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Fri 27 Aug, 2010 12:53 am
Do you think I have a chance at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or the University of Chicago? Could you also please suggest some top ranked schools that are matches and safeties? Thank you!
Background Information
Ethnicity: Asian (South Indian)
Location: An industrial town in Saudi Arabia (where, apart from the opportunities at school, girls my age don’t exactly have the freedom to go out and become actively involved in the community)
Income Bracket: $55,000 - $65,000
Languages: English, Malayalam, French, Hindi, Arabic
Other: Vegan
Tests
SAT: 2070 (600 M/690 CR/780 W)
I know the score is not up to par with top school standards, but it was really the unfortunate result of a bad day. Although my writing score correlates with my performance on practice tests, my math and critical reading scores are far below my average practice results; they're typically in the 700's, giving me a combined total of 2200+. I want to retake the test and get at least a 780 on each of its sections.
SAT Subject: I haven't taken any yet, but I'm hoping for at least a 780 on French with Listening, Biology, and World History each.
AP: Our school offers no AP courses, but it does allow seniors to take the examinations in May (I’m studying for four).
Academics
GPA: 3.99/4.00
Courses: Grade 9 - Geometry, English, Physical Science, Ancient World History, Technology, Health, Saudi Arabian History & Geography, Psychology, Marine Biology, Lifetime Sports and Fitness, Physical Education
Grade 10 - Algebra II, World Literature, Biology, Modern World History, Physical Education, French I, Arabic Language & Culture, Yearbook Design, Space Science Physics
Grade 11 - Pre-Calculus, American Literature, Chemistry, U.S. History, Art, French II, Space Science Physics, Music, Marine Biology, Islamic Culture & Arabic Language
Grade 12 - Calculus, British Literature, Physics, Economics, Saudi Arabian History & Geography, Arabic, French III, Technology, U.S. Civics & Government, Physical Education, University Preparations
*At our school, we don't have electives or accelerated courses; we don't have the opportunity to choose our classes.
Extra-curricular Activities
Creative Writing: writing poetry, stories, and scripts for publication, participating in online writing clubs and competitions, founding writing clubs, running writing competitions and website (700+ hours)
Community Service: Raising money for African charity, tutoring elementary and high school students, teaching technology in India in the summer, rescuing and feeding strays, animal rights activism as member of PETA, promoting and participating in Free Rice and other online modes of societal impact, running fundraiser for the Haiti earthquake relief, running charity drives for Saudi orphanage and nursing home, organizing a free farewell before summer, Student Council secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, president, and bulletin board director, organizing a school celebration of internationalism and multiculturalism, running fundraiser for Pakistan flood relief, founding and running eco clubs, contests, and website, founding and running animal rights clubs, contests, and website, helping teachers prepare for school (1400+ hours)
Music & Acting: Listening to and performing contemporary music, performing in talent shows, practicing piano, learning guitar, lead roles in musicals, founding and running music and acting clubs, websites, and contests, organizing arts week, directing and acting in videos (1400+ hours)
Volleyball: Varsity libero, power, captain of third place team, winner of best player award, captain of winning intramural team, running and participating in lunchtime volleyball, helping run intra-kingdom tournaments, running volleyball website and club (700+ hours)
Badminton: Captain of J.V. girls, J.V. girls training, varsity girls' second place, organizing and participating in lunchtime and after school badminton, organizing competitions, running badminton website and clubs (700+ hours)
Summer Activities
Involvement in the aforementioned activities, traveling, reading extensively, and studying for standardized tests.
Recommendations
I know my teachers' recommendations will be spectacular; they're close to me and really think I'm a genius (I know better LOL). They truly believe in my capabilities and are intent on sending me to Harvard. =P I barely know my counselor, though he is impressed by my SAT score (our school has a low SAT average).
Essays
I'm a good writer; I love the process of writing and have a few great ideas for my essays. They're going to be about some of my unique life experiences; I'm going to make sure they turn personal and striking.
@DreamBig93,
It really sounds like a long shot, and unless you've got someone lined up to pay tuition, books, fees, and living expenses, you just won't believe what it is going to cost.
What you intend to major in could make a difference in choice of other schools. Stanford in California is also tops in every catagory I can think of, and probably has better weather than any of the ones you have mentioned. Columbia, in New York City is also a top choice. There are many others, of course.
@DreamBig93,
All this numbers sequencing is primed by people aiming at the numbers, and you know this, dream big. To the extent that it is, I'm question the usefulness for the schools or communities.
You might be able to get into the primo places, but if you don't you might be happier than if you did. If you did, you might find yourself in a cluster of multiyear test takers.
Really, there are more interesting places.
