China-->Toronto-->Yale? is there hope?chance me pleas~!!!!!!!

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>hi guys</p>

<p>this is a girl from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
I really really want to go to Yale next year, so please chance me and tell me how i can improve/what yale is like, since as a canadian i'm really not familiar with the system</p>

<p>i really want to major in economics/international studies
i'm fully aware that yale is the best school for programs like that, and i know that compare to many US applicant, my stats don't stack up that well</p>

<p>but i really want to push myself and see what i can get =)</p>

<p>therefore,
here you go=)</p>

<p>background</p>

<p>chinese female, low income,
came to canada in freshman year, school is quite competitive with 50% chinese and 49% indian
@_@</p>

<p>gpa/marks</p>

<p>rank : top5%?
gpa
freshman 92
gr10 94
junior 95(probably)
senior prediction: 99 (by the time my midyear report will be typed)</p>

<p>i've gotten 1 c and 1 b in english (since i was new to canada) i skipped esl when i came here after being tested for my english level, but i still got C (gr9) A(gr 10) B(gr11) in english
will these hurt my chance?</p>

<p>SAT-(c/m/w) 700/800/700
SAT II math iic 800 french and chem unknown (will take in june)</p>

<p>EC
-student council 2 years treasurer
---our school's student council is quite active, we did fundrasing for various charity for around 200-500 dollars</p>

<p>-<strong><em>ambassador club founding member (will talk abt in essay)</em></strong>***
--our school , being in the middle of a town where tons of new immigrants live, receives tons of asian immigrants and ambassador club will help them to settle down
--it has a quite heavy focus on international affairs too, we just did this fundrasing for kids in kenya, we raised 500 school kits and 500+ cash. i'm a leader in that</p>

<p>-yearbook editor-in-chief
-drama club/production 3 years
-math club 4 yrs, school math team captain
-DECA member
--school reach all star member
--part time job as a pharmacist assistant --4 hours/week</p>

<p>--secretary officer of our region's regional student council, i personally oversee 25 schools and will organize many event such as regional talent show to raise money for charities</p>

<p>-toronto youth cabinet, member 2 years
-discussed and put forward motions at city hall</p>

<p>Summer
-gr9: nothing lol
--gr10 invited to canadian national math camp
--gr 11 going to impoverished villages in china to teach little kiddos XD (will talk about in essay) also i'm the founding president of this international charity (quite famous and reliable in china) in Toronto, we will do a lot of fundraising later on
--will get an internship at chinese banks this summer</p>

<p>Community service
--300+ hour, hospital gift shop
--50 hour, tutoring at school
--100+hour, translating for chinese charity
--50 hours, girl guide junior leader</p>

<p>now here comes the weak part
awards
- i could have focused on math and gotten more math awards, but instead i decided to get involved in this new environment (ie canada) asap. =) so the awards section are kinda weak =)</p>

<p>-gr 9 7th place in national math contest
-gr 10 1st place international +national +provincial for AMC 10, qualified for USAMO
-gr 11 first place in canada for a contest called math kangaroo (its not a very competitive contest)
-gr 11 failed AMC 12 and did NOT qualify for USAMO =(
will this hurt my chance? me being qualified in gr 10 but not gr 11? i got qualified in gr 10 due to age =P
-some other minor math awards
-DECA business contest, marketing, top 10 regional in oral and written'
-DECA provincial, marketing, top 10 written exam
-a scholarship from a chinese organization in canada ($800)
-other random school awards
-in school debate contest 2nd place (will mention in essay since i tried really hard for it XD)</p>

<p>RECS:</p>

<p>2 teachers will be good (cant tell if they will glow)
2 outsides will GLOW XD</p>

<p>please help me out here. i really need some comments on that, i know i will definitely apply since yale is my dream school.</p>

<p>should i apply early? what other schools can i look into ?</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

2

<p>bump 100000000000</p>

3

<p>You should post this in the Yale or the chance thread. You'll probably get a lot more responses. ;)</p>

<p>Your written English and your SAT CR and W score is excellent for someone who has only been in Canada for 3 years. Congratulations. Your math scores/awards are also amazing. Don't worry about not qualifying for AMC 12. Colleges, as far as I know, will only look at what you have not what you lack.</p>

<p>If Yale is your dream school then by all means apply early. As for other schools, it really depends on what kind of a college environment you want to be in. There's a lot of colleges in North America, and I'm sure you'll find quite a few that match your interests. </p>

<p>I don't do the whole reach/match/safety thing, and I don't think there are many who can tell you your probability of getting in. Realize that Yale is difficult to get into, and apply. :D</p>

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<p>I honestly don't think the USAMO is that big of a deal to a place like Yale. Looking over your specific stats, I can't even see why you would even consider Yale an ideal fit. I'd think you'd fare better with MIT admissions, or something of the like.</p>

<p>Also, your ECs are not really impressive, and your leadership roles are seemingly exaggerated. I'm also basing a lot of my assessment of you on the fact that you can't seem to write coherently on these boards. </p>

