Decent chance?? (chances back!)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>SAT (single test date)</p>

<p>CR- 730
Math- 790
Writing MC 800
Essay- 8</p>

<p>Overall- 2290</p>

<p>GRADES</p>

<p>Our school doesn't rank, but definitely top 10%. Cum Laude also.
UW gpa (including freshman year is like a 3.6 and weighted a 3.85 (we have small weights :/ ) if you don't include freshman year its more like a 3.78 UW and 4.05 W (and all this is only core classes)</p>

<p>Freshman Year </p>

<p>English 9 honors- B
World History I honors- B
Physics honors- B+
Acc. Algebra II- C+
French II Honors- A-</p>

<p>Sophomore Year</p>

<p>English 10 Honors- A
World History II Honors- A-
Chem Honors- A-
Pre Calc- A-
French III Honors- A-</p>

<p>Junior Year (so far)</p>

<p>English 11 AP- A-
US History Honors- A
Chem AP- A-
Calc AB- A-
French IV Honors- A</p>

<p>Senior Year courseload-
English 12 AP
Micro/Macro
Physics AP
Calc BC
French AP</p>

<p>Ethnicity- Hispanic (cuban)
Private School</p>

<p>EC's- </p>

<p>-community service about 300 hours, playing piano at local nursing home
-varsity basketball 2 years, jv sports before (lax, basketball, football)
-solo & ensemble music festival awards- 5 state solo superiors in piano, mallets, and drums so far and 15 distric superiors so far. been playing drums for 6 years and piano for 8.
-young republicans president, spanish club for 4 years
- did harvard summer school program last year, have a prof rec (but i have no idea what its like considering i never really got to know him THAT well)</p>

<p>I know that its still early, but can i please know if im wasting my time or if i actually have a good chance. Assuming i score 4's and 5's on the AP exams this year, 700+ on the sat II's, and excellent essay and teacher recs, what are my chances?? (will chance back!)</p>

<p>I know this is a Yale forum but I'd also appreciate chances for </p>

<p>Williams
Amherst
Princeton
Dartmouth
Columbia
Duke
Stanford
Georgetown
Bowdoin</p>

<p>Thanks so much, I just really have NO clue</p>

2

<p>You know what they say, if you have to ask… jk :slight_smile: Nah, you got as good of a chance as anyone. Don’t fret about the C in 9th grade since you are showing a drastic upward trend. At this point just keep doing what your doing because at this point all it comes down to is whether your adcom’s lunch upset his stomach or not. [Dirty</a> Secrets of College Admissions - The Daily Beast](<a href=“http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-09/dirty-secrets-of-college-admissions/full/]Dirty”>http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-09/dirty-secrets-of-college-admissions/full/) ;)</p>

3

<p>I don’t know seeing as I’m not on the adcom of Yale, but those are some solid stats. I’ve heard that some schools don’t really look at 9th grade grades, and your grades seem to keep improving. Also, being a URM supposedly helps. Good luck! Could you check my stats out too?</p>

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<p>Though I say, I’ve never met a minority Republican for a while…</p>

5

<p>Stop fretting about your stats, you can’t change them now…</p>

6

<p>I don’t know how you got a 790 in math when you can’t even add up your SAT scores (2320 not 2290), but that’s besides the fact. No offense, but you look like the typical applicant to the Ivies. Nothing really stands out and I can’t really see the depth of your passion, whatever that may be. Your GPA is a bit low too, despite your upward trend. I’d say your chances are pretty slim but it is not impossible. Good luck.</p>

7

<p>You’re not a real Hispanic if you aren’t a Democrat. Damn Cuban traitors ;D</p>

<p>Not sure why everyone insists on giving a mile long report card in their chance threads. Your exact grades aren’t really necessary to give an assessment, especially because fellow CC’ers can only give an estimate.</p>

<p>You can fall into the category of “qualified”. Apply, but know that you’re nothing special. Sorry to be harsh! You could get lucky, I hear they always accept really average students so that their motives always are ambiguous.</p>

<p>Being a URM doesn’t hurt.</p>

8

<p>you have pretty good stats, but nothing that really stands out…</p>

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<p>he got an 8 on his essay so that would bring down his writing score some and bring down his overall score to a 2290</p>

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<p>what do you guys mean by nothing standing out? like not well-rounded enough? not having good enough e.c.'s?</p>

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<p>The activities that you did really don’t seem very impressive. You do a lot of activities, but don’t show your expertise in a certain subject. It’s not that you don’t do enough activities but you don’t do any that show your interest and passion for a particular subject.</p>

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<p>We mean there’s nothing that makes you ‘unique’ or a must admit case.</p>

<p>Meaning you’re definitely a good candidate, but you don’t have any hooks other than URM (which is a big one). Good SAT’s, sports, community service, and instruments are all very common. Thousands of other people have resume’s just like you.</p>

<p>Something that makes you “stand out”, inclusive of good grades/SAT…
Some examples:
-You’re a dipbrat like John Kerry, your parents or family are diplomats and therefore you have a more globalized perspective
-You are ranked #21 in men’s singles Tennis in the USA or are really good, and were recruited by the coach
-you interned at a fortune 500 company, and did actual work on contracts. You also possibly earned a meaningful supplementary rec from a project manager
-Your grandfather is a member of the Committee on University Resources, and has donated a total of 4.3 million dollars to Harvard/etc., and therefore identifying you as a development case</p>

<p>Don’t get me wrong, hooks/tips go as far down as alumni or URM. But you can pretty much judge your own application. Just put all your ego aside, and don’t be afraid to be realistic. Think… do I really have anything that makes me desirable to the university? </p>

<p>These are also called “hooks” or “tips” depending on how much weight they carry</p>

13

<p>Question: What exactly is URM?</p>

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<p>URM= Under represented Minority</p>

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<p>Ok that’s what I thought. I just googled it and a boatload of possible acronyms appeared and I just wanted to make sure.</p>

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<p>Your chances are pretty good–if you can find a way to make yourself stand out. You don’t really have a huge hook, so make your essays shine. Write an essay that no one else in the world could write, one that will make the admissions officers remember you when they’re making their decisions.</p>

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<p>Not to be too harsh, but somebody who doesn’t know what URM stands for is probably not in the best position to evaluate the chances of somebody who is one. Just sayin’.
You have very good stats, and URM status will help you. Your grades have been very good (after 9th grade), and you’re taking a rigorous curriculum. Your SAT scores are very good, and may get even better if you take the SAT again. You’re a varsity athlete, and a good musician. You will get into an excellent college, and have a very good chance of getting into one or more of the schools on your list. Because the competition is so tough, you probably won’t be accepted to all of the most selective ones. You need to have a list that includes some safer schools as well.</p>

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<p>hmm ok. see thats the thing with me I’m more all around than having one specific thing thats a “hook” i guess. if i had to pick one thing i really excel it i guess is the music, considering i have a whole bunch of state awards and i can do a video i guess… but like you said, music is common. and so are sports (since I’m not good enough to play division 1 ball i don’t think). </p>

<p>waning hope :/</p>

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<p>playa, let me reemphasize that you are a high-stats URM. That alone is a very nice hook. You are definitely in the “zone” for top schools; just make sure you apply to enough of them (as well as safety and match schools), because you can’t predict which ones will admit you.</p>

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<p>thanks Hunt i appreciate the support. my guidance counselor told me the same thing, thats why I’m applying to like 20 schools ranging from the University of Miami (FL) to Yale and basically everywhere in between. The schools i listed were just most of my top top choices. i obviously would be ecstatic even if i only got into one of my top 6 or 7.</p>