Chance me for EA Yale or ED Dartmouth, I need to decide it ASAP!!!

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Hey, guys
I'm trying to decide which one I should apply for: EA Yale, ED Dartmouth, or just wait until RD to apply to several colleges</p>

<h1>Any advice would be appreciated!!!</h1>

<p>high school: a very large Catholic private school in New York (around 650 seniors)
citizenship: international (no green card or citizenship)
race: asian
intended major: chemical engineering/engineering
Financial aid: NOT needed
SAT1: 2150 (M 790 W 730 R 630)<--1st seating
took it again in Oct --> possibly 2200-2300 or if lucky over 2300
SAT2: Math2: 800 Chem: 790 Physics:790
AP:AP European History -4
AP Calculus AB-5
AP Physics B-5
AP Calculus BC-5
AP US history-4
GPA: taking most rigorous courses every year
Top 1%; ranked 3rd in class both in junior and sophomore year
EC:
In School Activities (including volunteering clubs):
school newspaper(9-11): layout editor (12)
Math Club (9-12: president): initiator for AMC competition in school
Leadership Team (Representative for International Students) (12)
Mission Awareness Club(volunteering club) (9,10,12) (Executive Board member: 12)
volunteering club to help the elderly (Teacher’s special assistant: 12) (9-12)
Model United Nations (11,12: president, founder)
-attending CMUNCE(Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition)
JV Track and field (spring) (10)
Varsity Track and Field (winter) (11,12)
Science Club (9-12)
Creative Writing Club (9-10)
Concert Band (9,10) (librarian-10)—considered as a class
Symphonic Band (11,12)—considered as a class
Jazz Band (10)—considered as a class
National Honors Society(11,12)-member</p>

<p>Outside School Activities:
Columbia Science Honors Program (11,12)</p>

<p>Outside School Volunteering activities:
AHRC (volunteering organization outside of school) (10-12)
-helping those who have intellectual/developmental disabilities
Leukemia and Lymphonia Society (Junior Board Member) (10-12): help fundraising for kids who have Leukemia</p>

<p>Summer Activities:
Independent Science Research at St. Johns University
on organic chemistry (as a rising senior)-->going to enter Intel STS
Harvard Summer Program (as a rising junior)
Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Summer Writing Immersion (program where you write poetry)-as a rising senior</p>

<p>Awards Received:
Scholarship Award at school for students who ranked within top 5(10&11-3rd rank)
ACL/NJCL Nation Latin Exam(9)-Outstanding Achievement in Introduction to Latin Exam
AP Scholar with Distinction Award (11)
Honor Certificate (Honor Roll)-(9,10,11,12)
AHRC Volunteer Recognition Award (11)</p>

<h1><strong>I'm also attaching supplement material (organic chemistry research abstract)</strong></h1>

<p>one thing that worries me if I wait until RD is that I'm not doing so well in two of my classes: AP spanish and AP biology.
For both classes I might actually have an average in the 80s for the 1st quarter, and since our school sends reports cards for 1st and 2nd quarter separately to the colleges for RD, I'm scared that they would outright reject me because of those two grades. It's a significant drop from last year, because I had 99 in Spanish Honors and 96 in AP physics last year as a junior. It's not that I didn't study, but rather I did not know what to expect on the first test... and I bombed one test for those two classes and that brought down my average.
In one way, I want to apply early decision to dartmouth, because I know that I have better change getting in there than in yale and I want to apply early so that I don't have to send out senior grade for them to see before they make a decision...
But if I think about it in another way, it doesn't seem right to just apply early decision to Dartmouth just because of those two grades... since my number one school is yale (Dartmouth is more like number 2 or 3).</p>

<p>Please give me some advice ASAP.....
would the senior grades really gonna bring me down in RD for schools like Yale?
Should I try to apply Yale EA? Dartmouth ED?
would the senior grades have a significant impact on all colleges for RD?
I really really want to get in to Yale or Dartmouth and I don't want to lower that chance just because of those two senior grades....
I'm really hesitating here, and I don't have much time
Any advice, suggestions would be great!</p>

