<p>Yale is sort of a dream of mine, and I know it's a long shot. Any suggestions for my application would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Ethnicity: Native American Location: Midwest</p>
<p>ACT: 34 GPA: 5.0/5.0 Rank: 1/250</p>
<p>School type: Inter-city public school, yet very competitive. Course load: Hardest possible. I'm an IB diploma candidate, and I'm taking 4 HL classes as opposed to 3. Moreover, the language I'm studying for SL, Japanese, isn't offered at my school, so I'm studying it independently and taking classes for it at the local university.</p>
<p>Awards: Note that my school doesn't give out awards departmental awards: National Merit Scholar, National Honors Society, National Honors Roll, Missouri Scholar, Missouri Literary Scholar, Academic Letterman, Competitive Edge Scholar</p>
<p>Essays: My common app activity essay will be about how I am naturally drawn to editing. My common app personal essay will be about my work experiences and learning to look beyond the fa</p>
<p>I think that anyone with your stats has a very good chance.
I don't want to say anything about luck but you might or might not get in and someone with lower scores will also get in (or not). But remember that you are a Great applicant and deserve to get in. If you don't it's their loss.
Well, you'll get in over me, that's for sure :)</p>
<p>I think if you have any weakness, it would be with your extracurriculars. There's nothing incredibly substantial there. This is being pretty picky though - I'd say you have a good chance.</p>
<p>If you are going to be bitter about constructive criticism, why post? Anyways, I don't understand the point of this thread. Ego-boost? If you are considering applying to Yale you clearly believe you have a chance - otherwise, why post? Admissions is a crapshoot, that's all you need to know.</p>
<p>I wasn't necessarily being bitter. The poster didn't really have a reason for his or her 'suggestion'. I suppose I was just attempting to elicit a rationale. Nevertheless, I apologize for appearing uncooperative.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input Procrastination, but if you have any suggestions for my application, I would appreciate the opportunity to hear them.</p>
<p>Finally, I never said I'm applying to Yale invariably. I merely stated that it's a dream of mine. I guess I'm just hoping to hear that it's a possibilty.</p>
<p>You're also an underrepresented minority. I would say, barring dramatically falling grades (ie Ds or Fs) or disciplinary action, you're in. Just get 1800+ on the SATs.</p>
<p>^Not because you're an underrepresented minority, but because you're specifically Native American, which (I think) Yale (and other schools) really want...imho</p>
<p>There's no doubt you have the stats and an edge due to your URM status... However, no one here can "chance" you accurately. It's about having the entire package, and no one can really judge that except for the admissions office. If you are truly Yale-material (or any other top school, for that matter) you will end up at an excellent place. I know many people will disagree, but I honestly feel that schools like Yale are looking for something that you either have, or you don't, something that no amount of work can change (intangible qualities that define you, for a lack of a better description). Once in awhile, though, people do slip through the cracks.</p>
<p>I think Procrastination just about sums up my views on the subject.</p>
<p>You are certainly an extremely solid applicant, but I have a theory that will increase your chances. I would encourage that you figure out who the heck you are. Displaying the knowledge that you've learned about yourself in an application is an even bigger hook than being a "URM-URM" (Native Americans are quite possibly the smallest group in the URM category).</p>
<p>I noticed when I looked through the Yale decisions thread that the acceptances/rejections didn't really make sense, that the numbers and EC's didn't match up with the decision. But when you think about it, there's one huge flaw with the decisions threads: you can't hear the applicant's voice, see their smile, identify their style (both in writing and aesthetics). Interviews and essays back up ECs and grades, and most often add the hot fudge to the bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream (I kind of really like ice cream :-P) that is a Yale applicant. I think that if you can display that your whole life wasn't about getting into college, but about getting into your head and figuring out who you are, then you can almost ensure an acceptance (or at least guess with more authority, as admissions really is a crapshoot). Good luck! Feel free to take my advice or scoff and snootily roll your eyes at it. :-)</p>
<p>"Hm... national awards in two of my extracurriculars. Plus I work about 20 hours a week. I guess that's insubstantial."</p>
<p>I would guess, contingent upon good SATs/the factors we can't evaluate (essays, recs, etc.), you have a good (much better than average, but weird things happen) chance of being admitted. But if you're as much of a tool as you sound in that response, i kind of hope you don't come to yale. Yale is a campus full of fun, nice people. Without knowing you, i'll assume that your response wasn't representative of your character, and that you'd fit in on campus.</p>