<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>So I know in '12 I posted about my chances for some schools I was interested in...I'd like to do a ROUND 2 now that I'm actually IN the college admissions process. So, Chance me for Yale!</p>
<p>Objective:</p>
<p>SAT I (breakdown): 2100 - 670M, 690W, 740CR
ACT: 31
SAT II:750 French, 750 Spanish
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): either 3.9 or 4 (93.75/100)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5 (APUSH)
IB (place score in parenthesis):N/A
Senior Year Course Load:AP Bio, AP HuGeo, AP English, AP French, Precalculus, possibly Spanish V
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Ranked regionally for the National French Exam, first in class for French, ranked nationally on a standardized test in French, ranked in the class for French/Spanish/ English</p>
<p>Subjective:</p>
<p>Extracurriculars: Global Youth Ambassador, World Food Program Student Activist, published author, school secretary and Student Council Rep, GSA co-head, French Club VP, French Tutor, re-started a Duke of Edinburgh Club at my school, Choir Secretary, Key Club Divisional Secretary, Sub-prefect, passed all non-vocational Royal Academy of Dance exams
Job/Work Experience: Summer intern at college consulting service
Volunteer/Community service: Well this bleeds over from my ECs: Key Club volunteer work, Freerice activism for the WFP
Summer Activities: The internship, Key club conferences, GYA online conferences, cosplay :]
Essays: The common app one is completed and really good; haven't started the Yale supplement
Teacher Recommendation: Will be exceptional, one from English teacher and one from French teacher
Counselor Rec: Should be okay
Additional Rec: Possibly from a Yale alum who helped me a lot with information about Yale
Interview: Will have one, excited!</p>
<p>Gender: Female</p>
<p>Yale is a reach for everyone. This answer will not change no matter how many times you ask it, unless you have some HUUUUUGE award (such as in the IPhO, Intel, WSDC, etc).</p>
<p>Oh, sorry, forgot to mention the first Chance me was for Stanford/UPenn. What I’d like to know is what are the strengths/weaknesses you’re seeing here?</p>
<p>In my opinion, your SAT scores are in the range, but on the low end for Stanford, Yale and Penn. If you are great at English, then I would have anticipated that your Writing score would be higher.</p>
<p>The subject test scores are also good, but not outstanding, if your are planning that languages will be your specialty. </p>
<p>EC’s seem better than most students, but I do not see that wow factor that will make someone on the Adcom want to fight for this student. Remember that all of the three schools you mentioned have single digit admission rates. You need to have something about your application that convinces the ADCOM that, “This person will make our school better”.</p>
<p>I would try to find a specific thing that you can point to as the reason that they should accept you. If you don’t have anything, I would try to strengthen your overall application by improving your SAT score and subject test scores. It really isn’t that you have obvious weaknesses, it is just that nothing stands out strongly to me.</p>
<p>Yes, I realize that – I plan to do a second sitting for both the ACT and the SAT. I still haven’t cracked the code for the SAT essay…I got an 8 my first sitting, and I’ve received 7s-10s on practice essays. I’m not sure what graders are looking for, and that irks me. Any tips on that?</p>
<p>In terms of ECs, if I go into detail with my GYA work I could bring up fundraising for the only girls’ boarding school in Afghanistan, hosting social media events for the Day of the African Child etc…I could also bring up my WFP work and the ‘rice-raising’ I did there. Or my activism for women or LGBT persons, because that might be rare considering my geographical location.</p>
<p>[See, the reason this Chance Me 2 is relevant is because I wasn’t in an American system until last year, and a whole range of opportunities that I didn’t have before popped up (GYA, AP subjects, etc).]</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. I don’t have time to raise my subject test scores, but I’ll work on the SAT I.</p>
<p>Your EC’s and academics are extremely impressive!</p>
<p>@cutiepa2te for the essay, use academichacker’s template, available on college confidential.
Personally, I think you should just work on one- the SAT or ACT. For those top schools, you’ll need about 2300/35 to be well qualified. ECs are pretty good, but towards showing passion in your major. As of now, those schools are reaches.
Please chance back: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1672761-chance-me-for-stanford-university.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1672761-chance-me-for-stanford-university.html</a></p>
<p>SAT scores are low for Yale EA. Do you have legacy or any other hooks?</p>
<p>What is your ethnicity and geographic status? Also what is your intended major? This may help set you apart if positioned correctly</p>
<p>Ethnicity: Black
Geographic: Caribbean
Intended Major: Political Science, French</p>
<p>Hooks…
Well, I’m close to many alums and current students, but that’s about it. Being black definitely doesn’t count as a URM because of where I’m coming from.
A hook WOULD HAVE BEEN ballet because I’ve passed every non-vocational exam at the Royal Academy of Dance…but I’m not currently dancing so I’m not sure how valuable that would be.</p>