Hi! I’m still new to this site, but I would love some peace of mind these days. Chance me, for Ivy Leagues, MIT, Stanford, UC schools, Rice, UT, Amherst?
Academics:
SAT: 1500 Superscore (710 Reading & Writing, 790 Math)
SAT Subject Tests: Chemistry 800; US History 790
GPA Unweighted: 4.0
AP: Human Geography 5; Biology 4; Psychology 5; Chemistry 4; US Government 5; Calc AB 4; English Language 5; Statistics 5; US History 5
Awards/Honors:
National Champion of a history competition (individual division)
TASP Finalist
Scholastic Writing Awards; Silver Medal (and some regional keys)
Scholastic Art Awards; 11 regional keys (5 of them gold)
1st place in local photography competition
Finalist in a national photography competition
Published in a literature/visual art magazine
Photographer for a history museum (photographing reenactments and events)
National Chemistry Olympiad; Finalist for 2 years
Science fair for 6 years
Currently conducting research in a lab as part of a summer program
Winner of a national science award (13% acceptance/win rate)
Quizbowl; team captain: local wins and playoffs at various nationals
National Latin Exam: 4 gold medals
Finalist in a latin story competition
Volunteer for 2 years (and counting) at a library
Congressional Gold Medal
Tennis on high school team (made it to states this year)
Swimming on high school team
Orchestra
Additional Info:
Gender: Female
Race: White and Asian
Intended Major(s): Art History and Chemistry
You look like a competitive and qualified applicant for all the UC’s, but due to the low acceptance rates for the top UC’s, there are no guarantees. Are you in-state? If so, then you do have the advantage. If not, then are the UC’s affordable with little to no FA?
Your ECs are going to tell adcoms two different stories, a humanities one and a stem one, which I don’t think you want, unless you can combine them (e.g. how humanities or ethics can affect pharmaceutical industry). So you may want to pick a major form chem or art history and talk about the other. In the schools you listed, they’re both in thill be e same school - arts and sciences, so the admission standards will be similar. Chemistry could be an advantage for a female stem applicant.
I think that the atypical combination of art history and chemistry as prospective majors actually lends distinction to your application.
Rather than regarding it as a weakness that signifies a confusing dilution of commitment to any one field, I see it as a strength, as a quasi-hook . . . assuming, of course, that you can (as the above poster suggests) utilize your essay to link your interest in those disparate fields into a coherent narrative that serves to project a clearer image of who you are as a person and what you hope both to learn from and contribute to the school[s] to which you are applying.
In terms of chances, you look solid for all the UCs save UCLA and UCB, and even at those two you have considerably better-than-average odds. You also look good at UT. Your well rounded ECs make you a solid candidate at Amherst–though that reading score is a bit low for a top LAC (and Amherst remains a reach for everyone). For the Ivies, MIT, Stanford, and Rice, you will greatly improve your chances if you retake the SAT and raise the reading score.
A final note: Given your interest in art history, Williams seems like an obvious target among the elite LACs.
I agree with @theloniusmonk, your EC’s tell two stories: one in humanities and one in science. Your academics and SAT score definitely qualify you for the schools you just listed. However, you have a lot of reach schools and UT can be your match/safety. I wouldn’t place all of my eggs in one basket applying to top-tier schools. Spend this month figuring out your reaches, matches, and safeties. In September and October, go to the schools you’d like to be at (as long as it’s within distance and if you want to travel there on the weekend lol) and imagine what it’d be like to be a student there. Obviously, you can’t visit all the UC’s or the Ivies within this two month span, but I recommend you visit at least one. The other posters may tell you otherwise, but I feel that you should see the campus.
To be honest, I’m confident that you’ll get into a top-tier school. I can’t tell you which one for sure. For example, my friend sent in his enrollment deposit for Cornell and when he was let off the wait-list at Berkeley, he dropped everything to go there. However, since me and him live in NJ, I would see why it’s understandable he would do that.
I hope that this helped and best of luck! You’ll go on to do great things no matter what school you end up at!
Ok, circling back to this thread after a while, I’ve sorted out my applications and all. I retook the SAT and now have 770 CR; 790 M; 23 essay. How will this impact my chances? Also, I took the advice of an above poster and am applying to Williams!