Young MIT, Ivy, and competitive hopeful

Chance Me / Match Me
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<p>I know I’m young. I am a rising junior, so my stats aren’t fully developed; however, after looking through countless ‘Chances’ I am eager to see what my chances are. I am a realistic person, so I have put my colleges in the order of reach to safety, but still I want some external feedback. Thanks a ton!</p>

<p>Gender: Male
Race: Hispanic
Location: San Diego, CA
Major: Biomed Engineering
Career: Genetic Engineering</p>

<p>Public High School
Class Size: 750 +</p>

<p>Academics:
GPA - Unweighted: 3.81
GPA - Weighted: 4.04</p>

<p>Grades:
9th: 4.0, 4.0
English 1 Honors- A, A
Algebra 2 Honors- A, A
Biology 1 Honors- A, A
Spanish 1- A, A
Physical Education- A, A
Band: Percussion- A, A
Marching Band/Drum Line- A, A</p>

<p>10th: 4.0, 4.17
English 2 Honors- B, A
*Pre-calculus Honors: Math Analysis- A, A
Biology AP- B, B
Spanish 2- A, A
European History AP- B, B
Oral Interpretation- A, A</p>

<p>11th:
Statistics AP
Calculus B/C AP
English 3 AP (English Language AP)
U.S. History AP

  • Chemistry 1 Honors
  • Spanish 3 Honors</p>

<ul>
<li>Means weighted course (worth 5 points)</li>
</ul>

<p>SAT I: N/A (Taking in October)
SAT II: Math Level 2 (IIC): 740 (Retaking)
Biology - M: 790</p>

<p>AP: Biology- 5
European History- 3</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Boy Scouts of America- Life Scout
Order of the Arrow- Brotherhood, Chapter: Treasurer ’09, Vice Chief ’10, Lodge: Membership Chair ’10
Speech and Debate (9, 10, 11)
Science Olympiad (10, 11-VP)
Academic League (10-Co-Captain)
Math Club (10-Treasurer, 11-VP)
Band (9)
Drum Line (9)
Soccer Club, not school (9)
National Society for High School Scholars (9, 10)
California Scholarship Federation (9, 10)</p>

<p>Community Service: 500+ hours
Boy Scouts, Church, Volunteered at a Summer Camp for 8 weeks</p>

<p>Honors and Awards:
JV Academic League North Conference Champions
JV Academic League Team Player of the Year
Various Speech and Debate trophies/medals
Congressional Debate State Championships 2010
Gold Level STAR Testing
7th Place WGI (World Drum Line Championships) 2009
3rd Place SCPA Championships (Drum Line)
4th Place Southern California Band & Orchestra Association - Field Championships 2008
Zone and District Winner - Optimist International Oratorical Contest
Various Soccer medals/trophies (Club)
Boys and Girls Club Golden Boy
Boys and Girls Club Member of the Year</p>

<p>College Summer programs:
UC Irvine Gifted Students Academy 2005-2007</p>

<p>Colleges of Interest:
Stanford, Yale, MIT, Caltech, Columbia, UC Berkeley, UCLA, U Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, U Michigan, WUSL (Washington University in St. Louis), and Boston University</p>

<p>I don’t have any ties with these colleges for hooks, nor do I have legacy at any of these colleges. I’m a 2nd generation college student (1st gen. for masters degree though), my parents divorced when I was 4, and I have major heart problems that I potentially will need to have surgery on next summer…are these viable hooks? Also, I’m half Basque and am passionate about Basque freedom. Idk if that will help either.</p>

<p>1- I was wondering about USC, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, Pepperdine, Princeton, Harvard, UPenn, Cornell, and Dartmouth. My App list is already large with 12, so I wasn’t sure which of these colleges would also be a good match for me/should I apply to. Also, which colleges should I take off of my app list?
2- Is a Biomed Engineering major the appropriate major for a prospective Geneticist?</p>

