Am I going to New Haven? (ill chance back!)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Yale is the Dream! I know it is a reach, but I am only a rising jr so I have time to add/drop etc...I need some advice on how to make app as good as possible.</p>

<p>Other schools:
Princeton
Duke
UChicago
Tufts
Notre Dame
RIT</p>

<p>Intended major(s): Economics/Physics (interesting combo)
Gender: M
Race: White
School: private north-eastern/sends 2-3 to ivys, 4-5 others to "near ivys"
Class Size: 60</p>

<p>PSAT Scores (I don't know if they translate): 78M, 71CR, 73W
SAT II: Physics 710 :( I don't know if I should retake, Math I 800
AP: Physics (5 as a frosh), AP Euro (??), Calc Ab (??)
GPA: 3.93UW/4.15W
Ranking: school does not rank</p>

<p>Junior Schedule: AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP USH, English 11, Spanish IV Honors (only honors class offered at school), Latin III</p>

<p>ECs (may need work suggestions appreciated/I don't know how much of this I will put on resume):</p>

<p>Photography + other arts:
-Freelance work with local real-estate company
-VERY decorated contest winner (scholastics nat'l winner)
-Built my own website to display/sell my work
-Published in school arts magazine
-Contributing photographer of local paper (maybe city paper next year!)
-Taken college classes in photography
-Worked as an assistant for professional photographer 1 summer
-Volunteered with city organization teaching basic photo classes (as an assistant) to city kids
-Acted in professional opera productions
-School musical</p>

<p>Math/Science:
-AMC 10 = 117.5 :p 1 pt from AIME qualification
-ARML participant, region usually ranks competitively
-School Math League member: placed 2nd in region
-co-founder/leader of rocketry club at school
-member of TARC team (team america rocketry competition) :(will not continue due to lack of funds</p>

<p>Economics/Finance:
-co-founder of student economics committee
-co-founder of investing club</p>

<p>Sports:
-Varsity Gold (not recruited athlete)
-2 Varsity letters so far!</p>

<p>Employment/Volunteering/Internships/Summer Activities:
-CTY JHU summer before 9th
-Habitat for Humanity/Food Bank Distribution/Volunteer tutor
-Caddy
-Volunteer at First Tee
-Summer Internship with ______________ (business in city)
-responsible for <em>normal interning tasks</em>, meeting/greeting associated businessmen<br>
for tours of facilities, photographing events, photographing members of the business<br>
for "revamping" of company website
-Tutored at school ($10/hour LOL)</p>

<p><em>Will Chance Back!
</em>Please be brutally honest :(
**Im sorry this was longer than I had expected</p>

<p>Thanks ALL!</p>

2

<p>To be “brutally honest” :P? Honest answer: it’s almost impossible to tell what your chances are.</p>

3

<p>All ivies to an extent are reaches. You would have higher chances if you have an extraordinary essay. The ECs should also reflect a passion in a specific subject. :)</p>

<p>chance me back?</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/912361-chance-me-ivies-other-schools-new-member-here.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/912361-chance-me-ivies-other-schools-new-member-here.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>you’re a match at Notre Dame in my opinion :)</p>

5

<p>I think you have a decent shot. Try to focus your ecs a bit–don’t do what won’t stand out. Good to have a nat’l award as I see you do. And make sure your SATs are like 2300+. Then you should be fine.</p>

6

<p>Thanks all for chances! I know it is too early to tell if I have a good shot at any school because there is a lot I haven’t done yet as I am only a sophomore. However, I’d really appreciate some specific suggestions. I, as well, am concerned about my ECs becuase I am so passionate about photography but there is very little I can do because of my age/grade. I have tried to take photo classes at colleges but they have grade restrictions, must be a senior. In addition to this, however, I am, at school, a math/science nerd, but for some reason, have no idea pursuing this interest at college. Instead I want to go into economics/finance. I manage my personal assets in a scottrade and have started the organizations that are listed herein, but am clueless how to demonstrate further interest. Any suggestions on anything would be GREATLY appreciated. YaleCat.</p>

7

<p>bump…please I’ll chance back. Any suggestions are useful</p>

8

<p>Keep your grades up and crank out a GREAT sat score, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see you there.</p>

<p>Just don’t call it a match. There are people with 2400s and straight A’s who don’t get into Yale.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/913880-umich-want-wolverine-chance-me-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/913880-umich-want-wolverine-chance-me-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Chance me back please!</p>

9

<p>Boy…thanks for the vote of confidence. Is there anything in particular I should do with me ECs to boost future chances? Will chance back :)</p>

10

<p>“I, as well, am concerned about my ECs becuase I am so passionate about photography but there is very little I can do because of my age/grade.”</p>

<p>^You can start assembling a photography portfolio if you want. When you apply, you can send your photography as an art supplement along with your application, but they have to be really good, so perhaps you can start preparing for it now. If you think you may have a chance, there’re also art competitions where you can possily get recognition for your work (Scholastic Art and Writing Awards comes to mind).</p>

<p>“I am, at school, a math/science nerd, but for some reason, have no idea pursuing this interest at college.”</p>

<p>You have no idea how to pursue math and science in college :O? Lol, so many people major in science and math in college :). I’m not familiar with economics or finance, but there’re tons of opportunities out there for you to pursue math and science even in high school. </p>

<p>As a sophomore, you have a good PSAT score and seemingly so many extracurricular interests, just like all the other aspiring Yale applicants. With that said, the schools you’re looking at are some of the most selective schools in the entire country. There’re so many academically amazing applicants, so many students with so varied extracurricular achievements, but at the same time there’s only a limited number of spots in each freshmen class. It’s therefore almost impossible to predict who will be picked. As a sophomore, I think it would be best to just try out all the things you think you may be interested in without worrying too much about college admissions - take advantage of all the opportunites that come to your way and you’ll be fine.</p>

