Californians at a Disadvantage?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>I'm from a small city in southern California (Temecula, I will be greatly surprised if you recognize it). On the Harvard thread, people were saying Californians wouldn't get in no matter what their grades, SATs, essays or e.c.s. They sounded a more than a bit snobbish, really.</p>

<p>Then, here I read posts saying one poor kid was out of the running because he was from a prep school in New England. I'm at the other extreme, but hopefully my location will not determine whether I am accepted or rejected. Here are my basics:</p>

<p>GPA: 4.67, unweighted 4.00
SAT Reasoning: 800 English, 720 Math, 750 Writing
SAT IIs: 780 Lit, 780 Math II, 770 Biology, 690 German (ouch)
APs: All 5s on Euro, U.S. History, Calc AB, English Composition, and Biology
E.C.s (you don't have to read them all, they're like everyone else's):
Music Activities:
- Solo Awards in San Diego Flute Guild Festivals (2000-2004), La Jolla Young Artist Competition (2005), Inland Valley Symphony Concerto Competition (2003), Rotary Club High School Music Competition (2004, 2005)
- Oboist in school Band and Inland Valley Symphony (2003-2004)
- Principal flutist of San Diego Youth Symphony, Symphonic Orchestra (2001-2003)
- Flute/piccolo in San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra (2003-2004), soloist for SDCYO Europe Music Tour (2004)
- Flute/piccolo for Riverside Concert Band
- Accompanist and alto for Chaparral High School Concert Choir (2004-2005)
- Accompanist, piano teacher for local students
- Volunteer for San Diego Flute Guild Activities
- Flutist for annual Rancho Music Association’s Messiah (Decembers 2003-2005)</p>

<p>School Clubs:
- German Club Publicist (2004-2005), President (2005-2006)
- National Honor Society member (2005-2006)
- California Scholarship Federation member (2003-2005)
- Founder/President of S.O.S.: Society for the Over-Stressed (2005-2006)
- Science Olympiad:
*First in Regional, Second in State Competitions in Cell Biology and “Designer Genes”
*Member (2004-2005), Vice President (2005-2006)
- Member of L.I.N.K.: Liberation in North Korea
- Member of the Calculus Club (2005-2006)</p>

<p>Honors:
- AP Scholar with Distinction as of 2005
- Student of the Month, April 2005
- Principal’s “Platinum” Honor Roll
- Running Salutatorian for the Class of 2006
- National Merit Scholar nominee</p>

<p>Other:
- Courtesy Clerk for Ralphs Supermarkets (2005-2006)
- Created website: All Ducklings are Beautiful, for the prevention of eating disorders
- Cross Country runner
- Irish Step Dance (competitor 2001-2004)</p>

<p>This started out as a basic question: will being from Cali hurt me? Now it's a "what are my chances" post. An answer to either will make me very :) Thanks.</p>

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<p>You will get a boost if you apply from underrepresented states, but you wont be at a disadvantage if you apply from cali...</p>

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<p>The reason why Californians are at a disadvantage is because there are so many of them, and hence, colleges get to pick and choose the best ones. This applies also to the Northeast.</p>

<p>If you're from a rural or isolated area from California, then it's possible that that negates the fact that you're from California, as most people are from the large cities such as Los Angeles or the Bay Area.</p>

<p>With that said, you have very good stats. Some people will probably tell you to try to get a better SAT score, but I think it's fine. Your SAT II scores are also very good. Since you only need to submit three, they won't really care about your German score.
You could have some more awards and ECs, and that may be your weak point. Your best bet will be to work on writting excellent essays and getting good recs.</p>

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<p>I know exactly where Temecula is. I'm from Alpine, which is another rural town of only 15,000 people; east of San Diego.</p>

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<p>You don't need any more ECs or awards, as some adcoms see a "laundry list" as way too many. It is sometimes better to focus on a few quality ECs that you really care about than "hundreds" of them. Coming from Temecula could be a plus, depending on your socio-economic and ethnic background. An earlier poster is correct that there is way to many students applying from California, which is why Temecula just may be your hook that separates you from the pack.</p>

