Chance Me for Yale SCEA?

Objective:

[ul]
[]SAT: highest single test - 1540 (770 R/W, 770 M), super score - 1560 (770 R/W, 790 M), essay - 18 (6 reading, 4 analysis, 8 writing)
[
]ACT: 34 (35 E, 34 M, 35 R, 33 S, no essay) - I probably will only submit my SAT?
[]SAT II: Math II ~ 800 (expected), Chemistry ~ 770+ (expected)
[
]Weighted GPA: school does not weight, but if it did ~4.50/5.00
[]Unweighted GPA: 3.99/4.00 (1 B in APCS)
[
]Rank: school does not rank, but likely top 20% - competitive school
[li]AP Classes: AP Human Geography (5), AP World History (5) - 11 and 12 grade school does not offer AP classes, instead, all of my classes are taken at a state university[/li][/ul]

Major Awards and Accomplishments:

[ul]
[]TASP (Telluride Association Summer Program)
[
]5-time published coauthor in computational chemistry with an environmental focus
[]1st in Texas Health Occupation Students of America Medical Photography Competition, International Qualifier
[
]QuestBridge College Prep Scholar and likely National College Match Finalist ( however, I probably am not going to participate in the match program)
[]Edward Fein Fellow - Academic Award for Low-Income Jewish Students
[
]Air Force Aid Society Merit Scholarship
[li]Tournament of Champions Qualifier for World Schools Debate[/li][/ul]

Extracurriculars and Work:

  • []Poverty Alleviation - I am the Director of Operations for a very successful poverty alleviation non-profit. We have gathered over $30,000 worth of donations in the years that I have been involved, and we have implemented successful community improvement projects with those donations.
    [
    ]Medical Humanities - I started the competitive HOSA chapter at my second high school, and I won multiple awards for medical photography at the regional and state level. My photography and writing are featured in hospital press publications. I also contribute to and help design and publish my school’s medical humanities magazine.
    []Local Non-Profit Hospital - Before moving, I worked as a volunteer lab assistant and translator (Spanish to English). I also coordinated a volunteering program between the hospital and my school to put on events such as Patient Prom and Stocking Stuffing.
    [
    ]Intersectional Feminism - I am an executive of my school’s chapter of the United Nation’s Girl Up, an intersectional feminist organization. We organize gender and sexuality activism and education events for the students at my school.
    []Student Government Association - I was the class president in 10th grade and organized a successful fundraiser for the International Elephant Foundation. In 11th grade, I was on the judicial board, which worked with school administration to democratize and check the punishment of students. In 12th grade, I served as the sole representative on the Student Government Association of the university at which we take classes
    [
    ]Speech and Debate - Before moving, I was the World Schools Debate coach. I also competed in WSD and won regional awards.
    []English Second Language - I tutored (voluntarily, not for money) elementary-aged Spanish-speaking English language learners in computer science and math.
    [
    ]Work Experience - I taught a gymnastics class to Spanish-speaking kids for a year.

Demographic Information:

[ul]
[]State: Texas - rural, poor, underrepresented area.
[
]School Type: Public and Residential, nationally respected
[]Ethnicity: I am racially white. Ethnically, I am of a Jewish division from Spain (Sephardim). However, my parents never claimed Hispanic on my school records, so I likely won’t apply as such.
[
]Gender: Male
[li]Financial Aid: Yes, I am applying. The amount of financial aid I receive is important to my decision.[/li][/ul]

Other Information:

[ul]
[]Hooks: I am low income but I put myself through school financially through external scholarships.
[
]Essays: I am a pretty strong essay writer
[li]Letters of Recommendation: My two teacher recommendations, my English teacher and my chemistry teacher/research professor) know and respect me very well. My counselor doesn’t really know anyone in my school personally, but hopefully, her letter won’t be too impersonal[/li][/ul]

Dream Schools and Majors:

[ul]
[]ED/SCEA: Yale, intending to major in “Ethics, Politics, and Economics”
[
]RD Reaches: Brown, Rice, Vanderbilt, Duke, UChicago, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton - all Public Health major or similar equivalent
[]High Matches: UT Austin Plan II Honors Program
[
]Match: UT Austin Public Health- I do not go to an auto-admit ranking school
[li]Safety - UT Dallas[/li][/ul]

A Questbridge match at Yale with some others listed above as back ups might give you a better chance than SCEA/RD. The down side is if you match, it would be binding. QB match would give you a full ride.

Based on stat’s, EC’s and awards, you have as good of a chance as any unhooked applicant (although low SES can be considered a hook; are you first gen – a definite hook?). As low income, if you get in, you will get a “free ride” (all grant FA) from Y, H and P. Your list looks reasonable. You are allowed to apply to multiple honors programs at UT. Plan 2 probably fits you the best, but look at some of the programs in Natural Sciences and Liberal Arts. UT is rolling admissions, so get in your app early. There are also a lot of scholarships (some pure merit, others factoring in SES) that require applications. Always best to submit those as early as possible. Best of luck.

@Houston1021 The only reason I am apprehensive about applying to Yale (or any school) through QuestBridge NCM is because my EFC is not 0, and I am not a first generation student. My EFC is low, but on the higher side for the average QuestBridge applicant, and I have heard that schools are very picky about accepting non-0-EFC students for NCM, especially Yale. What do you think? Have you heard anything about this?

That might be a question to ask on the Questbridge forum on CC