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senior in hs, 17 year old white boy coming from a lower class small-town missouri family

GPA... 93.5 or so on the 100 scale (no ranks)
SAT-I... 1550 for Berkeley, 1570 for everywhere
else (800M, 770V)
ACT.... 34
SAT-II...780 IIC, 760 french, 750 writing
PSAT... 235 (semifinalist... lol missouri has a
cutoff of like 212 or something)
APs.... 5 english-writing, 4 UShist, 4 calcAB
4 calcBC (5 AB subscore)

Senior Schedule:
AP Stats
AP Physics
AP English Lit
AP French
Humanities

EC's:
Basketball JV in 9th, V 10-12
Tennis V 10-12
Choir All-District 9-12, All-State 11, 12
Drama Lead Role 11th, main roles 9-12
Nerd Bowl State Champs 10th, 11th, maybe 12th?

I also play in a Christian Band for my NHS hours... we play at all kinds of youth group services and whatnot... takes up quite a bit of time.

On a 1 to 10 scale (likely biased & subjective):
Essays: 7
Recs: 8.5

The Schools (in order of desire to attend):
Stanford, Notre Dame, UCB, Harvard, Yale, JHU, Oklahoma Honors College

Please be honest and tell me what you think. I've sent applications and financial aid crap to all these... it feels so good to be finished.

By Ajoshi05 (Ajoshi05) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 11:25 pm: Edit

Your stats are excellent! Man, i wish i had that SAT I score. Darn u!! Oh well, i'm not applying to Harvard like u. I'm applying to UCLA, which is prolly still as hard to get into.

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 11:38 pm: Edit

thanks... i appreciate the compliments, and hope you get into ucla. if i were applying there, it and berkeley would be the two hardest for me to get into. does anyone else have any predictions as to which ones i'll get into / rejected from?

By Stargazrlilychk (Stargazrlilychk) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 12:10 am: Edit

Nerd Bowl State Champs haha i wanna do that!

here's my predictions, they're only guesses, not based on data or anything:

stanford- yes
notre dame- yes
ucb- yes
harvard- maybe(it's like a lottery there, but you've got some extra tickets)
yale- no (sorry but im only saying this as a poor reflection of the school, not you- they seem to pick lots of blue bloods)
jhu- yes
oak- yes

when u find out post em so i can check and see if im right!

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 11:30 pm: Edit

lol thank you very much... yeah we call it nerd bowl at our school, and i'm not even in it anymore... too much effort for little returns. thank you for the predictions, i hope you're right. i will definitely tell you when i find out. anybody else?

By Haruko (Haruko) on Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 01:23 am: Edit

You have geographical advantages too (you probably knew that)

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Friday, February 06, 2004 - 01:28 am: Edit

yeah i figured them big fancy colleges would want backwoods kids like me. actually, despite how much trash i've talked on where i live, it might prove to be the thing that gets me in some places. thanks haruko. anyone else?

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Thursday, February 12, 2004 - 01:34 am: Edit

bump... any more posts would be nice

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Thursday, February 12, 2004 - 06:52 pm: Edit

harvard interview tomorrow.... wish me luck

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Sunday, February 15, 2004 - 11:04 pm: Edit

bump... harvard interview went well.. any more predictions please?

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Sunday, February 15, 2004 - 11:05 pm: Edit

update: NM semifinalist recently upgraded to finalist. woohoo.

By Gpeso (Gpeso) on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 08:16 pm: Edit

Stanford-Yes
Notre Dame-Yes
UCB-Yes
Harvard-Maybe
Yale-Maybe
JHU-Yes
Oklahoma Honors College- Psh.... Do i really even have to say anything!

-I think you have a great shot! Keep up the great work!

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 12:36 am: Edit

thanks gpeso... good call on the honors college thing, lol. i will let everyone know what happens as soon as it happens... i can't stand this period of like nothingness... schools is boring, anticipation is killing me. anybody else have predictions? thanks again.

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 11:29 pm: Edit

bump

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Wednesday, February 18, 2004 - 11:27 pm: Edit

bump

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 06:26 pm: Edit

are any of the "professionals" out there... like the "****mom" or "***dad" ... you guys tend to give pretty good predictions, and i have never heard from you. thanks.

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 05:27 pm: Edit

bump... no more?

