Chance Me: Ivies and Other Top Schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>This will be a chance thread and a guess thread for Yale as I find out my SCEA decision tomorrow (!!!!). Also note, please, that I am uncomfortable doing this...I don't want you guys to think I'm bragging--just want to see what you all think of my chances.</p>

<p>White Male
Private School in FL</p>

<p>SAT: First take, 2320 (720 math); second take, 2360 (760 Math)
SAT II: 780 Math II, 780 Latin
Class Rank: not ranked but because of Princeton Book Award is revealed to be 1</p>

<p>GPA: 4.42, 4.0 UW. More difficult course load than school offers (I pushed to be able to take Calc AB as a junior and am taking a qualified Calc BC course online this year).</p>

<p>Recs: Read one which was incredible--"best of career." Other will be of the same caliber and counselor will be great as well
Essays: Sculpted over about two months; sent to past Yale admissions officer with whom I am in contact through a lawyer in the area who said my common app essay was extremely impressive; my guidance counselor said (sincerely) that it was the best college app essay she had ever read</p>

<p>Awards: Princeton Book Award for top in my class, Bausch and Lomb for top scientist in class, NHS, Quill and Scroll International Honor Society, winner of the school essay contest (1st of 400 upperclassmen), summa cum laude national Latin Exam scores with perfect score on Latin III prose test (name published for that), Editor's Choice Award on a poem I had published, nominated for Volunteer of the Year Award at Moffitt Cancer Center (150+ service hours there), etc. </p>

<p>ECs: Newspaper (Editor-in-Chief), Literary Magazine (Head literary editor/editor-in-chief), NHS (president and have united the club with Donate Life Florida, the organ donation service, to spread awareness; also, approximately 50 hours of tutoring done), Piano (12 years, highest awards at regional competitions, ~50 hours of service done with it, sent arts supplement but not sure how high a level of skill they're looking for), Latin Club (top scorer at regional forums as well as success on Latin exams that was previously mentioned; school could not afford sending us to state forum ): ), Key Club (no leadership but did not participate as a senior because of too many other commitments, but 250+ hours of service done), Varsity Golf (Freshman, Sophomore--dropped because I decided to play it more as a hobby).</p>

<p>Intended Major: English followed by Philosophy (Focus/Minor/Certificate program: Classics)</p>

<p>Schools:
Yale (decision tomorrow)
Princeton
Stanford
Dartmouth
Williams
Amherst
U Chicago
WUSTL
UVA (applied to Jefferson Scholars)
Vanderbilt</p>

2

<p>Bump de bump :)</p>

3

<p>I’m betting you’re in on Yale. </p>

<p>They seem to value GPA a lot, and you’re absolutely great in that regard, and, you seem have had a rigorous courseload, which is also awesome. But, I know you’ve probably been told this atleast 20 times, but, these admissions are pretty much random. So, you’ve rolled the dice, let’s hope its a 6!</p>

4

<p>Solid chance…very impressive profile, best of luck!
mind chancing me?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1427612-chance-me-uchicago-northwestern-others-i-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1427612-chance-me-uchicago-northwestern-others-i-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>Sure Sam, and thanks for your input guys! 7 hours to go…</p>

6

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<p>Yea, you have a shot, but I think you’re also seriously underestimating the level of competition that you face. I have difficulty parsing your accomplishments above, but it seems like a lot of them are for being the best in your school. If true, that’s probably not going to be enough. Also, pretty much everyone with a decent shot of acceptance will have at least one “best student of my career” letters. My son had two of them, along with perfect stats (1/400 class rank, 36 ACT, dual 800 SAT IIs) and he didn’t get in.</p>

<p>I am writing this primarily to encourage you in case you get deferred today, so that you don’t start suddenly second-guessing yourself where cockiness turns to despair – those 7% acceptance rates mean quite a lot of very talented students will be left unhappy. Ultimately, you will have success with some of the schools on your list and love the place you decide to call home for 4 years, even if it isn’t Yale.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for the critique Lorem, and I think I am pretty much 20% excited and 80% nervous for the decision today. We’ll see what happens. I might have a shot, but, as you say, my competition consists of all the best around the country. I’m just hoping that if I play the game enough times, I may just get dealt a royal flush…in the meantime, fingers are crossed. And the bragging line is perhaps not what I wanted to say–I didn’t want it to seem like I was taking for granted all the schools I can get into as safeties which some guys are trying to get into as their reach. I’m used to getting the “Oh stop bragging, you’ll get in anywhere” response where I live, whereas we know the real truth of my relative mediocrity.</p>

8

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<p>You have it exactly right, Maybeyalebound: at the elite level where you are competing, the final decision often comes down to how a particular admissions committee felt about your essays and packages of ECs. That part is unfortunately totally subjective and not a reflection on your accomplishments.</p>

<p>My son was rejected by Yale and MIT but received early-writes at both Williams and Amherst. He ended up at Brown which, truth be told, is absolutely the perfect fit for him even if he didn’t realize it when he first applied. You have maturity and an excellent understanding of the “game” that you are forced to play. I just wanted to reassure you in advance (should it be needed) that these things have a way of working themselves out.</p>