Almost Crunch Time: Chances!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>So now that regular decisions are done, it's crunch time for juniors, myself included. What are my chances for Yale? Am I a strong applicant? Yale has been my dream since 8th grade, and I'll most definitely apply for EA this fall.</p>

<p>OH YEAH, I HAVE A CONDITION CALLED VERBAL DIARRHEA, SO I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE! ;)</p>

<p>Location: Michigan
Ethnicity: Hispanic immigrant (Cuban)
Sex: Female
First generation college student, and I will be needing financial aid since my parents cannot afford to help me pay for college.</p>

<p>GPA (W): 4.06 (My school's weighted GPA is strangely designed so that the highest a student can receive is a 4.2, which I'm pretty sure has never happened. Because of my two B's in Math, the highest Yale will see my GPA as, since I'm applying EA, will be a 4.08.)
Rank: 1/442</p>

<p>***I have had all A's up until junior year when FST (Functions, Stats, and Trig) has dragged me through the mud. I received my first B in high school for the semester and right now I have a C for the marking period (which doesn't show up on my transcipt). Needless to say, I'm trying to get my grade up to a B, which means I'll end up with two B's for my semester grades. Will this matter? Keep in mind, I won't go into a Math-related career, and I'm as far from a Math individual as you can be.</p>

<p>I've taken the hardest courses available at my school, which by the way is very urban and inner city-like. We are considered by Johns Hopkins to be a drop out factory, which pretty much says it all. Because of this, I haven't had the best academic leadership in terms of counselors or teachers.</p>

<p>Took the ACT and I'm expecting at least a 27, unless Math brings me down.</p>

<p>Will take the SAT Subject Tests in US History, World History, and Lit.</p>

<p>APs:
10th
AP US History (5)</p>

<p>11th
AP Biology
AP American Gov.
AP Spanish (Self-study)
AP Psychology (Self-study)</p>

<p>12th
AP Environmental Science
AP Statistics
AP English
AP European History</p>

<p>ECs:
Editor-in-Chief of high school newspaper
Academic Decathlon
Student Council
Excellers (In the process of organizing a large event for diversity in our school.)
- President
County Youth Commission
-Secretary
- Co-Chair of the Community Service Committee
- Chair of the Government Education Committee
NHS
- Vice President
4-H Peer Mentoring Program
*** Right now, I'm in the process of starting a peer education workshop program for middle schoolers and high schoolers with Michigan's 4-H.
*** Working in conjunction with my local county's youth commission, I will be the creator and Editor of a newsletter for local youth.</p>

<p>Possible Major & Minor:</p>

<p>Sociology, with a Minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies</p>

<p>Passion: </p>

<p>I want to combine journalism and editing with women's issues and health. Both of these passions were inspired by my parent's and events they went through in Cuba, which will make for an interesting essay and interview conversation.</p>

<p>Community Service
221+ volunteer hours</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Volunteer at a local library
(May 2006 - December 2006)</p></li>
<li><p>Volunteer at Children's Science Museum</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Work Experience:
Library Page at a local library; 10 hours/week.</p>

<p>Awards:
Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution Student Fellow
- I was the only student selected from Michigan to go to this convention for high school journalists in Philadelphia. The entire trip was covered, so it wasn't one of those run-of-the-mill youth programs you get in the mail.
Honor Roll
Ventures Scholar
Sophomore of the Year (School Award)
Academic Decathlon 3rd place in Speech
Academic Decathlon 3rd place in Interview
Academic Decathlon Highest Team Scorer</p>

<p>Well... chance away!</p>

2

<p>Bump please!!</p>

3

<p>You're academically competitive . Thing is, for schools like Yale I don't think anyone can predict you getting in from stats alone. The only thing we can tell from that is whether or not you have very no shot. In this case I'd say you have a good shot with your academics. They won't keep you out.</p>

4

<p>Thanks! Any more advice? I need some constructive criticism. What would make my application even stronger?</p>

5

<p>You need to get your ACT up.</p>

6

<p>I agree raising your ACT score (or taking the SAT, if you would do better on it) would help. Also, study like crazy for your subject tests. Watch that World History SAT. It is only offered in June and December. Put yourself in the position where you're happy with your first score on it, so you can apply SCEA. Otherwise you will have to retake it in December and worry if your scores will arrive in time for regular decision. My son found the Barrons book to be excellent for review for it.</p>

<p>Your guidance counselor includes a school report with your application. It gives info on the socioeconomic status of your area, the average SAT or ACT scores, etc. that will help the admissions officer view your application in context. By doing well on standard exams, you show you've got what it takes to excel even in difficult circumstances. I think your ECs look good, and thought the Philly conference sounded fascinating. Wish I could have gone to something like that in HS!</p>

<p>Work hard on your essays. Start this summer. Write the best essays you think you possibly can. Then set them aside, and come back to them in a few weeks. Fresh eyes help. Get the Harry Bauld book about essay writing. It is an excellent resource and a fun read.</p>

7

<p>Here is a scholarship opportunity for you to check out:</p>

<p>freedomforum.org:</a> The Al Neuharth 'Free Spirit of the Year' Award and Free Spirit Scholarship/Conference Program
A boy and a girl from each state are selected to receive $1000 scholarship and a trip to DC where two $50,000 scholarship winners are selected.</p>

<p>Check to see if there is a newspaper organization in your state which gives out scholarships.</p>

8

<p>Thanks, 2blue. To tell you the truth, if I get a 27 or higher I won't take the ACT again. One major reason is that someone from my school got into Yale this year, the first time in nearly a decade, and he had a 27 on the ACT (not to mention lower stats than I do), and he was Hispanic as well. I really want to concentrate on my ECs, and make them as strong as possible. Any word on those? Do they look average?
Also, I'll look into that scholarship opportunity.</p>

<p>Anyone else?</p>

9

<p>Still, Yale might look highly upon scoring higher than the student who got in before you. Perhaps if you shot for a 30? But I understand where you're coming from, wanting to focus your attention on your extracurriculars.</p>

10

<p>Well, I might get a 28, since I feel I did really good on the English and Writing portions. It's just whether or not the Math score brings me down.</p>

11

<p>good job with those accomplishments
i would say in</p>

12

<p>Also, I'm really disappointed in the C I had in Math for my marking period. I know colleges won't see it, and I'll make sure to have a B for the semester, but does this make me not deserving of Yale? Will there be people, and are there people, who had a weak marking period and received a C in a marking period class? Also, I have six B's for my marking period grades, and I'll have two semster B's, is this bad for Yale and Ivy League schools?
I really did try, and I know I can handle Yale, but Math is not an easy task for me, and junior year hasn't given me a chance to devote a lot of study time to Math.</p>

13

<p>Bumping...</p>