By Susu (Susu) on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 10:38 pm: Edit

Your stats are terrific but as far as Harvard/Yale/Stanford/Princeton go, you are just another BWRWK (Basic Well Rounded White Kid). You're not a legacy, the son of a celeb, an Olympic athlete, a Westinghouse award winner...so all those schools are crap shoots. You are obviously a terrific kid--smart, athletic, decent. Why waste your time and money on those elitist snob factories? And why not look at some other places in between Harvard and Oklahoma? Berkeley is good but very crowded. (Look at Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, etc.) You didn't say what field interests you, so I can't make any other suggestions.

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 07:36 pm: Edit

good point... wherever i go, i will be undecided at first, but i've narrowed it down to "sciences"... not too specific, eh? premedicine is an option, but i'm just not sure yet. i'm pretty sure though that all the schools i've applied to have great "science" programs, however general that may sound. to tell you the truth, i really don't want to go to harv or yale too much, but stanford i fell in love with... it just seems so perfect. i did check out northwestern, but i just did not like the feel of it. one of those inexplicable feelings. my counselor really wanted me to look into carnegie mellon, and i bet it would have fit, but i think it would have been too small for me. i'm really looking for an undergrad population of more than 6,000. the reason i applied to harvard and yale is that i knew that stanford was not a good chance (as it isn't for anyone) and i wanted some "backup" top schools, you know? the counselor thinks notre dame is a "slam dunk" and that is my #2 choice, so if not stanford, then ND, but if i were to get into one of the ivies, it would be tough not to accept the offer, you know? thank you very much for the comments (and compliments).

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - 12:36 am: Edit

bump

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 12:03 am: Edit

bump... thedad, what do you think

By Ohio_Mom (Ohio_Mom) on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 12:28 am: Edit

Hi,
not as good as TheDad but awake at least. Since I believe that you will have several options to choose from - some advice for April. Once you have your choices laid out in front of you, take a really close look at them based on which departments you are most interested in. I realize you may be comparing several departments - but, that's what spreadsheets are for. Also, how well cared for are undergrads, as opposed to graduate students? Finally, you want a wonderful undergrad education (on a coast!); you also want to get into a wonderful graduate school or med school; check who has the best track record. Best wishes for Stanford!

By Ohio_Mom (Ohio_Mom) on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 07:47 am: Edit

Oops, too late to edit. Meant, who has the best track record getting kids into great grad schools.

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Sunday, February 29, 2004 - 10:44 pm: Edit

thank you very much, ohio mom. you're exactly the kind of person that i was looking for. i had let this post drop to the bottom and was pleasantly surprised to see that someone had posted. thanks again for the advice. anyone else?

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Monday, March 01, 2004 - 09:47 pm: Edit

B
u
m
p.

By Conker (Conker) on Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - 05:47 am: Edit

Not sure why everyone is saying this, but his stats are only "good" for the elite schools, not great. However, his EC's and geographical location are what will really get him into a good school.

Stanford: likely
Notre Dame: yes
UCB: yes
Harvard: 50/50
Yale: 50/50
JHU: yes
Oklahoma Honors College: definitely!

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - 10:51 pm: Edit

conker, that's more along the lines of what i had been thinking. i might even take it a step further and say that i am average or even below average in some senses at the elite schools. thanks for the predictions.

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 - 09:52 pm: Edit

bump. more comments?

By Dschnapps (Dschnapps) on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 02:24 am: Edit

HYS - crapshoot but geographical advantage. Very unlikely that you will be accepted to all three. 50/50 that you make it into one (I know that's a little harsh, but I think realistic.)

The rest you should definitely get in.

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 02:40 pm: Edit

thanks, dschnapps. i know, you're probably right. i just hope that if i do get into one of the three, it's stanford. why does everyone seem to think that i'm in at UCB? i figured that would be the hardest one for me to get into. anyway, thanks for the comments. any more?

By Belle28 (Belle28) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 03:18 pm: Edit

as an instate student, i have to agree with you. UCB will be harder to get into than stanford cuz you have a geographical disadvantage. that's not a bad thing, UCB is also the least likely to give you aid so you'll probably find that all the rest are cheaper than it anyway.

Stanford: likely
Notre Dame: yes
UCB: 25/75
Harvard: fifty fifty
Yale: 25/75 (they're known for being blueblooded. think presidents)
JHU: likely
Oklahoma Honors College: of course.

By Ucbhopeful (Ucbhopeful) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 03:32 pm: Edit

your EC's might hurt you a bit, although your SATs are great. Hopefully you get in at your first choice.

By Reverie (Reverie) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 04:39 pm: Edit

Off topic, but...

Did anyone else read the topic as "Star Wars Kid"?

I know I'm not the only one that saw that video here.

