Chances for Class of 25 SCEA?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

Background - White male
Residence - Rhode Island
School - Small Catholic school, one of only IB schools in state
Finances - (Parents divorced) Mother - upper middle class, Father - lower middle class
Legacy - Double (both parents) - please don’t tell me it means almost nothing; I already know that!

Stats - #1 in class of ~105
SAT - 1550 (only taken once thus far) (800 Math / 750 EBRW)
SAT II - No stats yet, planning to take Spanish or US History and Math II
IBs: English A, Spanish B, Physics, World History HL; Math (only offered as SL when I took it last year, now offered in both SL and HL), World Religion SL
APs - US History (5), Calculus AB, Spanish Literature and Culture, Microeconomics (this year, * = self study) (Average # of APs taken by high-achieving students over 4 years - 2)
GPA - 4.0 UW / 4.62/4.69UW

Intended Fields of Study - Econ, Spanish, History/PoliSci, Math

ECs:

  1. State Model Legislature
    9, 10, 11
    6 hr/wk, 25 wk/yr
    Continue
    Senator (9), Senate Party Whip (10, 11)

  2. Student government
    9, 10, 11
    1.5 hr/wk, 35 wk/yr
    Continue
    Class Secretary (9, 10, 11)

  3. JV Cross Country
    9, 10, 11
    12 hr/wk, 20 wk/yr (summer training and fall season)
    Hope to continue, but unlikely to do so due to capabilities
    Have already been named captain for my senior year

  4. Varsity Indoor Track
    9, 10, 11
    15 hr/wk, 10 wk/yr
    Continue
    Distance Captain (11, likely 12)

  5. Varsity Tennis
    10, 11
    12 hr/wk, 12 wk/yr
    Continue
    Captain (11, likely 12)

  6. Work - Family Farm
    9, 10, 11
    30 hr/week, 12 wk/yr (Summer)
    6 hr/week, 16 wk/yr (School Year)
    Cannot continue in college (at least not during academic year)

  7. Volunteering - Local Bicycle Advocacy Group
    9, 10, 11
    8 hr/week, 10 wk/yr
    Continue in similar work

  8. Volunteering - Local Nonprofit Summer Collegiate Baseball Team
    11
    24 hr/week, 8 wk/yr
    Continue
    Official Scorer - position held by college students for every other team in the league

  9. NHS
    Will join after end of semester 1, unless by some freakish turn of fate my GPA drops an entire point (3.6 is the minimum)

  10. Church Activities
    9, 10, 11
    Total of ~25 hr/yr
    Continue
    Altar serving and preparation, setting up, volunteering at, and cleaning up annual fair.

Honors:
Highest Honor Roll (95+ average, all As) - 9, 10, 11
Model Legislature Statewide Award - 10
USSYP Finalist (will be notified of decision after 12/1) - 11
National Spanish Exam Gold Medal - Levels 1, 2, 3

Rec Letters:
Too early to tell, as I’m almost a year from applying, but I’m planning to ask my IB World History teacher, who is also my Model Legislature advisor and knows me well, and my IB Math/AP Calc teacher, who’s a big fan of mine and with whom I’ve had a great relationship.

Questions:
Do I need to become more angular?
What should I do to strengthen my application?

2

Your ECs are definitely the weakest part of your application as of now; they really don’t make you a more compelling applicant. If your church activities are mostly just a once-a-year event, I wouldn’t bother reporting it on your application. Same for NHS, unless you make some notable contribution to the organization or are particularly driven to make your NHS great.

That being said, your numbers are good, colleges will understand your lack of APs since they can see a profile of your school.

Your intended fields of study are all over the place. I actually don’t think you HAVE to apply with a particular field in mind, it’s fine to go in not knowing. Try to keep it in the back of your mind, though.

My main advice would be:
-Keep your grades up Junior year and stay at the no. 1 spot
-Kill your subject tests
-As for ECs, just do what you enjoy. Don’t try to become more “angular” for the sake of applications. If you really don’t know what you want to do, don’t bother trying to fake it.
-Write killer essays. Your application reads pretty bland so far and I don’t have any idea of what you are like beyond “good at testing and sports.” Essays are the opportunity to show that you’re more than a valedictorian runner with a 1550.