:
Awards and a scholarship from county/state writing, art, math, and engineering contests
Chemistry Olympiad Semifinalist
Governor’s Honors Academy (selective summer program)
Published and article in a Chinese newspaper in China (would this be a hook?)
Will enter the science fair/ compete in Siemons science competition next year
I think I’ll get some AP scholar/ National Merit related awards (221 PSAT)…</p>

<p>Clubs:
Science Bowl team
Science Honorary (Vice President and chair of committees)
National Honor Society (chair of committee)
Math Honorary (Vice President)<br>
Asia Club (Vice President and chair of committees)<br>
Editor of Literary Magazine Club, Art Club
Will create a Science Olympiad Team (If I can get enough people…)
JV tennis 9th 10th 11th grade~</p>

<p>Volunteering: 300+ hours
I did some work at a newspaper company in China
Volunteered at a bunch of local places, I also volunteer to tutor students in math and science, Habitat for Humanity, Project Linus… etc.
I’m going to create a joint committee for NHS and Asia club for donating things to help Chinese orphanages~ </p>

<p>So far I have:
Stanford SCEA
Duke
Northwestern
U Chicago
Cornell
<em>maybe</em> Princeton and Yale
looking at other top schools~
Where else do you think I would fit? What would be good safeties?
I like suburban to urban (not the huge cities like NYC though). Probably a science-realated major: premed, biochem, bio engineer… not sure yet.
Sorry it’s so long ^^; Thanks again!!! XD</p>

2

<p>good numbers (besides CR). leaderships positions in your EC’s. I say pretty good chances, but a hook would really do the trick. Also, your volunteer work is very good. </p>

<p>Stanford SCEA - mid reach
Duke mid reach
Northwestern match/low reach
U Chicago match
Cornell low reach
<em>maybe</em> Princeton and Yale reach</p>

3

<p>Thanks! XD what exactly would a hook be… </p>

<p>anybody else?</p>

4

<p>Agree with you’llsee up there.
A hook is generally something that makes you stand out - a lot.
Something that’ll convince the adcom straight out that YOU are perfect for them.</p>

5

<p>The only weakness I can see is your CR score, if you get that up to 730-740 you should be set for Stanford. Yale and Princeton are tough but not huge reaches either. </p>

<p>could you rank me now? </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=362572[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=362572&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>sure~ hooks are not limited to awards or some crazy ec thing right?</p>

7

<p>Hooks are usually like a long-standing extracurricular in which you’ve gotten major recognition. One published article that may seem kind of random in the context of your application (I’m not sure if yours is like that) is definitely a plus but probably not quite a hook.</p>

8

<p>stereotypical—i see nothing that stands out. that said, you are stereotypical on the solid end with little lacking. it’s applicants like you that get the “crapshoot” chances cause it’s all there, but there’s simply so many of you solid applicants</p>

<p>i say somewhat likely for stanford, princeton, and yale</p>

<p>in at the rest</p>

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<p>what if I have a bunch of (smaller, like county and state) writing awards and other writing-related things to back it up and then have stuff about a newspaper I maintained through middle school in either my essays or a recommendation letter?
if not then how would i find a hook in like… 4 months? oi… >.<</p>

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<p>i think you don’t understand the definition of a hook. a hook is not “published something in a chinese newspaper”. a hook is “published research paper in science” or “published a best seller”. feel free to try to find a hook. but be advised that the odds are 100 to 1 that you’ll fail</p>

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<p>yeah, don’t worry about pulling a hook out of thin air; just take initiative on activities you’re already in</p>

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<p>stereotypical~ sure but what can I do about it now?! I’m going to try to write as unique essays as I can (what is original these days anyways?) and get really good in depth recommendations. If I can get that done and maybe add a few other things then I’ll be happy enough XD.</p>

13

<p>what about JHU and Upenn? does anyone know what a good safety might be?</p>

14

<p>Not JHU or Penn.</p>

15

<p>It would be a hook if you are considered a legacy because of you’re fathers post doc work there. Have you asked Stanford?</p>

16

<p>if the admit rate is less than 25%, there’s no way you can consider that school to be a safety.</p>

<p>i don’t know much about the WV area…are you interested in LACs? there’s a bunch of great ones in virginia and the northeast.</p>

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<p>sorry but… what is a LAC? I don’t have any safeties yet… I’m not sure what a good safety would be for me… I guess I need to do more searching XD any suggestions? Thanks XD</p>

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<p>LAC = Liberal Arts College, if I’m not mistaken.</p>

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<p>oh… ok thanks! I don’t think there are really great ones in WV… but then I don’t want to stay in WV anyways even if there were. I’ll look around :D</p>

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<p>Oh yeah~ I’m starting my mentorship program early this summer; going to do research on blindness and how the brain processes info from the eye :D. I wanted to go into neurology so that should be fun. would that help alot on my application?
(just a side question, is the science olympiad a just a team competition or are there individual awards too?) thanks XD</p>