i previously posted this on the yale forum but realized that i might be able to get some more advice/input here (i also have more recent stats + the like) thanks everyone!!
background info:
white female from a competitive state
i go to a rly prestigious school that sends like 20+% of its graduating class to ivies every yr.
middle class, moved to the us 7 yrs ago. my dad went to a crappy college in his home country and my mom never went to college
thinking of double majoring in chem and a humanities subject, like english or politics or philosophy
stats:
sat: 1540 is my highest score in one sitting, but I have a superscore of 1570
sat subject tests: 790 math 2, 750 on chem (but i retook in aug and prob got 770 ish)
ap scores: ap chem (5) & ap spanish (5) → the most i could take at my school in junior yr
gpa: 4.0 UW
ec’s:
science research club (4 yrs)
volunteer at 2 nonprofits - both related to environmental research & tutoring low income kids (2 yrs each)
contributor to online science magazine (3 yrs)
xc + indoor / outdoor track (4 yrs) → captain
school newspaper (4 yrs) → im managing editor this yr
co-president of politics club (2 yrs) → (this is actual advocacy work, not just discussing issues/politicians/etc.)
two chem research internships → the one i did this yr is thru a rly well-known program
writing tutor (2 yrs)
mentor for younger students at my school (2 yrs)
recs: gonna be great!!
essays: my english teacher told me my common app essay was great and i think supps will be good too
supplementary material: will attach the research paper i wrote this summer
additional info:
i have been published in a few out of school magazines
It’s on the Yale forum because you’re only asking to be chanced for Yale. And your counselor at your “rly prestigious school” will be able to help you more than a bunch of strangers on the internet.
If, despite the above, you decide to send something, send an abstract. Nobody will read a research paper. If they want to see the full paper after being impressed by the abstract, they will ask.
Here’s something to keep in mind - the average AO will spend about 10 minutes per application. Submitting additional material does not mean they will spend more time on your application - they won’t. They’ll simply skim over parts, and they will certainly not be taking your paper home for scintillating bedtime reading… At some point, the old adage will apply - the ticker the file, the thicker the kid.
And, yes, the GC at your ‘rly prestigious school’ will be in a MUCH better place to ‘chance’ you than anybody here: once you clear some basic hurdles, you will be compared 1st to your classmates, about whom we know nothing & your GC knows lots. If you have a 4.0/1570 & leadership at one of the genuinely ‘prestigious’ (ie, what used to be feeder schools) you already know that you are in good shape & imo are more in the market for reassurance than actual info.
lol soo several things to tackle here. ik im in a p good place but im not sure why u think that precludes me from looking for legitimate advice? im worried abt factors like awards (which i don’t have at the moment besides my publications), the fact that i started some of my activities in 11th grade and not earlier, maybe needing a higher chem SAT score, etc. furthermore, the GC at my school encourages everyone w/ good stats to apply to ivies and won’t necessarily give me a honest chanceme so i came here. lastly, idk why u seem to doubt whether my school is “genuinely prestigious” (as i said, it sends 20-30% of graduates to an ivy). saying that it’s “rly prestigious” wasn’t and isn’t intended as boastful, im merely offering some context. thank you for ur input!
I think you are a statistically (GPA, SAT) above-average, but unhooked, applicant. So in the SCEA round, I think your chances are pretty close to that admit rate, or right around 15%. Because your stats are very good, and you hail from a well represented school, they may be a bit higher than that.
On my scale, an admit chance of around 20% is in the Low Reach range (15-25%).
You can move the needle north by writing great essays and effectively and concisely conveying your true passions and how you can make Yale better.
Here are some schools similar to Yale (in some ways, anyway…) that are a bit more likely to admit you:
Rice & Vanderbilt (res colleges available, especially at Rice)
Most LACs (like Yale, very strong in the humanities and social sciences). Vassar, Wesleyan, Hamilton, etc.
Northwestern (balance of preppy and quirky, strength in hum and SS...)
UVA and W&M (old, secret societies, SS strength...)
