Chances for Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, and Wash U?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey sorry I’m reposting this, but I wanted to make a few edits, which I didn’t know how to do before. (No one responded to my last one, so I think this is ok) I just signed up for CC. I’m going to be a senior this year (applying in the fall/winter). So far these are my reach schools, and I just want to know what people think my chances are of getting into these schools. (especially Yale which is probably my top choice as of now)
Also if anyone from my school sees this and will probably recognize who I am, please don’t spread around my info at school.
ABOUT MYSELF:

School:
Competitive urban private school, class size about 75, about 20 get into Ivies/top schools each year (including recruited athletes), offer some APs - will explain my courses later, we have a few people going to Yale each year usually but just 1 got in last year.

Academics:
PSAT: Commended (i know not really important just trying to provide as much info as possible, I was super disappointed in myself)
SAT: 2320 - 770M, 750CR, 800W (didn’t feel like these scores would put me out of range for any school, so they are pretty final)
SATII’s: 800 Bio E, 790 Math 2
Junior year GPA: 91.9/100 (unweighted) (this part worries me because I know it’s low, but my school is tough) (also, my counselor said my total gpa was like 94 but our school only sends junior year, i thought she made a mistake anyway because that seemed too high, anyway I’m kind of just rambling and I don’t consider this too important) (also, first semester junior year I did much worse than second, like 91/93 split because I started to get extra time that semester, which some people consider cheating but I was tested by a doctor and most people who criticize aren’t doctors themselves, anyway this isn’t really important just giving background)
Rank: n/a, school doesn’t publish but in top 20% at least
APs: 5 us history, 5 biology
Course load: I know freshman and sophomore years don’t really count but I will put them anyway
Freshmen year: 1st Semester: English 1 - 94, Honors Geometry - 87, Biology - 94, Spanish II Honors - 91, Cities and Civilizations - 92,________ 2nd Semester: English 1 - 95, Honors Geometry - 88, Biology - 94, Spanish II Honors - 89, Asian Cities and Civilizations - 91, The Bible - 97
Sophomore year: 1st Semester: English II - 88, Honors Algebra II - 87, Honors Chemistry - 92, Spanish III Honors - 90, Ethics - 94______ 2nd Semester: English II - 90, Honors Algebra II - 93, Biotechnology - 96, Honors Chemistry - 92, Spanish III Honors - 91
Junior year: 1st Semester: American Literary Traditions - 90, Precalculus - 96, AP Biology - 94, Spanish IV Honors - 87, US History - 90, Chorale - distinguished pass___________ 2nd Semester: African American Writers Since 1970 - 92, Precalculus - 95, AP Biology - 92, Spanish IV Honors - 91, US History - 93, Chorale - distinguished pass
Senior year: 1st Semester: Dante (English elective), AP AB Calculus, AP Physics C, Making of the Modern World, AP Spanish V language, Vertebrate Zoology, Chorale_______ 2nd Semester: Expository Writing, AP AB Calculus, Making of the Modern World, AP Physics C, AP Spanish V language, Encountering God, Chorale

I hope to improve my GPA senior year but I don’t know yet

*Notes: I know some classes colleges don’t care about (like religion and art classes), also they added chorale as a class my senior year I have done it all 4 but i will get to that in ECs. I know colleges don’t really care, but for English II and Am Lit I got screwed with a terrible teacher and spanish iv for that matter. Also the school doesn’t offer APUSH so it’s popular for about 1/2 the class to take the AP. There is not much flexibility for classes at my school (a lot of required) and it’s pretty easy to get screwed over if you don’t donate a lot. We don’t offer much AP’s, the only other 1 I could have taken would be BC Calculus but that is a different story.

Background:
White, male, upper class, brother at Cornell University, father from North East went to St. Lawrence with Dartmouth for grad school, mother from FL went to St. Lawrence with Tulane for grad school (so no 1st gen, minority status, legacy status, etc.)
from mid Atlantic region, born in USA
languages: English and Spanish from school
religion: episcopalian

