Will anyone chance me for highly competitive schools (Ivies, Stanford, etc.) and BS/MD programs?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

(I am an upcoming senior.)

Total GPA: 4.3571 (W) 3.9762 (UW)
Class Rank: 2/618

SAT: 2380 (took once)

SAT Subject Tests:
Math II: 800
Biology M: 800
planning to take Chem (required by NW and BU) but school does not offer AP Chem so not sure about my proficiency

APs:
World History: 4
Statistics: 5
Computer Science: 5
Calc AB-5
United States History: 5
Biology: 4 (I was so disappointed haha)
Language & Composition: 5
Psychology: 5

Senior Year: AP Literature, AP Microeconomics, AP Calc BC, AP Gov, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Physics C

State: CA
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Asian

High School Activities and Leadership
Biology Olympiad (11, 12): Founder & President
Varsity Dance Team (9, 10, 11, 12): Historian, #2 and #3 at USA Nationals in different divisions
National Honor Society (11, 12): Vice President & President
Hands4Hope, community service: (9, 10, 11, 12): Treasurer, was in the club for 2 years, but remained in organization
Asian Culture Club (9, 10, 11, 12): Class Officers, Public Relations, Vice President
Chemistry Olympiad (11, 12): Vice President
Academic Decathlon (9, 10, 11, 12): Co-Captain, #3 and #2 team in regional competition
Math Steeplechase Team, selected by AMC performance (9, 10, 11, 12): #3 sophomore team, #2 junior team and #2 overall
Math Club (9, 10, 11, 12)

Experience in Medical Field:
Volunteering at local hospital: about 146 hours
Shadowing: cardiology, clinic for those without sufficient healthcare: about 100 hours
No research:

Awards:
National Merit Semifinalist (PSAT was 1510/1520)
Educational Excellence Award (9, 10, 11)
Top AMC 10 Score at School (10)
AP Scholar (10)
Honorary Mention in Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for digital art piece (10)
Piano: Trophy in Music Teachers’ Association of California Fall Festival (10), Honors (highest 5+) in CM Music Theory (9, 10)

Edited out some specifics
ED

2

Well, I can’t comment on BS/MD stuff, but I’d say you have a shot at the HYPSM gamut. Ofc It’s difficult to say much more given how random their admissions are. Work hard on your essays and find a few safeties and I think you’ll be just fine!

3

@ccuser00 impressive academics and scores!

IMO - Typical / cookie-cutter ECs for Asian female BS/MD

Answer this: what sets you apart and makes you more interesting than the 100+ other Olympiad, NMSF, Decathlon, NHS applicants? What is your unique narrative that makes you the one they will select?

A creative essay will be essential to rise above the crowd,

4

I agree with @psywar. You are too cookie cutter for the Ivies. The long laundry list of ECs don’t tell a cohesive story except that you come from a family with great means.

But for the BS/MD programs you are a perfect fit. You’ll get into one of them.

5

Make sure to apply to the UC’s. A lot of kids from California with your stats, get rejected from the ivies. Have some alternative safeties that you would love to attend.

6

Here is the most honest answer you will find: people on these threads have no real idea what your chances are. You are wasting your time with putting your psyche and emotions at the peril of people on the internet, that have no experience in admissions at these schools, to suggest what your chances are. Besides, if they say your chances are high or low, does that have any actual bearing on the decision that will result? Does it change your numbers in any way whatsoever? Will you decide to not apply if you get some unfavorable opinions about your chances, or decide to apply to more schools if someone says you have a good chance of getting into “X” school???

Believe in yourself, know that you have done a tremendous amount of work that you should be proud of. Boldly apply everywhere you so wish to attend and be confident that you will find a good school to attend that will lay a platform for you to begin the rest of your life.

7

what does cookie cutter mean?

8

@Starforward Sort of like cliché and without anything particularly distinguishing/special.

@IAM2MUCH4U I totally agree. However, I think at this point she might be looking for some peace of mind while also trying to get some sort of indication of where she stands from the perspectives of others who may have seen similar applicants and know how they fared in the admissions process.

@ccuser00 Kind of curious myself: how come you want to do a BS/MD program? I know your dad is a cardiologist but I’m curious to know if there’s a specific reason why you’re so confident early on that you want to pursue medicine as a career besides your parents. Curious because last year when I was applying to colleges, I was about to apply to BS/MD programs too… but then I realized last minute that I wasn’t ready to commit so much of my life to a track I wasn’t even sure I’d actually enjoy, even though that’s what I had been telling myself the last four years.

9

@capitalamerica yes, well my point is, I or anyone else here, cannot provide that. We, including myself, are not good judges of what her chances are as you and I are not admissions officers at each of the schools she is wishing to get validation for.

That being said, I have seen the process at a very prestigious school and I can tell you, with confidence, that it isn’t all about numbers. If it was, computer would do the work, not people. I can also speak from personal experience that those without the “best numbers” get into schools that folks on here would say one doesn’t have a chance.

I have also participated in a program for admissions to law schools, with law school deans, directors and admissions officers themselves, for an entire month. It was very insightful as to their perspective, which was, numbers are a component, and never a be-all. This sentiment has been echoed by those I know personally that have participated in application reading in admissions as well. While our amazing inquirer student that started this thread is asking about undergraduate admissions, I can say that admissions officers, in general, approach their job rather uniformly. At the end of an application reading, they want to be able to say: I know this person. I understand what they are about. I see that they have the qualities that will be requisite to being successful at this institution of higher learning. I connect with this person. I understand the narrative arc of their history that has brought them to my desktop asking for admissions. I see that they are going to contribute to the diversity of this institution. I understand why they want to be in college. I love that they have a clear vision and understanding of what they want and how they believe they are going to get there. I love that they are mature. I love that they learn from not only their experiences, but others too. I love that they are active participants in their community, school and their own success.

These are the kind of things that make someone in admissions say, accepted! Opposed to the person that leaves a reader with only a faction of the above questions answered, or a fraction of those sentiments in the reader. If you have a 4.85 weighted GPA and perfect SAT/ACT’s but you cannot demonstrate you are able to be not only a successful college student but a contributing member of the community, or likely to become one, those numbers are a waste in terms of admissions.

Validation comes from within, not from threads on collegeconfidential from people that are not in any position to say with any certitude what ones chances are. I would put just as much gravitas in someone’s validation as a condemnation: little to none.

I understand that we all wish to have validation, and I wish there was a crystal ball that said you chances are “x.” But it doesn’t exist, and if it did, it wouldn’t be here on these threads and this cite.

10

@10s4life Yep :slight_smile: My larger point is to never let someone else’s opinion get you down, or to up either for that matter. Do the best you can, and rest on the fact that you did just that - the best you can.

11

Solid advice @10s4life

12

especially the part about looking at the last incoming class’ profile. That is probably the best gauge, in terms of looking at the numbers aspects. However, the caveat is, that the numbers don’t tell you what else was in the application that led them to be apart of the incoming class, so one needs to take that with a grain of salt too…

13

@IAM2MUCH4U @10s4life Thank you! I will definitely look at last year’s threads. For me, the purpose of this post was less about the actual “chancing” (I think “chancing” on CC is mostly arbitrary anyways) and more about the range of schools I might be able to consider my target. In retrospect, I realize that I didn’t ask the best question.
:stuck_out_tongue:

14

At this point, I’ll be making sure that my essays convey who I am as a person and stand out. Thank you to all for the advice!

15

A good personal essays is one of the things you can do to aid a favorable response to the schools you wish to gain admissions at. Start early, seek out a lot of resources, and have many people review your statement. Illustrate your maturity as both a student and an individual.