Yale is my top choice but it was listed as a far reach by counselor and I don’t think I’ll get in, so I’m not sure if I should make it my early. I don’t play sports, but I did do varsity sailing freshman year and am thinking about managing volleyball in the spring this senior year. I have like 3.63 unweighted GPA, am in the advanced year-ahead math class at my school, but got a B+, B, and A- in my math classes. I have a 1590 SAT score (my essay was really bad so let’s not talk about that), 770 math SAT II, 780 SAT chem, 5 AP Calc, 5 Ap Studio Art, 5 AP Chinese, and 4 AP Spanish. I’m not really a leader or head in anything, but I’m really passionate about art and will be the head of our school’s fine arts club in senior year. I’ve been a part of mock trial club for the past two years and will continue it in senior year. I started volunteering at an animal shelter in junior year and have continued it throughout the summer and will keep volunteering into senior year. I had a summer internship with stem cells sophomore year and am currently doing a summer internship at a Harvard affiliated lab. I got an honorable mention in a scholastic art competition and have an AP Scholar with Honor award. I was also on our school newspaper in freshman year, but these are all little things that I don’t think will do anything. All in all, I’m not the strongest or most well-rounded candidate. I’m kind of a boring applicant tbh, but I really do want to go to Yale especially since they have a strong arts and STEM program and emphasize the “and.” If it helps, I plan on adding an art supplement and my grades have improved every year.
What do you guys think? Are my chances at Yale really bad/far reach or is it worth it to try early action and apply? Also, I know this is asking a lot, but what do you think would be a good safety/possible school for me? My couselor is really no help at all 