Extra Curriculars and Summer Activities: (not listing in particular order but I know you have to for Common App, so if someone could give advice on it, I know it’s supposed to be personal but just any pointers) Also if someone could tell me which ones to include or leave out (again i know it’s kind of personal but pointers)
-President Wildlife Biology Club (been in club since sophomore year, elected president for senior year) (basically we go to national parks nearby and observe and learn about wildlife with a bio teacher)
-Section Head leader chorale (bass singer all 4 years)
-Volunteer Tutor at local organization for latino elementary school students (all 4 years)
-Volunteer Summer teachers assistant at bilingual preschool for disadvantaged latino kids (all 4 summers)
-School Newspaper Editor (writer for first 2, editor for second 2 years)
-Govt. Club member (not sure if I should include or not, since sophomore year which is when allowed to join)
-Trivia bowl team member (all 4 years)
-Co-leader of environmental club (last 3 years, leader for last 2)
-Track (JV freshmen year, Varsity last 3 years) - not sure if I should include my sports because I am not great at them and am even considering changing sports senior year, note: sports are required at my school
-Soccer (JV first 3 years, Varsity last 1 year)
-Volunteer to take down invasive species, (last 3 years, have a certification from my area) note: my school only counts community service as working with other people so this doesn’t count
-AMC trail volunteer (freshmen summer, member of national club)
-National Science Foundation all expenses paid trip to study climate change and arctic studies in Greenland for 2 weeks (sophomore year summer, one of 5 us students selected of 500) probably my biggest achievement was really surprised I got it
-Biology program at NIH (sophomore year, attended seminars by scientist at the institutes)
-Mandolin (freshman, sophomore year)
-2 school travel grants (i’ll describe in awards)

Awards: (not too many, i don’t know if this is bad, should I try to get more? i.e. writing contests)
-junior year award for social service (face to face) I have about 270 hours
-dean’s list (i know this is dumb but it’s like our honor roll, i don’t know if I should put it)
-natl merit commended (probably won’t include this)
-sophomore year travel fellowship awarded by school all expenses paid, trip to Cali to investigate migrant labor in agriculture industry
-junior year travel fellowship (similar deal), trip to northern Europe to investigate biking in urban centers

Application
Interests: urban studies (aligns with 1st essay idea), environmental science (aligns with 2nd essay idea), biology (which one do you think I should push most
Essay: I have a few drafts, one on how biking has helped me overcome social anxiety and how I want to study urban planning to make cities more social and green (solving a problem prompt) and one on visiting my grandparents farm as a kid and getting in touch with nature (identity) - haven’t worked on supplements yet
Recommendations: I have 3 lined up, 1st from junior year math teacher who liked me and I did well in class, 2nd from junior year english teacher 2nd semester who liked me and I was 2nd best in class and I talk to him a lot outside of class and he runs I club i participate in, 3rd from junior year history teacher who I talked to a lot and did well in class and was my coach for 2 years in soccer

That’s pretty much it, if you think I forgot something please tell me. I appreciate any feedback and thoughts tremendously.
Thanks!

2

You have a shot at Yale for sure. Your nature ECs are good and not “typical”; seems like there’s lots of passion there. However, practically nobody is guaranteed a spot at that kind of school.

You should be able to get into Wash U. Brown and Dartmouth you should definitely try for but they’re also extremely selective and turn away many qualified applicants.

3

Thanks for the response, I really hope I get in.

4

What do you plan to study in college?

5

I will probably study either urban studies or biology (possibly double major, major/minor), I’m also interested in some other sciences that as a high school student I haven’t got to study in any depth, so I plan to check some out, but on my application I will put my interests as: urban studies, enviro science, and biology. (Maybe less emphasis on bio because bio programs are very competitive.)

6

Applying anywhere SCEA/ED?

7

How many of the schools you are focused on do not offer an Urban Studies major?

8

I think you have an interesting background, particular given some of your travel experiences. The NSF JSEP program is really cool (that’s on my son’s short list for possible environmental science programs down the road in about 5 years; I’d love to hear more about your experience). Not many people get to go to Greenland on a funded trip to do climate science in an international collaboration. The 2 funded travel fellowships to California and Europe are also very interesting, especially in combination with your social service award. I would play those up, especially the NSF one. Funded competitive programs like that carry some weight. The combination of your experiences is distinctive and could make you stand out.

Dartmouth is more flexible and interdisciplinary than Yale. It is the only Ivy to still have a geography department, and it allows “modifications” to majors; geography and environmental studies would be a very manageable program that would probably let you combine both your urban studies and environmental interests. I believe Dartmouth has some connection to the NSF JSEP program as well. Yale does have a terrific School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and the College has an undergraduate Environmental Studies major.

GPA and class rank will be your biggest question marks.

9

Thanks for all the responses and advice.

  1. I am still not certain yet, but for SCEA I was considering Yale.
  2. I know Wash U and Brown have some of the best urban studies programs, so I would push that in their applications. For Dartmouth I think I would go more environmental. If a school didn’t offer urban studies I would probably go environmental/bio. I am interested in combining at places where that is available.
  3. Greenland was definitely one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I do want to maintain some level of anonymity, so I didn’t go into much detail on my description. The program does have a connection with the college. A few of the scientists we met with there were from Dartmouth and some of the other ‘alumni’ of the program are going to Dartmouth.