I am currently a junior that is looking at different colleges right now.
I really love Yale University and consider it as a top choice of mine.
I plan to major in Political Science w/ a minor in French.
I have a 4.0 GPA and a 1440/1600 on SATs, but I currently have a C in Honors Precalculus with the rest being
an average of A’s. I also participate in varsity sports and I am president of two clubs with a background of competitive piano and viola.
Would that one C be detrimental to my chances of getting into Yale?
It’s obviously hard to tell without me applying yet, but I don’t know if it’s even worth to apply if that C will really hurt my
chances.
Probably not, since the class isn’t related to your major, as long as your overall GPA is still 3.8+/4.0. Obviously your odds are slim to begin with and there is much more to getting in than a transcript and a few extra curriculars. Try for Yale, but find matches and likely schools you love just as much.
Do you have a hook? Do you go to a feeder school, are you an underrepresented minority, first generation college student, from an under-represented geographic area, a recruited athlete or legacy? If not, honestly, I’d say your chances are slim to none. Chances are slim for people with perfect academic records and very high SAT scores. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to put the effort into the application. But your main focus should be on match and safety schools. There are lots of wonderful schools that would be thrilled to have you as a student.
If you will be applying to colleges with an interest in something math/statistics/science related, then your chances just hit the basement. However, if you will be applying to colleges with an interest in something humanities/history/art/music/theater related, then I think you’ll be okay, as Admissions (not just at Yale, but pretty much everywhere) understands that not every kid is a math geek.
That said, your SAT score is about 100 points BELOW where it needs to be for a selective college such as Yale. If you want to be a serious applicant for HYPS et al, you should retake the test or try the ACT.
1° it’s going to hurt
2° your odds are very very low regardless of that C - in most cases they’re 5% so consider Yale a “lottery school”; don’t focus on it, build your college list from the ground up - find two affordable safeties you like, then 3-5 matches that you like. Then only add the reach colleges and Yale on top.
3° prepare for the SAT again and/or the ACT. Your score is excellent for most universities but too low for Top 20 universities/LACs
4° ask your parents what their budget is for college. Run the NPC on your state’s flagship, on possible safeties, etc. Cross out anything that’s out of budget.
5° post in the “college selection” forum on this website for advice on finding affordable safeties or good matches
6° make sure you have 5 core classes each year, with Math through calculus (even non AP) or AP Stats, foreign language through level 4 or AP, English honors&AP, History Honors&AP for a total of 4 social science classes minimum, bio, chem, physics and APES, and some classes such as journalism, creative writing, music, choir, jazz orchestra, perhaps AP Music theory (<- very difficult) etc. where your skills are highlighted.
