Wanda Said:

Are Ivy League colleges really that impossible to get into?

We Answered:

Your resume looks strong enough however it is incomplete. For example, you need strong scores in either the SAT or ACT (probably no lower than 2100 SAT or 31 ACT). Additionally, you must take a minimum of two SAT Subject tests (targeting scores in the mid 700's). You must select your teacher recommendations carefully. How well did you perform on your AP exams. College admissions committees view AP exams and SAT Subject tests as the best predictors of future success in college. Lastly, make sure your essay says something about you that they can't see anywhere else in the application. It is your opportunity to show them (not tell them) who you are.

Don Said:

Chance of Getting Into Duke/Yale/UPenn?

We Answered:

It really doesn't matter about all of that. You really don't know how an admissions officer's mind works, so you could just get it because of the race you are. I'm not trying to discourage you from what you're doing because you're moving along great, but sometimes, you still don't get in. These schools are very top rated and prestigious. Don't feel discouraged if you don't get in, because you still are a wonderful person. These schools just look for the best of best.

Ruth Said:

Advice Getting into Wharton UPENN?

We Answered:

hey dude thats cool Asian living in a competitive asian school in Texas

first thing i'd want u to know is the important thing is to be yourself; yeah i kno i sounds cliche and out of reach but you gotta do something u really want to do and not what your parents would like you to do
that being said, if you still like business at Upenn, give it up; not to sound cruel but you'll most likely be denied there; there are plenty of other good business schools though
the reason is although your extracurriculars seem solid and your SATs are very good; the GPA isn't going to cut it; if you wanna get into wharton you better hoep your overal GPA is at least 4.0 and ranked top into your class
try other schools like NYU stern because they're also very good (rank 10) but again their admissions process is also very difficult, not very far from Upenn (rank 3); so dont be discouraged if you dont get accepted
being from texas i'd say go and try UT Austin, its a good school really and their mccombs business school is pretty damn good too (18) and also try Carnegie Mellon's school as well (17); but with your stats i'd also try USC, Emory and Georgetown (20s) and although they're competitive too you should give it a whirl

Angel Said:

What should I expect if I wanted to be a foreign service officer in the U.N or a CIA ops officer?

We Answered:

Ah, I was also interested in those two things! In fact, I'm still considering the foreign service.

Any of the schools you list will make you a good candidate for the foreign service, or to work for the CIA in ops. You can also major in anything you'd like, so long as you come out of there with a solid handle on world affairs, business, computers, current events, geography, economics, etc., and your particular field of expertise - the role you'd like to play in the foreign service or for the CIA. It's also to your advantage to have a good knowledge of at least one foreign language - being aware that, if you know a language when you're recruited, it's likely your first placement will be in a region where they speak that language, so pick wisely - and to have spent some time overseas, so do a foreign exchange while you study.

Also note that there are certain skills, and certain foreign languages, that the CIA and/or the foreign service places high priority on. In other words, if you're basically qualified as an applicant, knowing, say, Farsi may move you to the top of their list. Other highly in-demand languages are Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Arabic (local versions), Russian, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Tajik, etc.

You should go to the web pages for the State Department and the CIA to learn more about their recruiting process, and what each of the roles they offer requires in terms of applicants. Because it does vary.

But the schools you listed are good, and the majors you list would be just fine. Go with your interests re: major. Go with fit re: school.

Terry Said:

Can I get into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UPenn, UC Berkeley, etc?

We Answered:

Can you tell me which private school you went to? I just graduated from Phillips Andover, the top boarding school in the nation, so I could provide you with some stats at my school. I think most people don't know how going to boarding school changes your admissions chances so they'll give you some cliche piece of advice.

My e-mail is thomasbrooks2013@yahoo.com