<p>PS: MIT is my number 1.</p>

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<p>BUMP 10Char</p>

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<p>A heart problem is not a hook nor are divorced parents? Are you kidding? The divorce rate is 50%!!</p>

<p>For a shot at the top schools you need to start getting As in the AP classes. Being Hispanic may give you a tip although Spanish from Spain is seen as white by most.</p>

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<p>Come back end of junior year, k thanks</p>

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<p>Pretty close.</p>

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<p>No, Redroses is correct.</p>

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<p>WhatAreMyChancez- Yeah, I’m sure. I’m a good test taker, and am pretty confident that I can get 1900+ on my first try…</p>

<p>Redroses- I know. My goal for this year is a 4.8 (2 Bs)…I would have gotten an A in bioAP, but someone got caught cheating and the teacher made the class impossible to pass. Only one person got an A…and the math course I took, was equivalent to Calc AB. It was one semester precalc and one semester calc 1.</p>

<p>Also, are you sure that mybasque ethnicity isn’t worth anything? Basque is one of the rarest cultures in the world and is super underrepresented. I’m sorry for sounding contentious, I would just like to fully inform you.</p>

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<p>The last time I checked, about 50% of custodial mothers/fathers were separated/divorced…</p>

<p>(Anyway, I guess that’s irrelevant to the purpose of this thread. I just felt like pointing it out.)</p>

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<p>I didn’t say anything about the OP; I corrected you on your incorrect “correction” of Redroses.</p>

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<p>Where did you get 26.1% from? From <a href=“http://www.divorcerate.org/[/url]:”>http://www.divorcerate.org/:&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I have done the PSAT twice and have the Collegeboard SAT Prep book to help me study…I think I’ll be fine. If not I take it again, and show Yale that I wasn’t fully prepared the first time, but am still capable of succeeding :/</p>

<p>What do you guys think my chances are with these current stats though? Do you think I can get into some of my choices, or am I looking in the wrong ballpark?</p>

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<p>Those data are completely irrelevant.</p>

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<p>WAMC- yeah, but I have seen plenty of realistic people speaking their truthful minds…I am no super student with perfect grades and extraordinary ECs, but I am a pretty good student with determination…I want to know how far that will get me. I’m not trying to be in a contest, just merely get some other people’s opinions. I respect redrose’s opinion, and would also like others</p>

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<p>No, that is not the same info that I used. Those data are an age breakdown for those who do divorce, not the divorce rate.</p>

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<p>ps: silverturtle, are you a ■■■■■?</p>

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<p>No.</p>

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<p>Oh really? I wasn’t aware.</p>

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<p>No. I was simply defending the poster whose correct statements you disagreed with, unless the repeated “Uh, no”'s were signs of agreement.</p>

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<p>OP: You’re in good shape. You’re not going to get any advice beyond the obvious at this point: do well on the SAT and turn your grade trend around during junior year.</p>

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<p>Silverturtle- Thank you for being the first one to actually reply to MY inital post :slight_smile: Awesome. I’ll try hard and repost next year…thanx</p>

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<p>I was nkt making light of heart problems, just divorce.</p>

<p>Every ethnicity is worth something. The question here is what US colleges are looking for in terms of diversity. In my experience it’s not Spaniards from Spain. Diversity at top colleges mostly surrounds those present in the US in large numbers that are underrepresented at colleges including blcks, Native americans, and hispanics including mexicans, Central Americans and Puerto Ricans.</p>

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<p>okay. I understood what you said about my hooks, and seconded what you said…divorce isn’t too strong, but I don’t really have a strong one. :frowning: Sorry for the huge problem over your post…</p>

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<p>Correcting you does not indicate that I think otherwise.</p>

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<p>Thanking the OP for posting the official article and linking to an old thread filled with relevant discussion of the topic is offensive?</p>

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<p>I know that I am definitely not the most qualified or accomplished person applying to MIT, but I do think I am within the reachers applying to MIT…</p>