11

<p>I’m a going to be brutally honest, so be warned. Yale is very hard to get into, it is a reach for everybody. However, looking at your application the most redeeming quality is that photography award, make sure you show yourself to be really passionate about it. Princeton is also a reach, I would need to see your previous schedules though, I don’t get the impression that your course load is the most rigorous (Calc AB?) and you have a focus on languages, if you want those majors though take more of those classes! Duke and Chicago are probably low reach schools, but still, junior year grades are the most important, and if you pull straight A’s that will be good. The last 3 are probably matches, though I do not know tufts too well. What to change for you application? hmmm it is hard to say, it very much depends on where you rank in your school, if you are one of those top 5 then you should probably mention it. Sorry if I was a bit harsh, but ask and ye shall receive. </p>

<p>I too would appreciate some candidness, chance me back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/898730-chances-duke-penn-cornell.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/898730-chances-duke-penn-cornell.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I do know how to pursue math/science in college :slight_smile: :stuck_out_tongue: I phrased that very poorly…I’m sorry. What I meant to say was “but for some reason, have no interest in pursuing these interests at college” Sorry for the confusion. I am SOOOO in favor of just pursing opportunities that come my way that I am interested in, and so far I have done this with photography, but opportunities that I am really interested in are <em>relatively</em> scarce.</p>

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<p>@tjkid – thanks for your honesty, i am confused about the rigorous schedule part. Although I should probably clear up some things about my school. It is a rigorous private school but offers no honors courses except Honors Spanish IV. It offers only regular courses and APs. In theory the first AP a student can take is AP Euro in 10th grade. I, however, took AP Physics 9th grade, and AP Calc and Euro in 10th. I also am confused about AP Calc AB in 10th grade not being rigorous. I also plan on taking a college economics course this summer and “physics for engineering” at college in the fall. Should I be doing more to improve the rigor? I could have taken 4 APs junior year but opted out of AP Composition because I’d rather take it senior year. Should I take this class next year instead? All suggestions are appreciated!</p>

14

<p>Hmmm… the point of a rigorous schedule does not apply solely to just taking APs. AP composition makes sense though to go with a more ‘artsy’ flair, i suppose. In my school AB is considered a slacker course by the way, so that’s why i was wondering. Also did you take the class for AP physics? I find it hard to believe that you could have truly appreciated physics without the calculus to back up the derivation, that’s the heart of physics. Even with calculus I forced myself to learn multi and fourier so I could really appreciate physics…Just an interesting note. You can take composition whenever it best fits into your schedule by the way, it shouldn’t really matter. One suggestion would be taking an online AP micro/macro econ during junior year to help.</p>

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<p>My school does not offer economics at any level of rigor. I did take the AP Physics B course as it is the only one my school offers (not level C). I did have a knowledge of calculus when I took the class but I had to wait till this year to take the calc class. At my school you have to go through Calc AB before you can take BC (hardest class at high school) will take multi during senior year at college. I really get discouraged sometimes at the lack of classes offered by my school, but will have to make due with what they offer.</p>

16

<p>PSAT scores typically translate within around 50 points, so I think your SAT will be decent enough to qualify you. Physics score is actually decent because so few students take physics - so your score isn’t seen in a negative light. A lot of your EC’s correspond with your major - so that’s definitely a plus.</p>

<p>Also, photography is typically considered for an arts supplement. If you’re really that great - send in a supplement to the arts department - and it’ll definitely help chances of admission.</p>

<p>Yale - reach
Princeton - reach
Duke - high match/low reach
UChicago - match based on quality of essay
Tufts - high match
Notre Dame - match
RIT - in</p>

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<p>YaleCat, as long as you take the most rigorous courses available at your school and accomplish as much as it is possible for you with the resources give, you’ll be fine. I took pre-calc last year and am taking Calc AB as a senior, and I was accepted at most of the schools I applied to when others who took much, much harder courses than me were rejected. In fact, I only took one AP class before senior year, and I was accepted at Harvard, MIT, Dartmouth, UChicago, Cornell, and many others. Same with my friend. It’s very difficult to gauge what your admission chances are based on these simple figures.</p>

18

<p>Thanks for chancing me earlier!</p>

<p>If your PSATS translate over to your SAT scores, then you won’t really have to worry about your scores. I know kids from my school who have gotten into UVA (not the same caliber as Yale, but still very hard to get into) with a 1900, and they were white with no legacy…sometimes crazy stuff happens. Your extracurriculars are solid as well as your grades. I’m going to be brutally honest…Yale is a crapshoot. As is Princeton. I know a girl who went to TJ (the best high school in the nation) got a 2390, had straight A’s, insane extracurriculars, and got rejected by Yale, but is headed for Princeton. Just keep up what you are doing now and you’ll set yourself up for as good of a shot as possible. I know that’s probably not what youre looking for, but I can’t give you a straight-forward answer. Hope everything goes well and you get into Yale in 2 years!!</p>

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<p>Just as a note to the above poster, Yale hates my high school. Some girl lied on her application about her EC’s, so they almost never take kids from TJ… :(</p>

20

<p>Thanks for all the feedback. I really appreciate it! If anyone has had any experience with photography, do you have any suggestions on opportunities that I could pursue outside of the typical contests, etc…that would offer the possibility of leadership positions. Thanks again, YaleCat.</p>