<p>Is there any advantage to this? Math and science have always been my weak points, while English and social studies have been my strong points. I scored 800 CR and 730 W (750 M, but I was very lucky) on the SAT I and 5s on both AP World and AP Euro (without taking the AP classes.) Is this something that might help to set me apart from the sea of other Asian candidates planning to enter the sciences or engineering?</p>
<p>woah i had the same sat scores
5s on both AP World and AP US, and Stats, 4s on Macroecon, Microecon, and Lang
taking AP Euro, Art History and Gov this year in addition to Calc and Lit, completed all of the social studies curriculum offered by my school
and lots of humanities ECs inlcuding editor in chief of the school newspaper, volunteer at local historical society, art classes, and regional, state, and national placement for National History Day for the past 4 years</p>
<p>....and I got rejected
so apparently, no, it does not help set us apart from typical-science-nerd-asians
don't ask me why</p>
<p>i think the issue here is that the science/ math asians have those scores in the humanities too, lol.</p>
<p>Plenty of math/sci Asians are admitted, but only because they are truly excellent at it. I can't say I'm excellent at science, but I had some major science awards but I am so much better and more in love with the whole literature/humanities/art thing. My biggest extra-curricular was also not math/sci-related, and my essays were all about world affairs and personal stuff.</p>
<p>I think if you're in a sea of math/sci Asians, it might help you stand out - but you also have to be a standout amongst non math/sci Asians. Veering from the path itself will not guarantee anything.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I don't think you should make too big a deal out of your race. I'm hoping college admissions officers don't accept or reject applicants based on their race...</p>
<p>well of course they wont be rejecting based on race, but they may rejecting because of the non-unique nature of an applicant's background.</p>
<p>nevertheless, a 5 on an AP exam/800 on CR or 730 on W is not rare among asian "math/sci" applicants, or rare among the yale applicant pool in general. in fact, its probably fairly common. i think to truly stand out as a "humanities" applicant, one would need to receive some pretty hefty recognition, national-level or otherwise. its definitely harder to do that in the humanities than in the sciences though, due to the lack of well-recognized events.</p>
<p>i echo the above post. if you want to stand out as a quote <em>non-traditional</em> Asian candidate, test scores won't be nearly enough. you need to actually demonstrate a true passion in a humanities related field, as per my understanding.</p>
<p>in any case, i'm an asian applicant with good (but not perfect) scores who demonstrated a clear interest in international politics through heavy recognition in debate, MUN, journalism, etc. i was accepted to the class of '13 early...so i must have done something right!</p>
<p>yeah i don't think just having test scores is gonna cut it. a lot of math/science ppl can get perfects in everything else as well.. and vice versa i guess (though it varies for math haha)</p>
<p>i'm asian, admitted early..
i do "humanities" stuff (languages) and math/sci stuff (math team, bio research)
my ecs/awards were basically all math/sci + volunteering, but i got a rec from my english teacher and won some major writing award.. and i applied with my primary interest being international relations... stemming from my interest in languages.
lol so i don't know what's up.. i guess you can be all over the board (interested in many things) and still get in.. just try to be good at a lot of stuff, or SUPER good at one thing. :D</p>
<p>Oh my God, the admissions officers aren't going to look at your application and go, "Oh look, an Asian who's good at math/world history/running into trees! We don't need more of those! REJECT!" From an Asian who's been through four years of Yale, I can tell you that there's plenty of Asians who are good at math, plenty who are good at world history, and plenty who were good at going to frat parties and ran into trees. </p>
<p>Calm down, go get Starbucks with a friend, don't go on this website for 24 hours and stop thinking of yourself as an Asian candidate.</p>
<p>I am reconsidering my whole thinking of top college admissions lately... lol. I have a friends who is only a sophomore and he got into Stanford with NO talent in anything but math. A sophomore!! A sophomore, Asian, and math nerd! Urg... it makes me sooooo mad :(</p>
<p>Of course my opinion is biased but I can offer my perspective...</p>
<p>I am a South Asian male. I have several state, national, and international poetry awards and humanities (philosophy) awards. I have published poetry at a state and national level. I submitted supplemental poetry and graphic design (I manage my own graphic design website and create socially conscious and feminist designs). My intended major was Women & Gender studies (and I suggested on my app that I would double major in Psych with a concentration in Philosophy).</p>
<p>I was deferred -- so it didn't really help me out.</p>
<p>hehe, same boat here. </p>
<p>I think what we need to realize is that not every Asian is going to major in engineering/chemistry/physics. From what I've seen, there are plenty of humanities-oriented Asians, too (self included). I don't think the issue is so much as of being a humanities-oriented Asian as being really passionate about what you do/want to major in. :)</p>
<p>randomnerdz, would you be willing to PM me some of your poetry or philosophy? i'm a writer myself and i'd love to see your work, especially having won what look to be some pretty significant awards. just curious.</p>
<p>yea...
