<p>i'm a white girl going into my senior year at incredibly competitive high school in the DC area. i'm a 1st generation american, i have a very strong interest in history/politics and i really am liking yale right now! i'd really like to apply EA and i want to know what you think about my chances...or possibly suggestions for other schools? thanks!</p>
<p>GPA: 3.74 UW, 4.36 W (my school doesnt rank, but probs top 15%-ish)
SAT (taking again in october): 2190 (700V, 760M, 730W)
ACT: 32 (35 writing, 34 reading, 30 math, 30 science)
SAT IIs: 750 US hist, 740 Math I, 690 Lit</p>
<p>AP NSL (4), APUSH (5), AP Psych (5), AP English Lang (4), AP Stat, AP Euro, AP English Lit, AP Spanish Lang</p>
<p>Features editor of newspaper (paper wins a bunch of awards every year)
Teen leadership of local children's museum for 3 years
Docent at historical home in DC this summer
Service trip to Indian reservation this summer
BBYO for 1 year
Best Buddies for 4 years
Community service award
MD distinguished scholar
history program at w&m
...those are my major ones, but i have several other good ones too..im going to focus on my MAJOR love of us history</p>
<p>ill also have really good teacher recs and a great essay, etc. im visiting later this summer and i have about 3 contacts who i think could put in a good say (fam friends, etc). i know getting into yale is a crapshoot these days but please let me know what you think! (any other suggestions for schools are welcomed as well)</p>
<p>the MD distinguished scholars have already been chosen? I thought they weren't chosen until senior year?</p>
<p>Be careful about the three contacts who you think would put in a good word for you. At most, have one person do it. There's a question whether you should do it at all. If the admissions office feels you're trying to exert influence, it'll be a turn off. If there is a Yale alum who has had substantive academic or extracurricular contact with you, that person can write a supplemental rec. I wouldn't recommend more than one supplementary rec, however.</p>
<p>Your grades are on the low side for Yale.</p>
<p>By great essay do you mean a REALLY, REALLY great essay, i.e., one of the best essays the admissions officer will probably have the privilege of reading? By good teacher recs do you mean recs that shed light on who you are, reveal quirks about your personality, and illustrate with highly specific examples why you are an absolutely fantastic, motivated and talented candidate for Yale? If you answer YES! to both, I'd say you have a great chance. :)</p>
<p>I would have to say, speaking from my personal experience, that your essay is very important in getting you into Yale. </p>
<p>I was admitted to the class of 2008, but opted to go to another school instead. I went to a decent, but not great, public high school. My grades were slightly lower than yours, and I scored a 1560 on the SATs (this was before the SAT included the writing section). When I got my acceptance letter, I also received a hand-written note from the admissions officer telling me about how moving my essay was and how he had shown it to a friend who also found it very touching. </p>
<p>I did a bunch of EC's as well, and I am not sure if they were or were not unique...I had what I thought was a pretty horrible interview with a Yale alum, so I think my essay played a major role in getting me in. I am sure I had pretty good teacher recs, but I'm can't be sure about how good they were since obviously, we can't read them. So don't discount the essay! </p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>^Where did you decide to go instead of Yale?</p>
<p>I went to Olin College (<a href="http://www.olin.edu%5B/url%5D">http://www.olin.edu</a>). Great engineering school, amazing professors, people, and of course, free tuition! Hands-on, project-based learning that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to experience otherwise.</p>