Chance me please!

Colleges & Universities A-Z Yale University
1

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White
State of Residence: New Jersey
School Type: Suburban Public
Class Size: 160
Rank: Top 10% (1st decile)
Major: Foreign Affairs/ History
Applied: SCEA

SAT Scores: 1510 and 1540, superscore 1550
SAT II Scores: 790 (History), 740 (Literature)
AP Scores:
Statistics (5)
English Lang (5)
U.S. Gov (5)
US. History (5)
Calc AB Subscore (4)
Calc BC (3)

Activities:
Marching Band, Assistant Drum Major
HS Concert Band, Section Leader and Clarinet Soloist
Jazz Band, Section Leader and Soloist
Audition-only region ensembles and invitation-only community honor bands
Euro Challenge Club, President, top 25 in nation
Fed Challenge Club, President
Model UN, President
French Club, President
Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen’s Youth Advisory Council, nomination and application required

Summer Programs:
New Jersey Scholars Program (super prestigious and free summer program for the top 39 juniors in the state)
SPI Study Abroad in Biarritz, France

Honors:
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, two gold keys and one silver key
American High School Poets Contest, topical winner
SPI Study Abroad Travel Blog Contest, 2nd place
Avant Garde Literary Magazine, Poetry and Short Story awards

Hooks:
Organized and led a protest in my small, conservative town (Common App Essay)

Essays:
Why interested in that major? I talked about how I’ve always felt stuck in my small town and have found solace in learning about other places and times, which is why I want to study Foreign Affairs and History. I’d say it was a 7/10 essay

Why Yale: I talked about my tour guide, who was an Anthropology major but could take multiple classes in one of her other passions, Graphic Design. I talked about how I had to give up my childhood interests in creative writing and fashion design and how I wouldn’t have to do that at Yale because of their liberal arts curriculum and shopping period. It was probably 6/10.

What do you like to learn about? Discussed the inspiration behind a very involved research paper, and related it back to my love of the obscure and forgotten in history. 9/10

What’s something else you want us to know about you? Talked about a weird radio station I listen to and connected it to my open-mindedness. This is probably the best college essay I’ve written and is super intriguing. 10/10

Short Answers:
I really emphasized that I am a creative writer and political activist. A couple of my responses were definitely edgy and out-of-the-box.

Thank you!! I’m kind of freaking out because I think some of my Why Major? and Why Yale? essays were not the best.

2

I don’t do chances, because what will probably matter for your application, having a fine class rank and scores, is your LoRs and essays, which I of course can’t read.

I did, however, want to point out that having “Organized and led a protest in my small, conservative town (Common App Essay)” is not a hook. It will possibly be a good essay topic, but it’s not a hook.

As a NJ parent, I wish you good luck in your college process. :slight_smile:

3

I am curious why someone with so much writing experience and background would rate your own essays so lowly. Is it that you truly feel they were only above average or are you trying to be modest? Otherwise I think you have the basic requirements met to be considered. I am not good with chances but I wish you the best. Hopefully the activist and protest side of you was highlighted enough to show your personality but I have to agree with Ixnaybob in that there will be many others that did the same or similar and therefore it is not a hook but simply an explanation of what you could contribute to the school community. Best of luck to you!

4

You have pretty good chances compared to other applicants but Yale is still a high reach.