Black Female at HYP?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Unlike a lot of the people who post here I have absolutely no clue whether I am desirable to an Ivy league school at all. A lot of people tell me I am but they have no clue; it's always like my parents' friends who went through the process thirty years ago and think that nothing has changed.</p>

<p>Anyway, I am an African-American female from Georgia who applied EA to Yale and was deferred. Now I'm really worried about my chances elsewhere.</p>

<p>I took the SAT I in the beginning of my junior year and haven't taken it since which I think hurts my chances because I know I could have gotten a higher score this year. Math 660 Verbal 740 (1400) Which places me very high among URMs but not that high at all among Yale students. Also, the average SAT score for African American Yale students is supposedly in the 1200s so keep that in mind too. My SAT II were 710 Writing, 650 Math, 750 Biology.</p>

<p>I have a 4.0 GPA after this semester, but I did get one D and one C which I haven't explained to the adcom. All the rest were very good grades in all honors and AP courses. I've taken 7 AP courses which is more than most people at my school. The D is the reason I think I probably got deferred and maybe they are waiting for my senior year grades which are much better.</p>

<p>As for ECs, I'm the Drum Major for the marching band, and last year was Pit Captain. I've played piano for about 8 years and have won a few competitions. I play percussion in the local youth symphony orchestra. I'm president of two clubs this year and have served other leadership positions. I've been to two summer science programs but I haven't had a job. I've also won a few writing contests and went to the National level for the National History Day competition for a paper I wrote. Last year I created an animated film that won a film festival.</p>

<p>I play Varsity Tennis and our team just won the regionals but I don't know if I should tell them that in my follow-up. I'm in NHS and another service organization which I'm president of. I've got 400+ documented hours of service and probably another 500 or so that are not with a specific charity. I want to major in Evolutionary Biology.</p>

<p>I'm very creative and have written a musical and am working on another one now. One of my essays which my AP Lit teacher adored was about writing. The other was about marching band.</p>

<p>For my recs I got a teacher I've had for 4 years and whose club I'm president of, and my AP Biology teacher because that is my intended major.</p>

<p>The biggest drawback I think is the C and D I made last year. The D was a 70 in an AP course and the C a 79 in an honors math course.</p>

<p>And RANGER I don't want you opinion, please. k Thanks. I realize I wrote a book but I need opinions. I applied to a lot of "safety/match" schools, but I really want to go to Yale more than anything, and I applied to H&P although I definitely doubt I'm getting into H.</p>

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<p>Also, the average SAT score for African American Yale students is supposedly in the 1200s so keep that in mind too.</p>

<p>I don't know where you got that from.. but I'm pretty sure that you're wrong. It wouldn't hurt to retake the SAts.</p>

3

<p>yeah but it's a bit too late for that.</p>

<p>as for the average SAT, someone posted that in a thread. he/she visited a Yale info session and someone asked what the average SAT score for Af. American Yale applicants was and the answer was in the 1200s. I realize I wrote "students", I meant "applicants"</p>

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<p>OK, you face several issues. The biggest among them is the issue my children face, you seem to be an affluent URM. Tennis, music and AP classes are not available to the majority of URMs in the Country. So assume you will be held to a higher standard than URMs from disadvantaged backgrounds. I have, for many years, been involved in recruiting URMs for H. Average SAT is probably in the 1300s there, but that is effected by many athletes. Your stats and activities seem good, you have a shot. The fact that Yale deferred you, however, should give you insight into the competition. So, the issue now is how badly do you want to attend HY or P? You are close enough that if you consider a gap year in which you do community service and retake the SATs, you would most probably get in. You may still get lucky this year, but more and more kids are taking that gap year to reposition for the schools they really want. My daughter would have done this had she not gotten fortunate with her ED school. So consider. Good luck!</p>

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<p>I think you have a good chance as an African-American female. However, a C and a D junior year is really hard to overlook. The full-year, academic junior year courses are supposedly the most important part of the application.</p>

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<p>yeah i would say that the unexplained D and C are probably partly to blame for your deferral. 1400 SAT is really good and definately puts you in the running, my friends mom is an administrator at an ivy and she says that ppl overestimate the SATs. 1400 and above and you're in safe territory. maybe you should explain why you got the D and C.</p>

7

<p>
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I've also won a few writing contests and went to the National level for the National History Day competition for a paper I wrote. Last year I created an animated film that won a film festival.

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<p>
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I'm very creative and have written a musical and am working on another one now.

