Chances of getting in?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>Hey guys, I'm new here and I'm currently planning on applying EASC to Yale. I'd appreciate any help or advice you all could give me and what you think my chances of getting in are :) Thank you so much!!</p>

<p>Asian American female
I go to a small high school in NY.
SAT I: 2250 (V:790 M:720 W:740)
SAT II: Math II C:760, US History:760, Writing:770, Biology: 650 (taken in 9th grade)
GPA: 102.85 (weighted)
RANK: #1 in class of about 95
AP EXAMS: European History- 4, US History-4, English Language-4</p>

<p>CLASSES TAKEN: all honors/APs (strongest courseload at my small school)
senior year schedule: AP Calc BC, AP Physics, AP Lit and Comp, Government, Economics (requirement classes)</p>

<p>SPORTS: 1st degree black belt in tae kwon do
EC ACTIVITIES:
1) I play piano, clarinet, and sing for my school (jazz band, band, chorus, vocal ensemble, orchestra). I received grade of 98 on NYSSMA level 6 in 9th grade (nys music festival exam)
2) I was class treasurer for 9-10 and class vice president for grade 11.
3) Drama club 9-12
4) International Fund 9-12
5) Served on 4 committes as a student representative (grade weighting, assistant principal search committee, student handbook revision committee, middle states Accreditation for Growth committee)</p>

<p>COMMUNITY SERVICE: Year-round teacher's assistant at my local chinese school (120+ hours/year), American Cancer Society fundraiser, local high school mentoring program, D.A.R.E program mentor/volunteer, participant in "night of the classics"- musical benefit to raise money for leukmia patient</p>

<p>AWARDS: high honor roll 9-12, 2006 National Merit semifinalist, National Honor Society, Yale Book Award (from alumni association), Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award, Subject Awards: 13 in total awarded by my high school (one student per subject per year), Overall Service to School and Community Award, Joy Distenfeld Scholarship award (financial aid for summer programs)</p>

<p>ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS: IBM Watson Science Program, Columbia Science Program, Ithaca College Summer School, Junior Statesmen of America Summer School at Yale 2005, Chinese School for 9-10 before I graduated</p>

<p>WORK EXPERIENCE: I currently work at CVS pharmacy as a cashier, about 15 hrs/week. I've worked as a receptionist last year at a tae kwon do school (3 hrs/wk), and as a cashier at a bakery the year before that (about 4 hrs/week) </p>

<p>I asked for recommendations from my US History teacher/student government advisor and my Physics teacher, who I have for the second year in a row. I'm also submitting an additional letter from my chorus teacher, who has known me since I was in 4th grade. </p>

<p>My essays are about receiving my black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and the diversity I encountered at my summer at Yale. </p>

<p>So...wow that was long, but that's basically everything I've got. Thank you so much for your help!!!</p>

2

<p>You look pretty average in Yale's pool. The average is 9.9% admits. From that, subtract an over represented state and an over represented ethnicity.</p>

3

<p>Keep in mind that there are hundreds of applicants who apply to Yale just for the heck of it.</p>

4

<p>keep in mind also, that the "overrepresented ethnicity" you talk about, is still a minority in terms of the population of this country. If asians are "overrepresented," caucasians are more than doubly so.</p>

5

<p>Um.....about your essay....
You might want to stay away from the "diversity at Yale" essay for a couple reasons. Firstly, diversity is really overdone. If you have a really original spin on it, then maybe it's ok. But also, you don't want to appear like you're sucking up to the admissions officers. So maybe find something else to focus on.</p>

6

<p>It is not a minority for the purposes of admissions. It is not considered URM status because Asians are admitted to top schools at more than double their percentage of the population, unlike hispanics and blacks. It can, in fact, be a negative because schools don't want to admit an entire class without diversity. And yes, being white is similar. It just means you need to be at the top of that pool of students, and that can be a problem.</p>

7

<p>Why do you call her average in the Yale admissions pool, bandit?
I agree nothing stands out, but everything seems pretty strong.</p>

8

<p>To blurblurblur:
Whites account about 70-80% of all Americans. They account for 60-70% of Yale's freshmen class. They are not over-represented.</p>