<p>Your essays, rec letters and interviews (if appropriate) may be where you need to shine, more than any improvement in GPA, test scores, awards or ECs.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>I know where Temecula is. Quite a lot of brush fires in that belly - a few summers ago. The music might be a hook.</p>

<p>Anyways, you have just as much a chance as other Californians. You could move to North Dakota to raise your chances.</p>

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<p>I thought Wisconsin might be a good choice. I've always been interested in the process of cheese-making :p</p>

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<p>californians are at a massive disadvantage! no two ways about it: they are!</p>

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<p>California has way better cheese! it's THE cheese.</p>

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<p>some will say his sat scores aren't fine?</p>

<p>that's crazy. really. his stats are fine.</p>

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<p>i come from the SF bay area. two years ago (the year i applied), the admission rate in my area was 5%, or half of the national admission rate (which is wierd, because there were a lot of really strong high schools in our applicant pool). this last year, though, esp. after the alumni complained about the low bay area admit rate, the admit rate rose so it was roughly equal to the nation average (don't remember specific numbers).</p>

<p>anyway, i don't <em>think</em> californians are consciously put at a disadvantage in admissions, though it sometimes works out that way anyway :-/ it fluctuates year to year... (but it bugs me that the top california public schools only get 1 or two students admitted a year, while some of the well-off east coast private & public schools get in 11 or 12... urgh.)</p>

<p>that being said, given your stats, it seems like you' have a pretty good chance. admissions is a crapshoot, but if you don't apply, you can't get in, so... :-D good luck!</p>

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<p>where were you able to get the stat on % admitted from your state?</p>

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<p>It's been my experience that Yale thinks California is the place to get athletes and it's very tough to get in if you aren't one. However, if Yale is what you want, go for it.</p>

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<p>kath06 ~ i can't give you a reference; it's something that the head of my area's asc (and this year, my mom) told me over the phone. i bet you can find it online somewhere tho?</p>

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<p>The OP substantially misstates what he was told on the Harvard site. He asked about chances for admission to a special joint degree program at Harvard and the New England Conservatory. It was <em>this</em> program that he was told was super competitive.</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=84631%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=84631&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>As with Yale, there are many Californians at Harvard - more than from any other state, in fact, except Massachusetts. I have no reason to believe that the admission rate for Californian applicants differs substantially from the admission rate for applicants from the rest of the USA or from other countries.</p>

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<p>The double-degree question was an entirely different thead than the one I referred to in the first post. On the other one of the same title, "Californians at a disadvantage?" at the Harvard thread, and from other threads from fellow Calis, I got the impression that my chances are abysmal because of my location and ethnicity (Asian American). But I am glad somebody spoke up about the miscommunication, or I'd look like a sullen pat-on-the-back seeker.</p>

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<p>wow this is funny. would you mind if i asked your name and what HS you go to? I might know you heh</p>

<p>(and btw, temecula small? I've always considered it like medium sized, but it's growing like crazy)</p>

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<p>oh nevermind, i didn't actually read the post, i was so surprised when i ssaw the city you were from that i had to skip to the bottom immediately. You sound a lot like tammy marnell, is that right?</p>

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<p>I think it might be better stated to say there is no advantage to being an asian from California. There is a large pool of qualified students from California and many are asians. There is a large pool of qualified asians nationwide. You will be measured against those pools. As pointed out, there are many students from California, but there are many more qualified students that were rejected to make room for qualified students from other places. Colleges like diversity. They won't fill the class with qualified asians from California no matter how many apply, hence the lowered chances are due to higher competition. The same student from New Mexico would have a far better chance, so yes, Californians are at some disadvantage.</p>

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<p>cob, I sent you a PM, but that's right. Whoa, crazy. But not so crazy, because people I know and who know me would come to this sort of place...</p>