<p>I have a 4.714 GPA, am first in my class, have taken 10 AP classes. My ACT was a 33, SAT was English: 730, Reading: 710, Math 680. I got a 4 on my AP Euro and AP US history tests, and a 3 on my AP Chemistry exam (should I even include this one?) Nat. Merit Commended Scholar</p>
<p>I've been dance team captain for two years, am Stuco executive vice pres (have been class pres as well as a ton of other leadership roles), went to state for my schools swim team, am in thespians and have been lead roles in a few plays, am in NHS and French Club. Plus, I spend up to 30 hours per week dancing at my private dance studio, and have several hundred hours of focused community service.</p>
<p>I come from a pretty plain suburban background, and don't have any hooks that colleges haven't seen before, plus I'm worried that my test scores are just mediocre for competitive schools. Also, I want to major in biology and french, and aside from a summer youth leadership forum on medicine and trip abroad to france, I don't have any activities dedicated to my major.</p>
<p>I'm a pretty good writer, I get mostly 100% and up in my AP english class, and I know a lot would probably depend on the essay....but realistically, short of being the next shakespeare, is it even worth applying to my competitive schools?</p>
<p>Applications:
Yale (hardest...duh)
Washington U. in St. Louis
U of Virginia
USC
UCLA
KU</p>
<p>Looking at your grades compared to your SAT scores it seems to me that your school may have a lot of grade inflation. You even said that you usually get 100% and up in your AP English class. Schools may look at your scores and at your GPA,and seeing a huge difference reject you. I still think you should apply though. You've got decent EC's but as you said, your EC's don't necessarily match up with your intended major. Try not to focus on just that aspect of you then, but incorporate who you really are.</p>
<p>my friend applied to Stanford with a 2000 & she's an avid dancer (dancing since she was 4). What state do you live in? If you are in Cali, I'm pretty sure you can get into UCLA. Yale is a HUGE reach though (not just you but for everybody). Just apply & see what happens! But don't get too upset if you don't get into them...</p>
<p>Some of the harsh statements are sarcastic -- pointed at either the OP's naivete or her bold fishing for compliments since it's pretty clear she's a reasonably viable candidate most anywhere.</p>
<p>I tend to believe she is fishing for compliments with a title like "Am I wasting my time"</p>
<p>Maybe looking for replies like: "Oh girl! You're fantastic! Don't sell yourself short! Hang in there!"</p>
<p>I've been reading CC long enough to know that even the highest-stats students can be very insecure about their chances at highly selective schools, so the sarcastic remarks are really not helpful. To the OP: your stats put you in the zone for Ivies, but your scores aren't super-high. It probably is not a good strategy for you to apply to just one Ivy (especially Yale). Your list is too short, I think.</p>
<p>^ I agree. I would also look at Cornell, Columbia, and U-Penn. All of these are great schools and will give you just as much prestige as a Yale degree.</p>
<p>svcreddy91, I've danced since I was three as well, and that's something I'm incredibly passionate about, but I wonder if even that's too frivilous for an essay. but unfortunately I'm from Kansas, so that definately won't help on my UC application. but thanks to everyone. I'll probably just apply just to see how far I can push myself to write the best essay I'm capable of. it's times like these that I start to wish i would have studied for those tests a few minutes...</p>
<p>plus...i have the added frustration of knowing that one of my classmates whom I've known for a long time (who got a 31 on ACT - not dreadful, but can't even make top 10% and isn't the brightest bulb) was accepted into Yale due to recruitment for baseball. where's the dance recruitment? honestly!</p>