<p>To pianoking7:
I agree that OP is a strong candidate, but so are most of Yale applicants. That is what makes him/her average, relatively speaking.</p>

<p>I agree with Gorbachev. Stay away from diversity for your essay. You can probably do a good job at it, but unless you do a spectacular job, it will not help distinguish you at all from the other candidates, which is the essays' most important purpose.</p>

9

<p>On the other hand, I'm in no position to judge since I'm doing the dreaded community service essay. :)</p>

10

<p>for some reason, your community services section looks kinda dubious. like "participant" in that program. universities can tell exaggerations like that apart easily. Not saying you are BS'ing, however, just you need to elaborate</p>

11

<p>As a current Yale student, I'd say you're definitely qualified to get in and there's nothing in your stats to keep you out. That said, there are no guarantees at all in the process, and plenty of equally qualified people get rejected every year. Definitely apply, try not to stress too much, and you have a very realistic chance.</p>

12

<p>Being #1 in your class should help you a lot if your school regularly sends kids to Yale. Your academics are strong. What's missing here is any strong leadership position in your ECs.
I think I'd play up your community service more. You list your music first, but it seems like the most interesting ECs are your various service activities. Musicians at Yale are like hair on a dog- they're everywhere and in everything. You don't stand out musically, but presented right, your service could stand out- both your school and your community service.
See if you could present your app with Service as your theme - and have your academic and musical honors be present, of course, but more in the background in importance. Play with it - you need a handle of some kind so when the adcoms look at your file they'll remember you.</p>

13

<p>Thank you all so much for your advice and help.</p>

<p>I'm definitely chucking the 'diversity' idea out the window, since I do agree that is overdone. My additional essay to Yale is already done and it is about overcoming my athletic retardation and becoming a black belt in tae kwon do (although not quite in those words!) </p>

<p>I really like A.S.A.P's idea about playing up the service aspect of my application, and I agree that my musical activities aren't phenomenal in the slightest bit, but they were the one thing that I stuck with for 10+ years so I thought that might count for something. </p>

<p>What do you all think about my main essay for Yale being on all those school committees last year- like being given the responsibility to help interview candidates for the assistant principal position, revising the student handbook, and helping change my school's grade weighting system to be more fair towards AP students? do you think that's too boa****l and ordinary?</p>

<p>My second idea is writing about the first time I had a class with an autistic girl this summer at yale...she was a full blown genius and although people whispered behind her back, I had such tremendous respect for her because although she had a disability, she managed to fundraise over $4000 so that she could attend the program and take the challenging classes and do well. She was also interesting because she had a fascination with the Skull and Bones society because she had a strange recurring dream about a baby being killed there or something, so she would always go to their clubhouse on the way to class and try to find some way to break in. She made a deep impression on me this summer...do you think this is a good topic to write about or should I stick to writing about me?</p>

<p>I'm really worried about my first essay...I just want to be original and not be like everyone else. Thank you again for all your help, I will definitely keep you posted :)</p>

14

<p>It's your call. Excellent essays can be about almost anything. I read an essay by a girl who was admitted to Harvard, and it was about an old woman whom she helped walk around the block. Her writing was amazingly provocative and eloquent. The topic was mundane but she made the most she can.</p>

<p>If you do write the essay on the autistic girl, focus on her autism and don't mention her fetish with the Skulls and Bones. If you mention it, it will only serve to detract from your overall message and seem out of place in 500 word essay.</p>

15

<p>I thiink your second idea is more what they're looking for - you don't want your essay to be a rehashing of your ECs, although you could pick one and do something with it. If you write about your admiration of the autistic young woman, be sure that the essay shows enough of who YOU are. Just admiring her isn't enough - but why and how does it relate to your life.
Good luck! I think you have a good chance of admission, and you're smart to pay attention to the essays. I think they're key.</p>

16

<p>Would anyone be willing to read my essays and tell me what they think?</p>

17

<p>pm me if you want</p>

18

<p>I'd be willing!</p>

19

<p>jli didn't you say you got a 2320 on the SATs?</p>

20

<p>wow, this is old. I wonder if she got in.</p>