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Sunday, March 07, 2004 - 07:54 pm: Edit

i did not. not a big star wars fan, anyway. anyone else?

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Monday, March 08, 2004 - 08:57 pm: Edit

bump.

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 11:08 pm: Edit

northstarmom are you out there?

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Monday, March 15, 2004 - 11:36 pm: Edit

recently applied to arizona state - barrett honors college as well... another full ride nat'l merit scholarship similar to that of oklahoma U. it's getting pretty darn close to the big week... does anyone else have any words of comfort, disdain, apathy, wrath, or what have you? is whathaveyou one word? oh and one question -- it seems as if i've gotten mixed reactions about my EC's. Are they weak for the schools to which i'm applying? they take up so much time... anyway, thank you for your time.

By Lebron (Lebron) on Tuesday, March 16, 2004 - 01:12 am: Edit

hey riesenmy, unfortunately i am not king james, just a mere fan. anyway, thanks for ur stanford suggestion. u apply once in life anyway. as for ur stats, i hope u get into stanford. ur stats r spectacular. 800 M? U need to help ME out. and u got killer SAT II scores and a good balance of sports and singing... haha. good luck. let me know how things go. thanks.

By Ohio_Mom (Ohio_Mom) on Tuesday, March 16, 2004 - 12:55 pm: Edit

"does anyone else have any words of comfort, disdain, apathy, wrath, or what have you?"

April's almost here... don't know if that's comfort or apathy. Are you involved in a spring musical or anything to make the time pass more quickly?

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 - 12:07 am: Edit

actually, yes. we are doing "guys and dolls" this year. i'm playing tennis, as well. we are getting ready to go on spring break, so that will definitely make the time fly. arizona state is paying my friend's and my way to go check out the campus in tempe, so we'll be spending part of it in arizona.

By Chasgoose (Chasgoose) on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 - 01:11 am: Edit

I think that you will get into at least one of your reach schools, but if you decide to go to one of the free National Merit Schools, I highly reccomend Barrett Honors College at ASU. First of all, Tempe is everything you could want in a college town and more, I live in the Phoenix area and I love to go hang out in Tempe because there is so much to do there. Except for the first and last months of the school year, the weather is amazing (I have been wearing shorts for the past two weeks and the weather just keeps getting better). Also, Barrett Honors College is actually very good. The dean gave a presentation at my school about all of the changes that they are making to improve the school from an academic standpoint. If I didn't want to go a bit further away from home I would have loved to attend BHC. Since you are a National Merit Finalist ASU will be almost to completely free (Since I am both a Finalist and an in-state resident they were actually going to end up paying me to attend). If you don't end up wanting to pay the insane prices at one of the top schools that you are bound to get into ASU's Barrett Honors College would be an excellent choice.

By Subtrunks (Subtrunks) on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 - 11:57 pm: Edit

Which schools in the HYP would consider a Miami (FL) kid as a regional advantage?

By Chasgoose (Chasgoose) on Thursday, March 18, 2004 - 12:03 am: Edit

None

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Friday, March 19, 2004 - 01:36 am: Edit

chasgoose, thanks for the info. i'm sure i will love it when i go visit it. i'll be there in exactly a week. the thing with me is that my family is in the low income bracket so i will be getting a lot of aid no matter where i go. nevertheless, a near-full ride is tough to turn down. where have you applied and where do you want to go?

By Chasgoose (Chasgoose) on Friday, March 19, 2004 - 01:45 am: Edit

I applied to Yale, Harvard, Amherst, Williams, Columbia, University of Chicago, and Vassar, with Yale as my top choice (I want to get out of Arizona and the West).

also, on your visit to AZ. While I would say that this week is a great time to come, it has been ridiculously hot here for the time of year (It is supposed to get up to 97 degrees this weekend). We literally skipped spring. One day it was rainy and in the 50s and 60s (which is close to the coldest it gets), the very next day it shot up to the 80s, and here we are in the 90s. While mid 90s aren't that bad, I am very mad about my lost spring. Have fun in Tempe though, it should be pretty fun.

By Ohio_Mom (Ohio_Mom) on Friday, March 19, 2004 - 04:12 am: Edit

Reseinmy -
glad to hear you will get to spend spring break in Arizona - that should be a lot of fun for you. My husband goes down to Kitt Peak to work on the Case telescope there every January or February, and the weather is always a nice change from Cleveland.

Chargoose -
best of luck on your apps - Yale would be wonderful!

By Riesenmy (Riesenmy) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 11:30 pm: Edit

I got into Notre Dame! sweet... three down, five impossibilities to go.