Chance a Scandinavian for Yale and Harvard!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm a Dane (dual-citizenship: German) currently living in Germany.
In case it helps, Yale currently has 2 Danish students in total out of its four undergraduate classes.</p>

<p>Applying SCEA to Yale.</p>

<p>GPA: IB diploma candidate, grades go up to 7.
9th: 4.53 (didn't take classes seriously.)
10th: 4.53 (didn't take classes seriously.)
11th: 6.77 (took classes seriously.)</p>

<p>Class rank: Top 5%, internationally recognized intl. HS in Bavaria, Germany (class size 98)</p>

<p>SAT I: 1420/1600 (760 CR, 660 Math) completely cold (no prep) - planning to retake.</p>

<p>Projected 12th grade 1st semester: 7, rank 1</p>

<p>Legacy
Both parents did their Ph.D. at Yale;</p>

<p>Father was elected to be Visiting Scientist at Harvard Medical School in 2000. Mother is twice fellow of Harvard Law School.</p>

<p>Sports</p>

<p>-Two years of being varsity volleyball captain, one year of being junior varsity captain, and two Most Valuable Player Awards as well as one Coach's Award.</p>

<p>-Two years of co-coaching Middle School volleyball teams.</p>

<p>-Competing in the Bavarian Beach Volleyball championships next year. Expecting to place in top 20.</p>

<p>-Competitive martial artist (Arnis): undefeated locally (at my age group), once scored a point against Europe's second highest ranked fighter (not my age group).</p>

<p>-Avid rock climber.</p>

<p>-Competitive bodybuilder. Currently in the draw for the bodybuilding.com Teen of the Week. Spent some hours as a diet and nutrition research assistant for the school's athletic department.</p>

<p>-Low handicap golf player.</p>

<p>Work experience and internships</p>

<p>-Internship with the Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the U.S. Congress in the summer between Junior and Senior year. This position is normally reserved to students who have completed at least one year of college; even then it is very competitive. I am the only exception.</p>

<p>-Two years of working as a fully-salaried translator at a local, highly regarded research institution (translating press releases) - the institution fired a Princeton student to hire me.</p>

<p>-Worked 50+ hours with an autistic child for community service.</p>

<p>-'Business @ School' extracurricular Business classes and presentations.</p>

<p>-2 hours of private business discussion sessions with GE Central European Manager Georg Knoth & head of GE R&D for Europe - no affiliation; business-merit based.</p>

<p>Background</p>

<p>-Skipped a grade (6th)</p>

<p>-International applicant: part German, part Danish. Currently studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) in Munich, but spent time in the Danish, German and American school systems.</p>

<p>-Fluent in three languages with passive knowledge of another three</p>

<p>-One of the highest Economics and Business & Management test score averages in the history of my high school.</p>

<p>-Glowing teacher recommendations as well as a recommendation from the Head of the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Congress. I have received one of the recommendations already and went over it with my adviser; she said it was very, very good.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>Here's your problem:</p>

<p>You didn't take 10th grade seriously, your SAT score is very low for Harvard and Yale, and you are projecting 12th grade results haven't happened and which Harvard and Yale won't even see when they are considering you application.</p>

<p>Also, all your honors are in business. Harvard has no undergraduate business school--and all Yale has is a business certificate program at the undergraduate level.</p>

<p>Your connections are what might get you in--about all that might get you in (well, that and the ECs), I'm sorry to say. However, that is your trump card, so use it--see if your parents can get you an interview with one of the admissions committee members--and then stress your turnaround in the 11th grade.</p>

<p>P.S. You didn't list your SAT II scores. You are aware that you are required to take three of these, aren't you? You'll have to take these in October and the retake of the SAT in November/December to meet the deadlines for applications.</p>

<p>Sorry to say, your odds aren't too great--but maybe the connections and ECs can carry you through. Best of luck to you. (Oh, and consider some other schools where your stats might get you in--like a lower Ivy--Penn, Brown, or Cornell--or maybe Georgetown, NYU, USC, or Michigan.)</p>

3

<p>Calcruzer,</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for your message - that was probably one of the most constructive/honest ones I've heard here.</p>

<p>I do realize my early-year grades very really quite bad.. but I was hoping more consideration would be given to the newer ones. Also, I was under the impression 1420 wasn't all that bad - sure, under average, but not horrible - for H & Y, especially considering it was taken cold and I'll study for the retake. What do you believe is a competitive SAT for me? </p>

<p>Yes I'm aware of the SAT II's, but since I was only told about the SAT requirement the day before test day, I have had only the chance to take one; not both.</p>

<p>Additionally, I hoped my interest in business/economics as well as atypical ECs - such as natural bodybuilding & rock-climbing - would set me apart. </p>

<p>There is also a chance that I may be recruited to play volleyball at Harvard - how would that alter my profile?</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

<p>P.S. As for the projected 12. year grades, that's including my predicted IB grades which the college will see. ATM, they are standing at around 42-44 out of 45, subject to change.</p>

<p>Also, I am applying to Stanford, Princeton & MIT - but I don't have legacy status there. My safeties are Danish universities and a gap year in the Danish military (compulsory at a later point in my life anyway).</p>

4

<p>Bring Up My Post</p>

5

<p>Tough call. We have seen other faculty kids get left out. Search for Freckly Becky a couple of years ago. I don't think grad schools will count toward legacy status. Faculty is certainly not legacy.</p>

6

<p>Bandit, thanks for your post.
I phoned the admissions office and in their opinion, grad school parents count as legacies. Especially if both went there.</p>

<p>I'm not so sure that affiliations won't count either - but maybe I'm mistaken. Thanks for the update.</p>