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<p>I see these as the two greatest strengths in your application. These are unusual things that could hardly be said of even one in twenty applicants. National level achievment, special creative work - these are far above average even in the Yale pool. The rest of your extracurriculars show that you are highly involved, especially in terms of your music.</p>

<p>The EC/personal part of your application seems quite strong. Now, let us move to the more academic evaluation, which will comprise the vast majority of your decision, especially since you are most likely to pursue a science.</p>

<p>Now, many successful applicants for science and engineering majors will have shown truly outstanding testing and will have recs that show tremendous talent and potential. They may also have state level math/science achievements to their favor. They may or may not have in-depth research, although I believe that this helps tremendously at HYPSM. </p>

<p>You intend to major in biology, but I can't say that your committment to the sciences seems all that strong. You've been to two summer science programs. That's a plus. But it's important to demonstrate great talent in math and science. Your biology score is strong. However, I don't see that you're a math standout - neither your SAT I nor SAT II Math score is above 700, which hurts for a prospective science major. I also don't see AP scores in Math or Science areas - and strong ones could help your case in terms of testing. I'm not sure if your science competitions show that you're a standout in the general pool, as well.</p>

<p>And about your transcript - after a D and a C in junior year, Yale simply could not have accepted you early without truly extenuating circumstances. They needed mid-year grades to confirm even otherwise extremely strong performance, because a D and a C at the point when you are taking your toughest load just does not sit well.</p>

<p>7 AP courses is quite strong. I don't have a detailed description of your transcript, but I'd need to see your grades in AP classes and your overall unweighted GPA to make a better judgment.</p>

<p>As kirnum said, I think you may be considered the "affluent URM", especially because you've never held a job (from what your post says). The gap year is actually a superb strategy, if you desperately (hate to use that word, lol, but still) want to go into HYP, since that level is definitely even on your level, given more time.</p>

<p>For now, I'm not sure what to say. Your application doesn't seem like it was strongly angled toward anything in particular, and it doesn't seem as if you fit a particular niche at Yale, other than URM. I know that at many schools, even some Ivies, your URM status and statistics will carry you through the door easily. However, at HYPSM, they are expecting clear and demonstrated talent, especially in one's field of interest. They also expect strong extracurriculars, although that's one of your strengths.</p>

<p>My evaluation of you may seem harsh. However, I mean no offense and only wish to help. I hope my criticisms can help you, since you are a contender even at HYPSM.</p>

<p>Joey</p>

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<p>How does one get a C and a D and have a 4.0?</p>

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<p>The reason why you probably did not get into Yale is because you got a D on your report card, and that did not look good compared to other applicants who may have not have even gotten even a C. The admissions committee would have rather seen YOU with a lower SAT Score, than for you to have a D. If you hadn't gotten that D, I would say that you would be a shoe-in for regular decision at Yale, but I dunno now.</p>

10

<p>"Also, the average SAT score for African American Yale students is supposedly in the 1200s so keep that in mind too."</p>

<p>As a Harvard alum and interviewer, I seriously doubt the above. I also track SAT scores for black students, and have never read nor heard anything like that from a reputable source. The URMs whom I have seen get into HPYS with scores in the 1200s were very disadvantaged or had something major going for them such as legacy plus excellent grades at a highly rated school plus major leadership.</p>

<p>The "D" grade is a huge blotch on your record. You or your GC needs to have an explanation that is acceptable (not something like, "My teacher hated me.")</p>

<p>I hope that you also applied to other top 25 schools. You have some excellent things going for you, but your "D" may hurt big time because there are URMs with far better grades. I am sure that you can get into a top 25, but I think that your odds are long for HPYS. I'm not saying that you won't get in: Just have good back-ups.</p>

<p>Your SAT is fine. Your grades are what could hurt you. You are right that adcoms will scrutinize your grades this year. Your interviews also will be very important. Make sure you prep by taking the time to thoroughly read the colleges' web sites and by coming prepared with some thoughtful questions. For instance, take the time to see what the colleges offer to people with your EC and academic interests. </p>

<p>Also come prepared to assertively talk about things like your creative writing ECs that highlight what you have to offer the colleges. Don't sit there passively hoping the interviewer happens to ask about the things you want to discuss.</p>

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<p>Northstarmom, I agree with you. SAT Scores from African Americans in the 1200's or even 1100's are generally acccepted into the Ivy League/prestigious colleges if they have a high gpa, don't come from that great of a background, or just really have something going for them. However, it will also depend on how strong the African American SAT pool is from year to year at universities and colleges. In some years, the SAT pool is not strong, so they will accept some African Americans with mediocre SAT scores (1100 or even lower) who do come from a good background. For instance, I know one student who had a 3.3 gpa, black, had 900 SAT score, did not come from that bad of a background, and got into UVA. It's not because he lives in VA because he doesn't. I think it just depends from year to year.</p>