A dream deferred?

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

<p>I know the Ivy League is not necessary to success in life. College isn't either. But I have a desire to go to Yale and major in economics, and possibly double major with polisci.</p>

<p>I am a junior in high school, and political economy is my life. I have devoted so much to studying and applying myself to it, it's insane. I have self-studied everything from philosophy, law, and banking to entrepreneurship, foreign affairs, political strategy, and psychology.</p>

<p>I want to go to Yale because I want to hail from an institution that is reputable in the business and political world. I also want to be in a place where I can be intellectually humbled, then build myself back up into something greater.</p>

<p>Here is my background:</p>

<p>Played Clarinet with HS Symphonic band since 8th grade, been to several regional bands
Cofounder and Vice President of Model UN: have been recognized/awarded in each conference, other high school politicians are no match for real political strategy.
Invited to Academy of Political Science, a think tank where membership is normally for graduate students and professors
Invited to Commonwealth Club of California, nation's oldest public forum
Offered internship to Wall Street Journal by its CEO (I got interviewed, at this time they are "still looking for a place for me")
Work closely with Mayor of my town, advising on economic and political strategy
Have relationship with local libertarian think-tank and economics publisher- Independent Institute
Have a relationship with the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Submitting project to ISEF-affiliatied fair: Using Differential Calculus to Predict World Petroleum production; with economist mentors from the Federal Reserve
Business manager of school newspaper
Columnist for school newspaper
Experienced in generating profits with stock market (maybe I can increase Yale's endowment? )
And if it means anything, i am a book collector, with 300 books dedicated to my autodicdact learning.</p>

<p>It's my numbers I am worried about. I have a 3.88 weighted GPA. I am taking 3 APs this year, and are passing both of them, and excelling in none of them. I have a GREAT relationship with my AP US History teacher; I go in his room and talk about such things like peak oil, political philosophy, and the errors of government. Right now, my grades are full of B-'s and a few A's. I took APWH last year and got a 3 on the exam.</p>

<p>My grades aren't spectacular. my SAT is also going to be a problem: I took a cold practice SAT in august of my freshman year, and got 1740. I don't know how I will score this year.</p>

<p>I guess my "big idea" (like that of John Nash's in "A Beautiful Mind") will be applying what I learned in AP Calc to calclulate the new models of peak oil production. I am not the best in my AP Calc class, and I make my share of stupid mistakes because I do not think things through, but if Yale discards me for my GPA, then, their loss.</p>

2

<p>Your background seems a bit lacking for Yale, most applicants are CEOs of banks and/or diplomats, I would say you might only have a chance if you get your GPA up to at least a 4.7, but since you said you’re a junior, this doesn’t look possible. You still have time to retake the SAT however, which you probably need to score at least 2400 to even be considered. I guess you’ll just have to hope for the best.</p>

3

<p>Do yourself a favor and don’t have your heart completely on Yale. Look into other schools that offer a great program for your major. Once upon a time, I was set on on Stanford and MIT. Then I discovered UIUC and UMich, two schools that offered just as good of an engineering program and they are easier to get in. Now I don’t even plan on applying to MIT and Stanford. Our dream schools can change and sometimes it’s for the best. :)</p>

4

<p>@blke: It seems that a ■■■■■ like yourself tells that to everybody. But, thanks for bumping my thread!</p>

5

<ol>
<li>Holy crap those ECs are unique. Former Model UNer myself, but the rest are spectacular. </li>
<li><p>A 3.88 GPA is still particularly high. From what I’ve read, Yale does not calculate GPAs for accepted students. Common sense would tell us however, that they have applicants maybe from as low as 3.5 and possibly lower to 4.0s and higher. </p></li>
<li><p>A cold SAT from your Freshman year doesn’t indicate much. I took a cold SAT Sophomore year, got an 1830, and now am at Carnegie Mellon doing Math and CS. </p></li>
<li><p>You can improve in grades and SAT. Down the long run, those aren’t going to be the main factors in who you are as a person. Whether or not you get into Yale (Which I hope you do, and believe you can), you can make a big difference. To have those big ideas as a HS student, I’m impressed. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>To sum it up, I think it’s important that you do your best to get your “numbers” up to your liking, but to remember to portray yourself best when you apply in the Fall of 2013. You’ve got the goal and seem to have the ambition. Go for it, wherever it may take you.</p>

