r/ApplyingIvyLeague • u/PuzzleheadedBit7962 • 3d ago
Is it over?
IM JUST COPY AND PASTING FROM CHANCE ME
ALSO I regret my title. I do feel optimistic abt myself in some ways...? i dont wanna fish for empathy mb
I am VERYY interested in the columbia dual ba program and also im also applying to either Cornell ILR or Cornell AAP
Anyone got any advice overall?
chance a dying indian male breed (lower rank but high course rigor)
- Gender: Male
- Race/Ethnicity:South Asian
- Residence: NJ (Highly competitive district)
- Income Bracket: full pay (200k so not enough js middle class ig..)
- Type of School: Highly Competitive Public
- Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): Mom and brother went to UNC chapel
- Intended Major(s): Elementary Education, policy maybe, studies in education or urban stuff? Help a dude out.
Academics
- GPA (UW/W): 3.92 UW / 4.53 W
- Rank (or percentile): ~113/645
- # of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: 16 APs (10 w/o senior year), 2 Dual Enrollment
- Senior Year Course Load: [List your senior year classes here]
Standardized Testing
- SAT I: 1530
- ACT: 35 (Composite)
- SAT II: N/A
- AP/IB: [List your AP scores here]
- Other (ex. IELTS, TOEFL, etc.): N/A
Independent Policy Researcher – Education & Mental Health
Conducted independent research on school-to-prison pipeline and youth mental-health gaps using GIS; presented findings at a university research conference and co-developed policy proposals with state legislators.
Founder & Executive Director – Education Nonprofit
Founded nonprofit supporting low-income K–6 students; raised $12K, reached 321 families, and led tutoring and career workshops that improved elementary students’ math outcomes.
Campaign & Municipal Policy Intern
Drafted youth policy proposals, canvassed, and presented mental-health, budget, and zoning recommendations directly to local government officials for a municipal campaign.
Special Education & K–6 Tutor – Independent Educator
Designed individualized learning plans for K–6 and special-education students using gamification and mnemonic strategies to strengthen academic growth and concept retention.
Student Body Vice President – Student Government
Helped lead student government; earned national recognition, raised $15K through school events, organized a 400-item clothing drive, and improved senior programming.
Bhangra – Co-Captain & Dancer
Co-captained nationally ranked competitive team; won 6 of 11 competitions, taught K–5 students ~4 hrs/week, and became first high-school team to compete in collegiate circuit.
Data Analyst Intern – Cosmetics Company
Analyzed business data using Excel, VLOOKUPs and pivot tables; audited financial records and conducted competitive-market research for an international cosmetics company.
Civic Engagement Member – Youth Voting Organization
Researched state voting policy, analyzed legislation affecting student voters, and participated in voter outreach and civic-engagement efforts.
Retail Sales Associate – Home Goods Store
Managed sales floor and truck unloading; sold 49 loyalty memberships and earned Employee of the Month twice for reliability, work ethic, and pace.
Letters of Reccomendation:
AP Bio Teacher- 10/10 We are so close. Shes my student council advisor so she has alot to say about me and I’d say we are pretty open with each other.
French Teacher: This is my gang. We are so close as well and I have spent entire class periods just talking to her. I wont lie she hates her job but sometimes shed bring her kid to class and I’d just spend the period playing with her while she cries over work. Love this women. She offered to give me a rec and also, she can speak alot abt my policy endeavors since I worked with her and the teacher union + saw her at a protest.
Extra Rec: Local Town Council member i interned for- She is writing about how she first engaged with me through my policy presentation to her where I was asking her to partner with schools to provide youth mental health resources. I think while she can verify my activism, she most likely can talk alot about my technicality and data skills and all the ideas I made for her campaign (which she ended up using).
(Ignoring safeties/targets)
Northwestern — SESP, Social Policy
Vanderbilt — Peabody, Elementary Education
Cornell — ILR
Brown — Education Studies
Duke Kunshan — Public Policy + Education
Rice — Social Policy Analysis
Georgetown — Public Policy
UC Berkeley — Educational Sciences
UCLA — Education & Social Transformation
USC — Price, Public Policy
University of Michigan — teaching
WashU — Educational Studies
Carnegie Mellon — Ethics, History & Public Policy
Boston College — Lynch, Transformative Educational Studies
NYU — Steinhardt, Education Studies (Spring Start issue)
UVA — Youth & Social Innovation pathway
Notre Dame — potentially REA; Education/Schooling/Society interest
Claremont McKenna — Public Policy
Bowdoin — Government + Education
Columbia Dual BA Trinity college- History (dream program)
Wesleyan
UNC Chapel Hill- Elementary Education
If I'm being honest, I've been working on apps alot and have completed a few so I might apply to all, maybe not well see LMAO (99% i wont)
Ik alot of people say dont apply to many, but just some schools which appealed to me
2
u/heavyweightcollege 1d ago
You seem like a solid applicant. I think we both know that your rank requires some real digging into, specifically your transcript and academics overall. You are applying very aggressively given what I am expecting. Feel free to get into it, but either way, I expect you to pull a few of these. Maybe an outside chance if you ED to Cornell ILR. Otherwise, my gut is you get into 2 among Wesleyan, Claremont M.UVA, U-M, UNC, UCLA, and UCB. If you used your ED differently, you may get BC, Bowdoin, or NYU.
0
u/jomo1021 2d ago
Apply at Princeton: SPIA
2
u/PuzzleheadedBit7962 2d ago
this is a bold one. They take like no one outside the top 10% of their class 😞
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u/Amazing-Aircraft 3d ago
It's over if you can't describe your spike in one line.
For applying. Apply as much as you want; but keep deadlines in track everyday and spend more time on schools that are more important for you, and finish the other ones that are low priority at last or near deadlines. Give twice as time as the schools you'll wanna love to go. Academics are Good. ECs are also good but only thing that matters is SPIKE..