<p>P.S.
I'm almost finished with my Yale supplement and I'm finished with my common app essay, so that would not be an issue. (Dartmouth doesn't have a supplement essay, Yay!! :) )</p>

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<p>If essays are your strong side, I suggest you to apply to Yale as you can express yourself in them.</p>

<p>Considering other factors, it looks as if you’ll have a good edge at Dartmouth ED ;)</p>

3

<p>I agree with Omega. ED Dartmouth if u want best chances based on the objective data you gave us</p>

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<p>how much chance do you think I have for Yale EA? (If I get SAT over 2300?)</p>

5

<p>bump…</p>

6

<p>ehh SCEA Yale is more competitive than you think. You’d be competing with some crazy international students and talented athletes. not to mention other high level peopel with much more than a 2300+</p>

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<p>I’d wait and apply RD since as an Asian international an admit ED would be unlikely at either and Dartmouth isn’t you’re first choice anyway. This will give you more time to prepare the outstanding applications you’ll nee for both considering the incredibly competitive pool you’re applying in. It would also give you more shots at the SAT.</p>

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<p>Which school do you like the best?</p>

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<p>but won’t my senior grades hurt my chances of getting into any top schools in RD?
and I do like Yale better… but I know that it’s really hard to get in. My second choice is Dartmouth</p>

10

<p>Honestly, you woulkd have to pull off an amazing application for an ED admit to Dartmouth. There are just too many issues–the paid for summer programs, the CR score which would need a 100 point plus jump, very ordinary clubs and the biggie–Asian international.</p>

11

<p>hmom5 has a good point</p>

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<p>Hmom: I’m curious what you mean by the reference to “paid for summer programs.”</p>

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<p>Harvard SSP is a big one to avoid unless you went on scholarship and I don’t recognize the others as being free and selected on merit.</p>

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<p>Interesting. So is the idea that any summer program you attend that costs money actually hurts you in admissions? Is that true even if the program is a rigorous academic experience? I don’t know anything about the Harvard program, but it sounds substantive. What kinds of things are considered acceptable summer experiences? I’ve recently heard of TASP, but there are only so many of those slots to go around. I also know a number of kids whose parents line up research programs for them; it sounds like that sort of thing may be OK (although certainly no more egalitarian in reality) since it’s a one-off and the kids don’t pay for it. Others?</p>

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<p>yeah I know that my SAT needs work but that SAT score is from March and I didn’t even get to study for it. I’m getting my October score back soon… and I’m hoping for at least 700 in reading.
And I didn’t know Harvard SSP would hurt me. I actually had a great time there. and learned alot too.
So I guess i should not mention it in my application???</p>

16

<p>bump…</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>No, it doesn’t hurt you and would probably help in terms of showing academic energy at many colleges. But top colleges are looking for those who won the prizes–got into TASP, MITES, RSI and other free, competitive programs. Not for those attending programs because the rents could write the check.</p>

<p>A summer in the garage inventing, painting houses, working at McDonalds–almost anything will interest an ivy adcom more than a paid for summer at an elite school.</p>

<p>Hey, I didn’t understand this a few years ago either until I went searching for reasons why my 2 oldest, with darn good stats, didn’t get into their top choices. This was not the case 3 decades ago when I worked in admissions, but affluence is out! Find someone to help you position yourself, this is a game like any other!</p>

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<p>The main thing that worries me is my senior year grades. my grades for two courses dropped like 8 points. Is this gonna be really really bad??? Is it gonna screw me over??? One of my bio test is in the 70s but I can bring that ap bio grade up to low90s or high 80s but still I’m scared that if I wait until RD, all the top schools would reject me because of this</p>

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<p>Please… any suggestions about the senior year grade?</p>

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<p>The ED schools will see your mid term grades anyway. I know in the case of Dartmouth they specifically called the high school for them in the case of my DS whose school started later than most, and you are expected to send them.</p>

<p>So it actually sounds like you’d be in better shape given the chance to raise them.</p>