Another one of the dreadful chance me threads... so yes Chance a Pessimist!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>SCEA </p>

<p>GPA: 97.6 unweighted, 98.5 weighted [we do not weight over 100]</p>

<p>ACT: 33 [English 36, Math 29, Science 36, Reading 32] took it once.</p>

<p>SAT IIs: Bio 800, World 800</p>

<p>APs: Biology 5, Euro 5, Lang and Comp 5, Physics B 4, Human Geography 5, US History 5, Psychology (senior year class), Government (senior year class), Calc BC (senior year class), Literature (senior year class), Macro/Micro Econ (senior year class) </p>

<p>Classes are all honor or AP except for Spanish which is a below grade level class. This is because I studied Russian during elementary and middle school and then changed districts to a new high school which did not offer this language. As per district policy I was forced into introductory Spanish classes. I continue to study Russian independently/ with a tutor.
^all explained on app, although I still think for this reason I won't get in.</p>

<p>Random Ecs:
~President of Speech and Debate-State Champion and Finalist, Nationally ranked in my event, Placed at a number of collegiate, qualified for nationals</p>

<p>~National Honor Society Board </p>

<p>~Started a successful UNICEF backed charity initiative </p>

<p>~Made All County Chorus for a number of years in addition to two select choirs, church choir and piano</p>

<p>~Traveled to Romania to teach English through the performing arts to underprivileged/gypsy kids</p>

<p>~Teaching Sunday School</p>

<p>~Interned at the UN </p>

<p>~Some theater shows</p>

<p>~Tri Music Honor Society</p>

<p>Essays:
Are pretty good [I will send them if you would like to read to give a more accurate chance post]</p>

<p>Recs:
Are pretty good</p>

<p>Probably in the top 20 in the class out of a +450 person grade level (we wont find out till Jan)</p>

<p>female, Hispanic [which is ironic because my father cant speak a word of Spanish even though my grandfather was straight off the boat]</p>

<p>Hopeful IR major</p>

2

<p>Really? Come on! If you’re bright enough to have those stats, you should understand that you’re a super qualified applicant. And a URM to boot!</p>

<p>Faced with more qualified applicants than they can accept, Admissions Directors look closely at your teacher recommendations and essays for glimpses into your “character”. That’s an old fashioned word, it means the way you develop your inner qualities: intellectual passion, maturity, social conscience, concern for community, tolerance, inclusiveness and love of learning. Admissions Directors will scrutinize and compare your teacher recommendations to all other applicants. So, the reality is that your chances depend on the declarations of your teachers and guidance counselor. They will either tip the scale in your favor, or not. Best of luck to you!</p>

3

<p>^^ And if you don’t want to take my word for it, listen to Jeffrey Brenzel, Dean of Yale Admissions: <a href=“https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/video-transcription/whats-the-most-important-part-of-the-application[/url]”>https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/video-transcription/whats-the-most-important-part-of-the-application&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>“The most important part of your application — bar none, no question, any college — is your high school transcript. Probably the next most important are your teacher recommendations, particularly if you’re applying to any kind of selective college or university.”</p>

4

<p>Thanks! I think my recs were pretty good- my Speech and Debate coach of four years claims to have written a very good one. I guess I don’t want to get my hopes up. I also haven’t done anything amazing in research or math or anything like most applicants.</p>

5

<p>I like what I see; you have a reason to be optimistic. It’s still a crapshoot though, don’t get discouraged</p>

6

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<p>The role that being Hispanic plays in admissions is not constant for all applicants, it varies with factors such as country of origin, SES, association with the Hispanic community, etc. See the Hispanic Students forum for more discussion.</p>

7

<p>Yea. I don’t think it will really help me, but I put it down anyway. The Common App asks the questions about “Hispanic heritage (including that of Spain)”. My grandfather immigrated from Spain (not speaking a word of English) so that’s why I checked that box, in addition to the one asking for race (“white”). My grandfather though, tried to dissuade his children (ie my father) from keeping the language or connections alive, preferring to assimilate and which he thought would “make life easier”. I am sure that the country of origin will play a role. Somehow I don’t see schools with Aff action considering “Hispanic from Spain” and a Latin American country the same. Nevertheless I figured it couldn’t hurt to mark it down.</p>

8

<p>Sounds like you have a good understanding of how being Hispanic works in college admissions. I mention it because often CC members give advice with the assumption that all URMs/Hispanics are considered in the same light, they see URM and immediately say, “You’re in”, which does a disservice to the OP and is misleading for others reading the advice.</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

9

<p>I think your chances are pretty good. A 33 ACT first sitting is great and your volunteer/travel projects are really great as well. It really just boils down to the admissions committee and what they think of your application as a whole. As well as teacher recommendations, which are very important, and your essays. (If you’d like me to proofread your essays to give you a better chance, I can do that)</p>

10

<p>My essays are already sent as of now, but if you’d like I can send them to you if it will help you with a more accurate chancing. Thanks!</p>

11

<p>

That may be good at most schools but not at Yale. My son was waitlisted with a 35 in his single sitting. :o</p>

12

<p>If your grandfather was from Spain and your dad doesn’t speak spanish I think you should have only checked white. People who check Hispanic are often from South or Latin America, probably do speak spanish, and possibly went through more hardships than the typical white applicant. If you don’t consider yourself hispanic in heritage and feel you don’t share any traits with a typical hispanic applicant, why check the box?</p>

13

<p>Probably, possibly, whatever, only the OP know whether/how much they identify with their Hispanic background. And it’s them that checks/doesn’t check the box and lives with the decision. </p>

<p>If you want to assume you know about someone and want to tell them what to do, please post on the Race FAQ sticky thread on the College Admissions forum, that is the only place on CC where such comments are permitted.</p>

14

<p>I also checked white on the application. You have the ability to check both off</p>

15

<p>I’m a current sophomore at Yale, and I applied with a 33. So I’d definitely say it’s possible, haha.</p>

16

<p>Once you get that high, differences between 33 and 35 and whatever are insignificant.</p>

17

<p>I know its not amazing but its not horrible either. Its in their 50% range. Junior year posed some really tough unpredictable family problems (having to do with custodial issues) and taking the test again was not exactly the easiest thing to arrange. That being said, I chose not to take again senior year because I wanted to focus on college apps and keeping grades up rather than re studying.</p>