<p>Mini, I don't understand. You say: "It is more than 90% likely you are not getting into either" but then you say: "so I'm actually assuming you are one of the better candidates". Which do you mean?</p>
<p>BOTH! They reject almost all of their "better" candidates, only accepting those they decide are their "best" ones.</p>
<p>O i see. So you would say that my chances of getting into Harvard/Yale are bellow the average 10%?</p>
<p>And also, you say I have no hook. But do you think that the Ivies will consider my published poetry book as a hook?</p>
<p>No .</p>
<p>Ottican, Mini is correct. Throw your app in like everyone else, but fall in love with some of the other excellent schools that aren't lotteries.</p>
<p>You already posted several threads like this about the same schools. And bumped those incessantly too. Peoples' responses are not going to change--you're probably a little above the average 10% but not over 50%.</p>
<p>You could spend the time you take copy-pasting these threads and work on your application, perhaps?</p>
<p>"O i see. So you would say that my chances of getting into Harvard/Yale are bellow the average 10%?"</p>
<p>The average is NOT 10%, once you take away the legacies, developmental admits, URMs, major athletes, and other strong hooks. It is closer to 5%. So I'm saying your odds are likely about twice as good as that (11 to 1.)</p>
<p>As to your book, for HY it's not particularly noteworthy what you did close to a decade ago.</p>
<p>I'm just wondering, what prep did you use to get that SAT score. I'm trying to improve mine from 1980 I got on a practice test, any info would be nice.</p>
<p>for SATII's I used the Barrons series.
For the SATI, I didn't use a book. I received a photo-copied packet of a book, the name of which I don't know.</p>
<p>The bets thing you can do for prep is try out 2-3 books from a book store.</p>
<p>Mini, about the poetry thing. Let's say I continue to show my passion for it, maybe win a couple of awards for it in the comming months (I'm not saying it would be easy).
Would that be considered a hook, together with the book I published when I was ten?</p>
<p>Possibly. But I have tell to you - I have a friend whose daughter has worked for two years as Assistant Editor at the American Poetry Review, and has been invited to give readings at the New York Poetry Center. She had higher test scores than you, and had completed three writing courses at Penn (all "A"s.) She was rejected outright at both Yale and Princeton. Anecdotal of course, and maybe she was rejected because she had rejected poetry submitted by YP professors! LOL!</p>
<p>So, yes, it will be a hook, but not a terrifically strong one, I expect. Look, as I said, this isn't about you. You asked for your "chances", and I suggested that they are likely double that of the average not-strongly-hooked applicant. You might get in - someone has to! - but I just wouldn't count on it, not with odds of 11 to 1.</p>
<p>Ok then. What kind of applicant would you consider to be "well-hooked" and more than 20% likely to get in?</p>
<p>Already wrote it three times. But you can add Olympic champion figure skater (Sarah Hughes at Yale, though she had better grades and better SATs than you do), owner of 13 patents in the development of medical nanotechnology (there's one at Princeton), or associate editor, at age 15, of a major environmental magazine (there's one at Harvard.)</p>
<p>But the most important hooks you've already missed out on - you didn't choose your parents well. Shoulda thought about that earlier.</p>
<p>lol</p>
<p>Do you think the fact that Im Jewish can seriosuly harm my chances? Statistically, what drop in my chances would that cause?</p>
<p>None. And let's be clear, you likely have a statistically better chance than many of getting in. 11 to 1 is pretty good, and some folks WILL get in.</p>
<p>Let's add that Harvard has 2 students with bestselling books in Asia. So I have to agree that there's no way the poetry book you wrote for a charity years ago is anything close to a hook. Should you get poetry awards, make certain they aren't some of the many bogus ones that a slew of kids get.</p>
<p>You don't need to be an olympic skater to have over a 20% chance. Athletes who will star on a H, Y or P team have a very good shot with a 1300/3.5. So does anyone whose family has given millions (and the potential to give millions more) and the average SAT score (1490ish). Kids who attended RSI have more than a 20% chance as do Intel and Seimens winners. A legacy with over the average SAT and good ECs has probably about a 40% chance. Child actors look good. URMs with close to average scores who show leadership potential are golden. I'm told that kids who personally suffered as a result of 9/11 did well this past year.</p>
<p>OK, how's this: Because my brother is autistic, my family (although both my parents are well educated) was economically struggling for years, and as a result we moved here from Israel in 2003, and we are still lower middle class. Despite all this my stats are excellent.</p>
<p>Could this be a hook?</p>
<p>Hmm... I didn't think of that... students who have suffered from 9/11 would add a very interesting mix to campus.</p>
<p>"OK, how's this: Because my brother is autistic, my family (although both my parents are well educated) was economically struggling for years, and as a result we moved here from Israel in 2003, and we are still lower middle class. Despite all this my stats are excellent."</p>
<p>It might work for "Queen for a Day" (and you'd win a washer/dryer). But for Harvard? You've just described a relatively similar plight (only different in the details) for about 30 million American families. </p>
<p>Chill. Apply, find yourself some good safeties that you LOVE as much as Harvard (why you love Harvard is a mystery to me) and move on.</p>
<p>I love harvard because of it's prestige.
A man who plans on being a politician one day simply must aim high. That's why I'm 'obsessed' with the Ivies.</p>