6

<p>Dude, seriously. Breathe. My advice is to find another college that is much less selective and fall equally in love with it for reasons other than prestige. Then, if you get into Yale, it’ll be icing, but if you don’t, you’ll have this equally awesome (or more awesome) college to attend. Honestly, there are thousands of students exactly like you applying for Yale, so if you don’t make it, it isn’t the end of the world.</p>

7

<p>To everybody:</p>

<p>Thank you so much for the advice. And thank you for calling my activities “spectacular.” Nobody has any idea how much time and energy I put into what I do.</p>

<p>I knew I was pinned a bit much on Yale; I guess that’s what happens when you attach passion to something. I want a college that I can have a very good education (self-driven; just a college that provides the resources), and has a record of producing real powerful people. Do you know of any college like that?</p>

<p>And thanks for clearing up my negative thoughts.</p>

8

<p>I used to want to go to Yale also during my junior year, but then I moved on to more realistic and well rounded schools (which in my mind is somewhere that has a huge sports presence as well as great academics and party life-that’s not to say Yale isn’t amazing, which it is, but just it was lacking what i was looking for in a college). I think when you get closer to a decision you’ll realize that there are so many amazing and impressive schools besides the Ivies. How about Georgetown, which is in DC, the hub of political activity and has a great political and business program. I wound up applying to UMich, UNC, Notre Dame, UVA, Vanderbilt, Cornell, UPenn, Wake Forest, Boston College and a few others but as an intended bio major. I know that ND, BC, UVA, UPenn and UNC have some of the best business programs in the country, so those could be options. Just know that where you go to school shouldn’t be so hands-off–you want to be able to develop as a person there and really become a part of the school. It’s not just about how many famous or powerful people they’ve produced, it’s about you feeling comfortable there which will ultimately lead you to successes. About you’re SAT don’t worry- my first practice test I got a 1660 and almost had a heart attack, but then I took a class and got a 2040 my first real sitting. You should also try the ACT- I didn’t study at all and wound up with a 31 and 32, and a 33 superscore. That’s just my two cents anyway, as a former Yale lover myself, I hope that helps!</p>

9

<p>Your GPA may be “meh” for a typical ivy applicant but your ECs are exceptional. You need to do well on your SATs for sure (and I think you may have to do two SAT IIs as well). I’d still give Yale a shot. You would have to convince them that you can give Yale something that the typical 4.0 GPA/2400 SAT applicant cannot provide. If you can get at least one of your recommendations from one of the higher-prestige EC people you might create your own hook, as they say.</p>

10

<p>So my eyes glazed over reading that list.
My GPA, test scores, and number of AP classes are higher than yours. But I have pretty much zero extracurriculars/demonstrated passion, and it’s hard for me to believe that any good college would pick me - a regular, generic kid with too much time on her hands to study - over someone who has a specific passion and has done 20,000 significant things related to it.
Still, pretty much no one gets into Yale. I’m pretty sure you’ll be successful in life, but it won’t be because of Yale. It will be because of you.</p>

11

<p>To everybody: thank you for reading and answering my thread! I really appreciate it.</p>

<p>and to Halyconheather: colleges from what I know still look at grades and test scores. its not too late to develop any passion!</p>

12

<p>It was a sad day today.</p>

<p>I got an 181 on my PSAT. I was hoping for something higher. I got a 1740 on a practice SAT freshman year, and was hoping there would be more difference. There are kids in my school who are varsity football, 220 PSAT, class president, etc at my school, and crack jokes about ME. I know I am not supposed to compare myself to them, but, it shows me that I am not performing at my possible best.</p>

<p>My Grades are as follows ATM.</p>

<p>APE3: A-
Physics: B
APCalcAB: B
Journalism: A+
APUS History: A
Robotics: A
Symphonic Band: A
Span: B-</p>

<p>I hope to get all grades as best I can with my finals.</p>

<p>Right now, I am looking besides Yale at CUNY, and Georgetown. Any advice?</p>

13

<p>Oh, and I have been considering the ACT. I got a 27 on a practice ACT freshman year. I did score 97th percentile in the science reasoning category.</p>

14

<p>The ACT caters to reading type thinkers so I definitely think you should give it a shot. Take another practice test and see how you feel about it. If anything, take it cold and see if you do better than you did on your SAT. </p>

