Chance me please!

Colleges & Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>I attend a school in rural Indiana that has never sent anyone to an Ivy before.... so I have absolutely NO ONE who can give me advice on how to get in. I have taken every opportunity that has been available to me at my high school (and created quite a few for myself) but, compared to much larger and more competitive high schools, I'm not sure how (if at all) competitive I am. SO, please let me know what you think and what I can do over the next few months to improve my ap! Thanks!</p>

<p>Numbers
ACT- 34 (34 English, 31 Math, 36 Reading, 33 Science, 34 English/Combined, 11 Essay- First time I took it and will be taking it again in October).
AP- World History (4), English Lang (5), Spanish Lang (4- took it a year early), US History (5), Biology (5- Departmental Record), Environmental Science (5- self study freshman year and school first), Psychology (5- self study sophomore year), Human Geography (5- self study junior year)
GPA (un.w.)- 4.0
GPA (w)-4.22
Class Rank- 1/110</p>

<p>EC
VP of Junior/Senior Class
Key Club (9-12; Treasurer Sophomore year, President Junior/Senior)
Student Council (9-12; Treasurer Sophomore year- new sponsor last year who eliminated titles)
Spanish Club (9-12; committee member 9-11, President Senior year)
Science Club (9-12; Secretary Sophomore year, no elections last year, President Senior year)
NHS (11-12; President Senior year)
Member of Spanish National Honor Society (11-12; no elected positions)
Member of History National Honor Society (11-12; no elected positions)
Founding member of Science/English National Honor Societies (12; no elected positions)
History Club (9-12; President Senior year)
Environmental Science Club (10- lost sponsor)
Health Club (9; President- lost sponsor)
Politics Club (founder of Junior High branch; 9-12; President Senior year)
Youth Leadership Academy of the County (class of '12)
UMC Youth Group (10-12; Newsletter Author)
Hospital Volunteer (11-12)
Work with local Democratic Party (one of recommendation letters will be District Representative)
French lessons (11-12; can take Subject Test if helps my chances)
Tutoring
Hoosier Boy's State (elected District Party Chairman)
Attended The Lugar Symposium for Tomorrow's Leaders</p>

<p>Other
We are a foster home in the process of adopting an African-American teenager with Sickle Cell (not sure if this is important at all- very eye-opening experience; and AGAIN, no idea what is relevant and what isn't); I also have, between parents, six brothers and sisters.
My school offers one language and nine AP classes. I have consistently taken the hardest schedule possible (including concurrent Spanish III and AP as a nonnative speaker) and am the first student in my school to earn the AP National Scholar Award (or to self study an AP class). Have lost confidence in my school's classes and have taken to online courses in search of an academic challenge.
I have worked at McDonald's for the past year.
My school (and I think my county) has never sent a student to an Ivy before.
Senior Schedule: AP Calc AB (BC not offered), AP English Lit, AP Spanish Lang (can't be taken twice for credit so won't show up on transcript), economics/AP Gov, ACP Chem, Sociology/Geography (online), French I (through IU), Physics (either online or in classroom depending on scheduling)
I have won a number of awards for my classroom performance (Outstanding Spanish I/II/III/AP Spanish/AP English/AP World History Student)
I am a Caucasian male.</p>

<p>Thanks for any information/advice that you can offer! This is completely uncharted territory and I'm a little lost! Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Your test scores, GPA and rank indicate you are a competitive applicant. Beyond that your chances are anyone’s guess. The best thing you can do is to work on your essays – write, re-write and edit.</p>

<p>Having had two kids successfully go through the applications process and eventually meet their admissions directors who accepted them, neither one said “Great ACT scores” or “Wonderful EC’s” or “Nice teacher rec’s.” No, instead what they remembered and what they commented on was their essays. Best of luck to you in the writing process.</p>

3

<p>Do I understand correctly that you have achieved your extremely impressive resume while growing up in the foster care system? Or does your family help the community by being a foster family for kids?</p>

<p>That aside, the fact that your HS does not offer what larger schools located in more prosperous areas offer, is not a detriment to your chances. You have not only taken what your school offered, you have extended yourself beyond the four walls of the school.</p>

<p>Your ACT score is good enough for the rest of your application to be taken “seriously”. If your essays and letters of rec can capture and project who you are, your drive to overcome obstacles, and your other qualities, you have a great chance. I would also expand your list.</p>

4

<p>I would not retake the ACT. A 34 is more than adequate and you don’t have a low score in any particular area.</p>

5

<p>Thank you all very much!
And Stemit, my family became foster parents about a year ago. We have only had two placements (the first being six months long with a 16 month old girl and a 5 year old girl, the second being our current adoptive track placement). It has been an awesome, slightly trying, experience that I feel would really help convey the wide range of things that I have been exposed to (and thus grown from). However, I wouldn’t want to come off as one of those kids who showcases his adopted sister because he thinks it makes him look like a humanitarian.
Should I be taking any different courses? Any particular volunteer path that I should be heading down? Any and all advice is appreciated!</p>

6

<p>I applaud you for your courage to apply for a top Ivy League school when no one else in your school or county has done it before. Do not be discouraged by the lack of resources your school has - I went to a public high school which only offered 4 APs, 2 of which were non-academic, and I successfully made it to Yale. Your academic rigor and self-motivation shows a desire for a challenge, and I believe admission officers will take your school’s situation and your ability to make the best out it into account. </p>

<p>You will not get to put in all of your ECs on your commonapp unless you attach a resume. Strategically put your most important ones as the main 10, and show some sort of correlation between your essays and ECs that can demonstrate your passion. Do not blindly put down all kinds of activities you did for the sake of sounding more “impressive” - admission officers want to see a person, not a list. </p>

<p>Here’s a suggestion: perhaps you can incorporate the foster home environment idea in one of your essay? It is not called “showing” an adopted sister off - how else are you able to display yourself in the best way on paper? It seems like you learned a lot from living in such a family, and writing it down is a great way to show that. Good luck!</p>