Chances for Yale and other Colleges?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hiya! Thought I'd get an opinion on this. I know the chances of getting into a great Uni is very hard and there are so many qualified candidates that don't get in but I'm just trying to get a picture of how I'd do. Also, I wish to study Music and Science. </p>

<p>These are the colleges I have applied to:
Yale SCEA - Deferred
Brown RD
Columbia RD
Cornell RD
Duke RD
Princeton RD
UChicago RD</p>

<p>Country: New Zealand (International)
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Asian - Chinese (Unfortunately)</p>

<p>Objective:
• SAT Superscore 2090
• Writing: 740
• Maths: 680
• Reading: 670
Some pretty shoddy scores, I know, I am taking the Jan 2014 SAT I and I just did an official practise paper and got 2260 - 800W/730M/730R.
• SAT II
• Bio E: 700
• Maths II: 640 (I know, I know)
• GPA: Our school doesn't calculate GPA
But an estimate would be about 3.98, close to 4.
• Rank: Top 5% of the country
• Courses: Pretty challenging. I took accelerated Music, Drama and English courses. </p>

<p>Essays: Pretty OK, at least grammar and spelling was on par. Talked about my own experiences as a performer. </p>

<p>Recommendations: Fairly good. I think they are the reason I wasn't straight out declined by Yale. </p>

<p>Subjective:
School Community:
• Deputy Head Girl (kind of like America's Student Body Vice-President)</p>

<p>Arts and Culture:
• Chamber Music - NZ National Finalist (Top 6 out of 2000)
• Young Performer of the Year - 2nd (Out of 35 top musicians, most of which were already at college)
• Woodwind Competition - 2nd (Out of 100)
• Auckland Symphony Orchestra - Flute Solo (regional adult community orchestra)
• New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Scholarship (international professional orchestra)
• Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra - 1st Flute (national professional orchestra)
• Auckland Youth Orchestra - 1st/2nd Flute (most musicians are college students)
• Numerous school awards and cups
• Chinese Cultural Group leader</p>

<p>Sport:
• 5 years Underwater Hockey (National Secondary Schools 1st Place)</p>

<p>Volunteer Work:
• Busking for the SPCA
• SPCA Annual Street Appeal
• Volunteer for the Chinese Government Delegation to Auckland
• Volunteer for the Annual Chinese Bridge Speech Competition</p>

<p>Work History:
• Assistant Dentist at Philip Lowe Dentists
• 'Scareactor' at Spookers Haunted Attraction (I did NOT put this in my application)</p>

<p>Additional Info:
I sent in a supplementary music recording of myself playing the flute to most of these colleges. </p>

<p>I was also wondering if I should send in supplementary materials to Yale (or any other colleges). For example, a letter of recommendation from my Flute teacher as she would have more insight into my national awards and musical achievements and be able to put them into context in New Zealand. </p>

<p>Thanks so much in advance for helping out!</p>

2

<p>I think you could get in, if you reseat your Sat. But don’t be too sure cause I had a friend who was nothing but the top in everything but he didn’t get in Harvard.</p>

3

<p>Admission process is weird and not always logical. sometimes a perfect applicant gets rejected right away, yet other times an applicant with unconventional credential gets accepted. The good thing in your case is that you’ve already had a “feeler”- with these stats you were not rejected by Yale. If you re-sit SAT now and do better than your chances may also brighten, if nothing else, but still no guarantees though.
Its good that you applied to many schools which means that your chances of getting into at least one are very high. However, if I were you I would have applied to 1st tier great schools as well which aren’t Ivy League. Anyway, all the best of luck!</p>

4

<p>A 2090 is below the line for all the schools you mentioned.
Sorry, but don’t read too much into Yale’s deferral. For all intents and purposes consider it a rejection.</p>

5

<p>Thank you everyone for your answers! And thanks @soze for your candidness :smiley: it’s a good thing, then, that I’ve applied to a Uni here in New Zealand. :)</p>

6

<p>You have mid-low chances in getting into those colleges. I would like to strongly point out the abundance of other great colleges in the US that you may not have considered. New Zealand honestly doesn’t have great universities (I was born there and lived there, and I have considered going back for college, no.) What are your interests? Try looking for great matching colleges. Frequently compare international and nation rankings for US colleges; I’m sure the University of Auckland couldn’t beat many of them that you could easily get into. </p>

<p>You have great ECs, but your SAT score is too low for the Ivies. If you can get 2200, give it a try. But again, I urge you to apply for a few other ones in the U.S. Good luck!</p>

<p>Chance back?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1613118-chances-for-brown-u-of-rochester-amherst-and-u-of-michigan-ann-arbor.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1613118-chances-for-brown-u-of-rochester-amherst-and-u-of-michigan-ann-arbor.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>Look, due to the fact that they are all top tier, no matter how good you are, they are still reaches. However, with that being said, you have excellent stats and stand a better chance than most. Your ECs, especially the music ones, are great. If you can get a 2250+ on the SAT you have a nice shot.</p>

<p>My thread (chance me please): <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1610985-chances-for-vanderbilt-unc-nyu-uf-and-duke.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1610985-chances-for-vanderbilt-unc-nyu-uf-and-duke.html#latest&lt;/a&gt; </p>

8

<p>Any safeties?..</p>

9

<p>A deferral is considered a “soft rejection”. Based on your stats, and assumptions based on your New Zealand background, I consider this soft rejection a “rejection” because you’re so close…but did not make it. It does not mean you’re bad. It means you’re one of the borderline applicants that perhaps was just that one score away from the other slightly better applicant. Seeing that you improved your SAT, there is a chance you will get accepted by Yale.</p>

<p>I think a huge problem, perhaps, is that you did not fully understand what is required by the U.S. style of essays. It’s a bit different from all other universities in the world, so perhaps you did not go full U.S…which could be part of the reason you were not accepted. A lot of international applicants face this problem. But I don’t know: I haven’t read your essays.</p>

<p>That being said, it’s a bit too late to change, but I’d say you have a good shot with your ECs and a higher SAT score, but that being said, international applicants face more challenges when applying to U.S. universities, so hold your breath and (kind of) don’t expect the best. For example, the acceptance rate at MIT is around 10% (without international) but less than 3% (for international).</p>

10

<p>Thanks again to all those who replied! Really appreciate!! :)</p>

<p>Update: I got 2210 in the Jan SATs so yay but just very borderline! :slight_smile: I do realise that every one of the schools that I have applied for are Ivies and/or really really ‘up there’ but honestly go hard or go home. I’ve got my safety back here in NZ so why not apply to the big guns if I get the chance to? :smiley: </p>

11

<p>Maybe you might get into Cornell and Duke if you increase to 2260? Don’t bank on the others though (though you could realistically get in). </p>

12

<p>Admissions often times are weird, but coming from a Yalie, your resume sounds like the typical Yalie’s! So don’t think you don’t have a chance! :slight_smile: Wish you the best of luck!</p>