@ossobuco,
Really, and those primo places might be a lot more interesting if the name brand professors actually taught some of the undergrad classes, instead of some adjunct professor starving his or her way through graduate school.
@roger,
I did have a friend who taught at USC tenured, he's the guy we used to pal around with.. I'm not privy to the school or the department, so, I wouldn't try to summarize him, but I remember his comments and his life.
Anyway, Dream, look around.
Roger, I had a psych 1A teacher that I still revere. Class of some huge numbers, people in the aisles. The man woke me up. Well anyone could, I was so dumb then, but this man was good at the podium, Allen Parducci.
@DreamBig93,
Disclaimer: I am not a college admissions officer, and I last applied for college over 30 years ago. However, I do look at resumes these days, and a college application is often like a resume. Anyway, recognize that this is my perspective in all of this.
Having an idea of what you want to study/what you wish to do with your life will help with this. For example, if you wanted to be a computer engineer, I'd suggest thinking about MIT, CalTech or RPI (Renssalear Polytechnic Institute) instead.
Your grades are excellent but a lot of kids' grades are these days -- there are serious problems with grade inflation out there. Your SATs are going to have to improve if you want a prayer to get into any of the schools you've listed. Yes, they do on occasion take people who have lower SATs, but those people are spectacular in every single way. You might be, but it's better to be safer and improve the score.
And, as for you being spectacular in every way, I can't honestly tell. You say you write well, and you certainly write competently, but there's a lot of fluff in your listings. I don't mean to be cruel but I want you to see it from an outsider's perspective. For example:
DreamBig93 wrote:Other: Vegan
This is immaterial. Jettison it.
DreamBig93 wrote:participating in Free Rice and other online modes of societal impact
This means you answered trivia questions in your spare time. While it was for a noble cause, it doesn't exactly show a serious commitment to fundraising or even a lot of effort. It drags down your other, more valid efforts. Ditch it.
DreamBig93 wrote:rescuing and feeding strays
This is nice and all but it doesn't pop. Unless you are specifically interested in a career in veterinary medicine or animal husbandry or the like, it speaks to your character but not as an activity. You could potentially interweave it with an essay, but otherwise, don't use it.
DreamBig93 wrote:organizing a free farewell before summer
Far as I can tell, this means you threw a party. Unless you can show me it was more than just buying cups and getting people to bring food, I can't see where it belongs in a college application.
DreamBig93 wrote:helping teachers prepare for school
Expand on this. Did you carry books or help make up lesson plans? Buy chalk or research which literature the teacher should use? Or something else. If it is worthwhile, add it. If it is minor, don't use it. But I can't tell what it is from the brief description here.
DreamBig93 wrote: Listening to ... contemporary music
So? Every teenager since the beginning of music has listened to contemporary music. Ditch that, keep the part about performing it. And, what did you do? Sing? Play drums? Jam with an electic zither? This is unclear. I see later you refer to piano and guitar -- integrate that information better with this part.
DreamBig93 wrote:lead roles in musicals
Which ones?
DreamBig93 wrote:running and participating in lunchtime volleyball..., organizing and participating in lunchtime and after school badminton
Far as I can tell, this means that you got your friends together for pickup games. The varsity stuff is fine, but this is not meaningful and should be tossed.
Bottom line: you have detail mixed in with maddening vagueness here. There is no focus -- you are all over the place -- and this is coupled with extra chaff. Dump the chaff and expand on the wheat. And get your SAT scores up!
And, to echo the others a bit -- an Ivy League will not necessarily make you happy (and it will be frightfully expensive), but it will stay with you in the future when you are looking for work. Even the bottom of the Harvard class -- the class screwup -- if he or she passes all the classes -- still gets to be called a Harvard grad. And that is nothing to sneeze at when you are looking for work in a bad economy, particularly in the first 10 or so years after graduating.
After that, though, where you went (and how you did) matter less and less unless you are in academia.
So I repeat -- what do you want to do? Write? Work with animals? Do computer stuff? It will make a difference in how you should present yourself, where you should apply and whether you can get in.
@DreamBig93,
McGill University in Montreal is a terrific
safety school because of its size. Many South Asians attend, and they are very well connected with each other. It is also very diverse and international, and you can meet people from all over the world. When I applied, they were mainly interested in my SAT scores, and yours should certainly be high enough to admit you. Furthermore, when I went there, I was given a scholarship because I finished in the top 5% of my high school graduating class, which may also hold true in your case.
The fact that you speak French would make Montreal even more fun. (Hopefully you are something of a natural linguist. That is important, because Quebeckers speak French a bit differently from Parisians.)
Tuition was very low there for international students compared with what American schools would cost you.
The lay-out of the McGill campus resembles those of the schools you mentioned. It has an Ivy League feel to it.
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