Chance me perhaps? I know it's a little early...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>I am well aware that there are plenty of seniors on this forum freaking out about college. I am a High School Junior who is just beginning to get a little anxious about college... At this point in time, I am interested in applying to either Yale or Brown early decision. I know my credentials aren't perfect but I feel like my extra curriculars and my passion and personality might aid just a little bit. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>Caucasian Male
Prospective major: Theatre Arts, Classics, Art History</p>

<p>UW GPA: 3.86
W GPA: 4.1</p>

<p>ALGEBRA I A
FRENCH I A
BIOLOGY A
FRESHMAN SEMINAR A
ENGLISH 9HP A
GEOMETRY HP B
ENGLISH 10HP B
CHEMISTRY HP B
SAMOHI CHORALE (2 YEARS) A both years
FRENCH II A
AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE A
AP US HISTORY A
MADRIGAL ENSEMBLE A
JOURNALISM (3 YEARS) A all three years
PHYSIOLOGY A
FRENCH III A
ALGEBRA II A
THEATRE ARTS (2 YEARS) A both years
Courses I plan to take senior year: AP Literature, AP French, AP Art, AP Statistics, Government, Madrigal Ensemble, Theatre Arts, Journalism</p>

<p>EXTRA CURRICULARS:</p>

<p>GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE (2 YEARS)
PROJECT SAFEZONE (4 YEARS AS A BOARD FACILITATOR)
FRENCH CLUB (1 YEAR)
SAMOHI SOLAR ALLIANCE (1 YEAR)
ACTS IN APPROX. 5 DIFFERENT PLAYS EACH YEAR WITHIN SCHOOL (4 YEARS)
ADVANCED MIXED MADRIGAL ENSEMBLE (2 YEARS)
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED CHORALE (2 YEARS)
ADVANCED MEN'S CHOIR (2 YEARS)
JUNIOR CLASS REPRESENTATIVE, THEATRE COUNCIL (1 YEAR)
STAFF WRITER AND PHOTOGRAPHER FOR SCHOOL NEWSPAPER (3 YEARS)
WINNER OF 2009 DRAMA TEACHER'S ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (DTASC) SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL FIRST PLACE
WINNER OF 2010 SAMOHI THEATRE AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
WINNER OF 2010 SAMOHI THEATRE AWARD FOR BEST MALE VOCAL PERFORMANCE
WINNER OF 2010 BEL CANTO AWARD
VOCAL PROGRAM VICE PRESIDENT (1 YEAR)
VOCAL PROGRAM PRESIDENT (1 YEAR)
STAFF WRITER FOR SCHOOL NEWSPAPER (2 YEARS)
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER FOR SCHOOL NEWSPAPER (3 YEARS)
ITALIAN LANGUAGE LESSONS AT THE ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE IN LOS ANGELES
TAKEN ANTHROPOLOGY AT SANTA MONICA COLLEGE (RECEIVED AN A)</p>

<p>SAT/ACT:
Have yet to take the actual test but scored high on the PSAT and am in the process of studying with a private tutor to prepare for SAT.</p>

<p>AP EXAMS:
ENGLISH LANGUAGE- NOT TAKEN YET
US HISTORY- NOT TAKEN YET
FRENCH- NOT TAKEN YET
ART- NOT TAKEN YET
ENGLISH LITERATURE- NOT TAKEN YET
STATISTICS- NOT TAKEN YET</p>

<p>Again, I know that my numbers aren't perfect, but I am an unbelievably hard worker and am a very bright, dedicated student and will definitely strive to prove that to the Admissions Board in my essay and interview (which will probably be about my passion for music, history, and performance, and what it's like to grow up as a gay teenager in a big city, though it may seem a little cliche). Please tell me what you think... Do I have any chance whatsoever at Yale or Brown? If not, what schools could equally suit me?</p>

2

<p>A chance thread at this point would really only provide limited insight. Without knowing any standardized test scores, it’s a pretty unproductive process.</p>

<p>But it’s great that you seem passionate about your ECs. If you can convey that in your application and your essays, then you’ve certainly got a chance.</p>

3

<p>thank you! yeah, i figured it was a little too early to tell. i am obviously going to score as high as i can on the SAT, ACT, and whatnot. After taking the PSAT, i’m pretty confident and will most likely score pretty high. You don’t think that my grades are too weak for schools like Brown and Yale?</p>

4

<p>Class ranks?</p>

5

<p>my school doesn’t rank… :/</p>

6

<p>p.s. </p>

<p>school type: public
location: california</p>

7

<p>The only way we can put your grades in context if we have a comparison with other students in your school. Even if there is no rank, where would you “roughly” fall? Top 10% top 5? Top 1?</p>

8

<p>probably somewhere around top 10-15%; keep in mind there are 1,000 students in my class…</p>

9

<p>i go to a very large (approx. 4000), but very well regarded california public school- one of the best in the state…</p>

10

<p>No test scores, so can’t really chance you. Those Bs sophomore year will hurt, but aren’t end all, be all. It’s nice to see passion in your ECs, but a lot of them are 1-2 year activities, and it kind of looks like you’re padding your app, whether that was the goal of the ECs or not. Those awards sound pretty impressive though. One problem is that Yale will be getting thousands of apps from “theatre guys,” and I don’t know if you really stand out. Make sure to write killer essays and get a 2250+ sat.</p>

11

<p>Yes, absolutely… A couple extra curriculars that i had somehow forgotten…</p>

<p>-VARIOUS NON-PROFIT THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES AT CAMP RONALD MCDONALD FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER (3 YEARS) (an experience which i am most certainly considering incorporating into my essays, if it’s not too cliche…)
-VARIOUS NON-PROFIT THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES FOR INNER CITY CHILDREN IN LOS ANGELES (3 YEARS)</p>

12

<p>Excelling in junior year is going to be key for you. Again, I know there’s no rank, but you want your overall GPA to put you somewhere within the top 10%.</p>