i think that we "linguistic/humanities" people have to go through the same routine the math/science people do:
win major awards and whatnot...
that's what i've been doing so far, anyways</p>
<p>Well what I think is key is that you need to be oriented in EVERYTHING. You need to be good, or even great, in all academic realms. Look at Yale's diverse curriculum and few requirements - they believe that the good students are the ones who are going to try a lot of different classes and go for breath at first, and acheive a level of depth in all areas, THEN specialize in one area. Yale is all about have scientists that can hold their own in a classical literature debate.</p>
<p>If you're Asian, you gotta have coverage; the first step is to be really good not just in science and math, but the humanities, arts, etc. THEN, since being good all around is the begining, not the solution, you need to specialize and passonize about one area. If that area is science/math FINE - as long as you will acheive something in that pursuit. If its community service, FINE. But in the case of Community Service, dont make it only CS. The CS or math and science needs to be impressive, but it will only be so if it is atop the basis a wide, very strong academic background. So if you're asian and mathsci oriented, that's great, Yale has a massive science department development that has been going on, then want you, they just want you to be able to not excellent, but really good in the other areas, because Yale is all about the diversified academic experience.</p>
<p>My guess for randomnerdz is that either he really had a good application and Yale will look him up in the spring because they did really want him, OR he seemed to only have poetry going for him. It's the "core" + a unique component or two, the unique component is what gets you in, but the core of just all around strong academics and ECs in a variety of areas is what you need to have to not strike out.</p>
<p>let's say i'm into humanities/english, but all my grades/scores are higher in math/science (dont ask).. and on top of that i'd like to major in either english or film studies.. so it's really, truly not like i want to be a professor at a prestigious university/lawyer/doctor/political analyst etc.. i want to go into working in the tv/film industry with a strong background in a general education offerred by yale...</p>
<p>and i'm an asian female.</p>
<p>so would that mean yale would not want me?</p>
<p>Not as much as you hope... Asians excelling in math and science and nothing else is a tired old stereotype... </p>
<p>I'm Asian and I'm more of a humanities person... Self studied AP World, AP Human Geo, took AP Euro, US classes, got 5's on every humanities AP test ever taken...</p>
<p>I am Asian too, Any better chance?????????????????????????
I spend three hours in swimming every day since i was 10, I spent one wholle summer in swimming camp. I think I am qualified for most NCAA D-III college, like Chicago, Amherst etc
here is my stuff:
GPA : unweight 3.8, public high school
ranking 5% of 400
6 AP, most honor course
PSAT: 218 (80, 74,64)
SAT: 2200 (750,750, 700)
SAT II Chemistry
SATII Math 2: 770
SAT II US history: 780</p>
<p>EC: 4 year letter-winner in HS swimming , 100 Breaststroke in state high school championship finalist (20th, 12th, 10th) three years, co-captain of HS swimming team
also swimming in a club,
offer swimming private lessons for community young kids and lifeguard </p>
<p>HS Debating club with 3rd place in state debating championship (Novice in 10th grade) and other tournament awards
Captain of Debating club in Jr. year, </p>
<p>Piano: 5 year and 5th grade in British Royal Schools of music
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2007 in state (silver medal)</p>
<p>...how about asians who don't excel in anything. would that make me stand out?...</p>
<p>^ lol... actually... maybe. </p>
<p>Too many competitive kids... maybe they want a non achiever for once.</p>