Chance for Yale? Or any Ivy?

<p>Hey guys. It's another student asking if his chances for Yale (or any Ivy for that matter) are still good or not.
Um so basically I just finished my sophomore year in High School. I was Rank 1 of my class until the end of my second semester (when I became too overwhelmed by family problems, extra curriculars, and my classes where I had the worst luck in my schedule with the most overwhelming classes a sophomore could ever have in my school) and now I am Rank 2 (I got my first B in AP Bio and I ended the class with an 89.8% and he wouldn't curve it even though I was so close T^T</p>

<p>My family problems have been solved mostly and I have good extra curriculars: I started a club during my sophomore year, starting a Model UN with a good friend of mine during my junior year (will be co-president), VP of my school district's Christian Club Network, Director of Publicities for another club network, became President of my school's Christian Club (where we are the only LEGIT club that actually does something that is not menial community service work and works tirelessly for the student community), and I have enrolled in a Student Ambassador Program at my city's City Hall (where I'm the only upcoming Junior partaking in the program and will be allowed to stay in the program until I graduate and this is the first year my City Hall has launched this program and I am one of 9 student ambassadors picked out of 200 students). Not only that but I'm planning on taking Journalism for the remaining two years of High School. </p>

<p>I'm planning on going to college/university as a Political Science Major and I want to ask what else is there I would need to be able to be accepted into Yale, Harvard, UPENN, Brown, etc? I know a real good SAT score is mandatory (although I haven't had the time to study or take SAT prep classes) but is there anything else that I would need? Would that 1 B I got in AP Biology affect my admission rate greatly as in they will immediately reject me for getting one B? Also would it be fine for an IVY League school if I took AP Calc AB, AP Eng Lan, AP Spanish Lan, AP USH, Honors Physiology, and Journalism as my Junior year schedule? And would it be marginally better if I took AP Physics B instead of Honors Physio? Is there anything else I can do to make myself stand out as a Political Science Major to these schools?</p>

<p>I really want to get into Politics and end up influencing the world positively. The world is corrupt and I want to do something about it. I personally think going into an Ivy League is the only way I can achieve my dream of ever getting to become a Senator. Please respond quickly. I am really worried about my future and if I could get into an Ivy League school.</p>

<p>Edit: Also I am a new user and is it appropriate for me to post a thread like this on the yale forum? I remember seeing one on the Harvard forum so I thought it was ok.....</p>

<p>I really sympathize with you about that B on AP Bio, it really wasn’t fair. But I think you are worrying too much. One B will not hurt you if everything else is an A. Even a few B’s won’t be horrible as long as your other parts of your app are very strong. Maybe you can even mention how the family problems affected you in your personal statement (just don’t make excuses for your grades).</p>

<p>One would have to wait for your SAT scores to have a better estimate. Jr year schedule sounds good to me. Sorry I don’t know much about political science majors - maybe a summer pre-college program that has to do with politics will help you seem more passioante about this subject. Or something like getting into Boys/Girls State.</p>

<p>One last thing. It sounds like you’re sticking yourself a bit too much on getting into an Ivy League just for the title and prestige. “I personally think going into an Ivy League is the only way I can achieve my dream of ever getting to become a Senator.” Hmm. I frown at this statement…there are plenty of other colleges that are just as/almost as competitively ranked. But then again I don’t know if their political science programs are stronger or not. </p>

<p>You worry a lot (hey, I do too lol.) Relax and keep doing what you love. Work hard, beast the SAT (excuse my slang), and congratulate yourself at the end for your determination. Good luck.</p>

<p>Congrats on your achievements to date but it’s frankly bizarre to say “I want to be a senator”. If you want to effect change you start locally and you start small. You get on community panels and do a lot of grunt work. You sit on committees and help make policy for areas you have a vested interest. Or you lead service projects.</p>