<p>After seeing many of my fellow USAMO friends get rejected from the top colleges this year over Canadians with very basic stats, I came to realize that the USAMO is simply not that big of a factor as we'd all like to think it is. I was like you - I actually thought such and such mathematical accomplishments meant something. So that said, focus on your ECs.</p>

5

<p>thanks big brother</p>

<p>and why did you say my leadership roles are exaggerated?</p>

<p>can you provide more detailes/ how i can sound better when i talk about them?</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

6

<p>thanks guys</p>

<p>more input plz=)</p>

<p>i know im lacking a lot, but i did try my best over the years and i hope i can get in =)</p>

<p>im interested in yale b/c i do want to do something in politics/economics =)</p>

<p>i'm not taking all 3 sciences in HS, so I'm not a science person =)</p>

7

<p>just apply, college is a lottery game, you never know. your stats bought u a top odd ticket already, </p>

<p>u ll regret if u dont apply</p>

8

<p>Other recommendations: </p>

<p>U of Chicago (best in economics)
Johns Hopkins, Tufts, and Georgetown (Top 3 schools in International relations/studies) Frankly, Yale is not known to be very outstanding in this area of study. </p>

<p>I do agree with one above poster that your EC stats do seem a little "elaborate." Keep in mind that on the actual application, you will only have 7-8 short lines max. to fill in your entire EC profile. Therefore, you want to aim for QUALITY, NOT quantity. Mundane ECs like "school reach all star member, math club, or drama production" will not impress admissions officers at elite institutions. </p>

<p>Once again, I strongly encourage you to look into a variety of other schools, such as top Liberal Arts Colleges like Williams, Middlebury, Wellesley, Davidson, etc, or other universities among the top-25. Even though your current stats may seem well ahead of the average highschool student, your chances at a school like Yale is still relatively slim (do take a look at last year's EA defers and rejects from the Yale thread; many have similar or even better stats). By the way, I'm also from Canada :)</p>

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<p>thanks Jimmy =)</p>

<p>ya i definitely agree with you. the mundane ones are the ones i didnt really spend time on XD</p>

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<p>wow cant believe i have 102 posts by now</p>

<p>guess i better go back to studyXD</p>

11

<p>With your above stats, you should have a really a chance at Williams and Middlebury. Tufts, Georgetown and JHU will also be rolling out red carpets for you.</p>

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<p>wow thanks jimmy!</p>

<p>what schools do you think should i apply early to?</p>

<p>i would love to be in a few schools EA =)</p>

13

<p>looks like u got a decent chance</p>

<p>and
i wouldnt say that you are sure that yale is the best school for econ and international studies.</p>

<p>yes, they have amazing international studies(although i dont think the best...and many will agree), but
University of Chicago has THE best undergrad economics program in the world
(im not exaggerating, it really is. it is definately one of the 5 most prestigious degrees in the US for sure)</p>

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<p>thx BIGTWIX</p>

<p>which on do u think fit me better? yale or stanford?</p>

<p>ps i only took 2 yeras of general science and 2 years of chemistry in HS, does that hurt my chance at stanford?</p>

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<p>Christ. Look at the stats of other accepted Canadians. For a USAMO qualifier, you seem amazingly uninformed about college admissions.</p>

<p>And yes, your English grades are definitely going to hurt. The fact that you took 2 years of Chem in HS probably won't hurt, since Canadian education in itself is very limited. If you took advantage of every single class you could at your HS, then it's obviously to your advantage.</p>

<p>One Canadian girl on these forums that got into Yale, was heavily involved with political stuff. Another Canadian guy who was also accepted did stuff in the Canadian science fair, and is an intended pre-med. One guy I know personally also did science fair stuff, and is ALSO a pre-med. It's not hard to see that Yale is looking for specific things. Unfortunately, being a USAMO qualifier (your perceived hook) is not one of them. I used to believe that it was such a big deal, but after seeing so many Canadians get rejected from U.S. schools with similar qualifications, I realized that this was never the case. I truly did believe that these individuals were very talented, and it saddens me that they have to "resort to UWaterloo." </p>

<p>Why am I telling you this? Because in many aspects, your application was just like mine. I feel like I am very lucky to have a school to go to next year, but you have to grow up and realize that you are NOT entitled to Yale, Stanford, etc. A lot of friends expected good things coming to them in March and when it didn't happen, I was very upset for them - mainly because I felt I was less qualified than say - a 3-time APMO/USAMO qualifier.</p>

<p>Heck, a guy I know from the Math Olympiad Winter Training Camp was rejected by UChicago and is going to UWaterloo next year.</p>

<p>"--secretary officer of our region's regional student council, i personally oversee 25 schools and will organize many event such as regional talent show to raise money for charities</p>

<p>-toronto youth cabinet, member 2 years
-discussed and put forward motions at city hall"</p>

<p>You know...this sounds a lot like that Yale girl on the forum. It makes me wonder how significant this achievement is.</p>