<p>I find that people put too much emphasis on name and prestige. I go to Loyola New Orleans but was offered a full scholarship to Tulane (as a transfer). Tulane is ranked higher and more “prestigious” than Loyola, but I don’t personally think Tulane is a better school. Loyola is a lot more personal than Tulane and I really enjoy academics here (I’ve taken classes at both so I am able to pretty accurately compare the two schools). Had I just looked at the schools at face value, I would have picked the quote and quote better school, Tulane. But I realized that Loyola was a way better fit for me. Find a school that does that for you. Look at what you like about Yale and make that your search criteria when deciding what schools to apply to. Do not look at the schools at face value though, that tells you nothing about them. You of all people should understand that you can’t judge a book by its cover.</p>

15

<p>Hey, thanks for your message.</p>

<p>Here is what I like about Yale: Alumni. History. Drive for performance and excellence. Intellectual stimulation. </p>

<p>I did do my research, and am looking at CUNY. I am sure if I wanted to I could get what I wanted from Yale out of CUNY. Also, being in New York, I could try to land a job/internship at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Council on Foreign Relations, UN, local Masonic lodge, etc. The experiences/connections I listed earlier can be made to help me get to NY and succeed. I would also be in much closer proximity to the world’s financial and diplomatic power center.</p>

<p>At the same time, it is news like this that makes me depressed: [Brown</a> and Cornell Are Second Tier - Percolator - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/brown-and-cornell-are-second-tier/27565]Brown”>Percolator: Brown and Cornell Are Second Tier)</p>

16

<p>That article was about kids getting jobs right out of college. It’s tough to get a high paying prestigious job right out of college! Build a resume, get job experience, prove that you don’t need a Harvard diploma to get the job done and you’ll be fine. I plan on joining the Navy. You think any post-Navy job will care where I went to school? No, but they’ll definitely care that I spent years serving our country </p>

<p>A school does not make or break your life. You can go to a no name school and still have an excellent career. Get those internships, build up a solid r</p>

17

<p>I have not yet read Devil Wears Prada, but I hear it is a great book.
I think I can relate to “real success,” not a diploma. I do not have a perfect GPA. But take a look at my ECs: all of it is related to my passion in the social sciences. I built it up myself from the bottom up, without help from my parents. It took a lot of outreach and self-reading, but I did it.</p>

<p>I was so driven on Yale because I had the mentality of that news article. But yes, school does not make or break lives.</p>

<p>And, congratulations and thank you on your intent to enlist.</p>

18

<p>And trust me, schools will notice that. And so will jobs. You are unique in that you have a true passion and are actively pursuing it. That alone has already determined that you will be successful. You will continue to find those extra curriculars regardless of what school you end up attending. People with passion succeed because they have a driving force that will never let them fail. You have this. Screw the ivies, you don’t need them to succeed, you can do that on your own. </p>

<p>And thanks, can’t wait for commissioning!</p>

19

<p>I just got a call from the local Yale Alumni Club.
Before this thread started, I emailed the local Yale Alumni Club chairman. After exchanging emails, he called me and we set up a meeting in a couple weeks. I got in contact with him to answer questions about Yale, and sort of test the waters on what sort of people they want. If the Yale Alumni Club also interviews me, it’ll help to already be in contact with them.</p>

<p>Any advice on this?</p>

20

<p>Go ahead and pursue your Yale dream. But Haycyonheather is right… pretty much nobody gets into Yale. I know 3 different spectacular students who went to Harvard as their backup in the past few years because they did not get into their first choice (Yale).</p>

<p>So… like pretty much everyone else on CC, you also need to put a lot of energy into finding schools that actually match your statistics to apply to. It is okay to have a couple of reaches, but you really must spend energy finding matches (where your scores are above the 50%) that you can also afford. Georgetown is still a big reach for you given your GPA. </p>

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<p>This is really a pretty poor reason to pick a college, IMHO. Between the “relationship” comments and the “powerful people” comment, you actually sound very shallow in your thinking. And… “have a relationship with” is not an EC. When you HAVE the internship in hand, then you have something you can use in college admissions.</p>

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<p>B grades in Physics, Calc, AND Spanish, along with your potentially low test scores, show that high school and standardized testing are already humbling you. It is unlikely that a top university would take you on for further humbling. Just trying to be clear here. Unless you win some major award or something with your work before college apps are due, you are not going to get into a tippy top university.</p>