Can I use Yale as a safety?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm totally kidding, but chance me and I'll chance back!!</p>

<p>Background
My parents and I immigrated to the US when I was about 1 1/2 years old. By the time I was 3, I overstayed my visa, so I'm undocumented. I found out when I was trying to get docs for a learner's permit. </p>

<p>I've lived here all my life and I definitely plan on going to college this year. Is this going to kill me in the admissions process, especially because I'm really poor and need A LOT of financial aid.</p>

<p>Here are my stats:
SAT: 740 CR 710 M 800 W (2250)
SATII: USH 760 World 720 Math1 690 (EW) (I took lit and math1, scores back in a week)
AP: World Hist - 5, Psych - 5, US History - 5, Eng Lit - 4
Pending/Current (all Aps): Calc, Spanish, Environmental Science, American Gov, English
GPA: 4.19 W 3.97 UW
Rank: Top 2% 14/600</p>

<p>ECs: average/low-ish :/
many school awards
and a couple of national awards (for academics, like being recognized for the National Achievement Scholarship-PSAT).
I'm in a few of the National Honor Socities,
Model UN, school newspaper, volunteered with health department and coordinated outreach and stuff, etc.
I'm the president of one club </p>

<p>Essays: Probably good, I write well
Recs: 1 average, 1 outstanding
"Hooks": URM, 1st Generation to go to college, Female? :P</p>

<p>These are schools I'm looking at:
U of Chicago
Cornell
Dartmouth
Amherst
Wesleyan
Oberlin
Bryn Mawr
William and Mary
Virginia Tech
Drexel
Hofstra</p>

<p>Thanks in advance guys, and don't forget to leave a link if you want me to chance you :)</p>

2

<p>I’d say your chances are beyond considerable. You have applied yourself well.</p>

3

<p>LOL i was going to give such an angry response :p</p>

<p>Honestly, all the colleges you listed would definitely consider you if anything. And I don’t know much about laws and things- can you even get financial aid if you’re undocumented?</p>

4

<p>I almost died of anger there, haha. Nice grabber; I’m definitely trying something like that hahahaha. I think you have a great chance at all of these fine institutions-especially because you’re URM AND First Gen. I’d say you’ve got a good safety net of schools! :)</p>

5

<p>@milkyway don’t worry I’m not that smart :slight_smile:
and I can’t get aid from the government (like from FAFSA) but I can still get institutional aid from an individual college. If I get in (fingers crossed!), I get 100% of my need met at every school except the last 4, and I have a priority app for 2 of them.</p>

6

<p>No. Yale is a high reach ;)</p>

7

<p>You’re right, I should use MIT or Harvard instead… :slight_smile:
lol I’m not even applying to any of those. But I have a friend who’s applying to all of the Ivies + Stanford D:</p>

8

<p>Hofstra’s jaw will probably drop when they see your application. Yale’s jaw will stay up, and you’ll just be another incredible number…</p>

9

<p>I heard today that Berkley is going to be setting aside a significant amount of scholarship money for undocumented students. I don’t know if all of that will go to California residents, though. You don’t say what state you live in. But you might want to check it out.</p>

10

<p>That’s a nice reaction to have :slight_smile: is it possible to get wait-listed at a school if they think it’s an obvious safety? The Drexel app asks where else you’re applying and I don’t want to answer lol</p>

11

<p>U of Chicago - Good match
Cornell - Reach (but a pretty low reach, so you have a good chance)
Dartmouth - Reach
Amherst - Bit of a Reach
Wesleyan - Good match
Oberlin - High match
Bryn Mawr - Very high match
William and Mary - High match
Virginia Tech- Very very high match (would use as safety)
Drexel - Safety material (very high match)
Hofstra - Safety material (very high match)</p>

12

<p>U of Chicago - match
Cornell - low reach
Dartmouth - reach
Amherst - low match
Wesleyan - match
Oberlin - low match
Bryn Mawr - match
William and Mary - low match
Virginia Tech - safety
Drexel - safety
Hofstra - safety</p>

<p>chance me back! <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1428396-chances-uva-tech-nyu-columbia-stanford.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1428396-chances-uva-tech-nyu-columbia-stanford.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

13

<p>@intparent
I heard about that, I wish I lived in Cali :frowning: My parents wouldn’t let me go anywhere that far. I live in Virginia.</p>

14

<p>bummmppppp</p>

15

<p>bump10char</p>

16

<p>From the information given, it looks like you are a very hard worker, so that will reflect well on your app. It’s never certain, but I think you are definitely in the running for your top schools.</p>

17

<p>Thanks! any other chancers?? :)</p>

18

<p>bumppppppp</p>

19

<p>Even the U Chicagos and Cornells of this world are reachable.</p>

<p>U of Chicago: High match (write stellar essays and you’re golden)
Cornell: High match
Dartmouth: Reach
Amherst: Reach
Wesleyan: High match
Oberlin: Match
Bryn Mawr: Safety
William and Mary: Match
Virginia Tech: Safety
Drexel: Safety
Hofstra: Safety</p>

20

<p>Thanks! I’m sort of running short on time and I don’t really feel like doing the W&M Supplement essay. They’ve said that doing or not doing it won’t advantage or disadvantage you, but I’m wondering if all of my other stats are strong enough not to write it… Any advice is appreciated!</p>