<p>"-<strong><em>ambassador club founding member (will talk abt in essay)</em></strong>***
--our school , being in the middle of a town where tons of new immigrants live, receives tons of asian immigrants and ambassador club will help them to settle down
--it has a quite heavy focus on international affairs too, we just did this fundrasing for kids in kenya, we raised 500 school kits and 500+ cash. i'm a leader in that"</p>

<p>I really don't see how this is significant. Heck, I raised $6000 this year for FIRST Robotics. I'm not sure how it could've affected you all that much.</p>

<p>Also, you don't need justification from us CCers whether or not if "something looks bad" or if "it'll hurt you." You come off as a fobbish applicant from Toronto - which are a dime a dozen. That's only going to hurt you.</p>

<p>I would consider some other schools in addition to Yale and Stanford, which - face it, aren't really great schools for you. I also really like Jimmy's suggestion for UChicago - it's definitely an excellent place for Economics. It seems to me that you're considering a lot of your choices based on prestige...oh well...don't we all...</p>

16

<p>wow...big brother......
thanks for the detailed reply!</p>

<p>i was basically wondering, among the reaches, which ones are more realistic.</p>

<p>uchicago and other schools are great too, and i'm sure i will apply XD</p>

<p>but btwn safety schools in US (ie state schools) and Uwaterloo
i think i like U Waterloo more, just b/c it has coop and all that</p>

<p>hmm ya i know my ECs don't stand out much lol</p>

<p>I wish i could go out , save the world and write an essay about that XD</p>

<p>and ya i know i'm not entitled to those schools, but it doesn't hurt to dream haha</p>

<p>so among some of my super reaches --stanford, yale, upenn,
which one is more realistic/which one should i apply early?</p>

<p>also can you tell me why you think stanford isn't going to be a great school for me?</p>

<p>thanks again!</p>

17

<p>As an international student, UPenn is less of reach ED. My brother, also an intl student, applied ED last year with sub-par stats to those of the average UPenn acceptee (though still good stats!) and got in. Same goes for two friends my age (who are graduating from Penn this year). It's not a sure bet, of course, but I do know that Penn is known to be more lenient with intl students than it is with US applicants.</p>

<p>However, is applying ED to the school you're more likely to get in a good idea? No. I think you should apply ED to your first-choice school, even if it's maybe less likely you'll get in. If Penn is your #1 by far, excellent. If Yale or Stanford or some other school is, then apply early there.</p>

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<p>thx lolabellle
these 3 schools are a tie for me
and at penn i want to apply for wharton, so that makes it kind of hard =(
i think it will be btwn stanford and upenn wharton =)</p>

<p>and of course, i know they are hard to get in</p>

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<p>First, I think that academically you're strong, and that for someone who only moved to Canada a few years ago, your English is very good and you're doing very well.</p>

<p>By all means, apply to Yale. Just remember that people just as intelligent as you are also applying to Yale. Some will have hooks that will tip the balance in their favour. Remember not to expect to get in. All you can do is give it a shot and hope for the best.</p>

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<p>No problem yihan. Just remember that you are not required to apply EA, and applications to Yale and Stanford will certainly surge next year (due to Harvard and Princeton dropping the ED/EA option).</p>

<p>Are you considering any other options? If it's just between Yale and Stanford, then Stanford is most certainly the better choice. Stanford likes Chinese applicants a LOT, and accepts them liberally since it's been having trouble recruiting them for years up until recently (note that when I say Chinese, I mean Chinese nationals. So...if you're not a Canadian citizen...).</p>

<p>But honestly, I don't think Yale or Stanford is a good fit for you. I'm not so sure about Stanford, but Yale isn't exactly what comes to mind when I'm thinking iBanking/Business. Stanford is known for better things than iBanking, but it DOES have a decent Grad school program in economics (I'm not sure if you're considering grad school). Stanford would be GREAT if you're considering engineering or CS, but I wouldn't go there for Econ/Poli.</p>

<p>When I'm thinking Wall Street placement, the first few places that come to mind are Wharton, Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth, and MIT. I'm pretty sure Dartmouth sends more of its grad than any other place does to Goldman Sachs, and it does pretty well with Wall Street placement (I'm a little biased here).</p>

<p>You seem fixated on Stanford/Yale. Don't be. If you overlook places like UChicago, you'll be missing out on some arguably BETTER opportunities.</p>

<p>And btw, Co-op at UWaterloo is absolutely worthless. Some of the co-op placements require you to do repetitive lab work, which is anything but intellectually stimulating. </p>

<p>"I wish i could go out , save the world and write an essay about that XD"</p>

<p>...so you can get into a top-tier college? Heh, let's not kid ourselves here. We live in a superficial world.</p>

<p>I see that you're stressing yourself out this early on...even though you won't be hearing decisions until a long time. A lot of the most intelligent people I've ever known have been greatly dissappointed this year. Come into next year with reasonable expectations - and I think you should get into at least one school IF you play your applications right (which you're not if all you're planning on is Stanford, Yale, and UPenn). Going to a prestigious college is an end-all be-all type of thing. Just be chill.</p>