Do I have any chance?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>I've recently decided that I've very inclined to apply to Yale, but do I have any chance of getting in? I know there's no definite way to determine whether or not I'll be accepted, but I feel that hearing from actual Yale students would help give me a idea at least. :)</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>Weighted GPA: 4.625 (currently but will be raised because I'm taking 2 more AP classes this year)</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.85</p>

<p>Currently ranked number 8 in a class of 507</p>

<p>I've taken all honors (except classes like Spanish where you can't take honors at my school) and by the time I graduate, I will have taken 5 AP classes (including taken AP Senior English [or AP English Literature] in my sophomore year.) I will also have taken Statistics and Life Management Skills at a community college.</p>

<p>AP Scores:</p>

<p>AP English Literature - 5
AP English Language and Composition - 5
AP U.S. History - 5</p>

<p>SAT I score was 800 Writing, 740 Critical Reading, and 600 Math (overall, 2140), but I'm retaking it in November.</p>

<p>SAT II - U.S. History (710); taking Literature in October (expecting high 700's or an 800)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>1.) Scriptwriting (created and have been writing scripts for an original television series for the past 6 years, began scriptwriting when I was 8 for a different original series)</p>

<p>2.) Creative writing (written at least seven novellas, five short stories, and one in-progress novel)</p>

<p>3.) Playwriting (one play written)</p>

<p>4.) Songwriting (have a small portfolio of lyrics I've written over the past four years)</p>

<p>5.) Poetry (larger portfolio of poetry I've written)</p>

<p>6.) Affinity Independent Film Company (freshman - senior year)
-Acting (starred in one full-length independent film and a cameo in another)
-Cinematography (two full-length independent films)
-Creative consulting (three full-length independent films)
-Directing (one short film)
-Writing (one short film and another in-progress feature-length)</p>

<p>7.) Animation Appreciation Club (freshman - senior year)</p>

<p>8.) Newspaper Club (freshman year)
-Staff writer for the school newspaper</p>

<p>9.) Senior Class Council (senior year)</p>

<p>Community Service:</p>

<p>1.) Drama-coaching middle school students for play productions for two summers (35 hours)</p>

<p>2.) Assisting teachers and students at an elementary school (about 200 hours)</p>

<p>3.) Participated in two episodes of a local television program called "Today's Family" as a guest speaker (5 hours)</p>

<p>4.) Junior Honor Guard <a href="10%20hours">top 10 students, assisting with graduation ceremony and senior banquet</a></p>

<p>Special Events:</p>

<p>1.) Junior Honor Guard</p>

<p>2.) Won third place in Voice of Democracy competition</p>

<p>3.) Won local poetry competition four times</p>

<p>Not sure if it makes a difference, but I would be a Film Studies major.</p>

<p>I think that's about it. I feel I may be forgetting something, but...anyway, I'd really appreciate any feedback about my chances of getting in and any advice you have to offer! Thank you so much for your time.</p>

2

<p>Your ECs aren’t too bad, they definitely seem focused toward your interests. How good your GPA is depends on the context of your school, and I hope you do well on your retake of the SAT. Your chances would be slightly better than the average applicant with higher scores.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for your feedback! :)</p>

<p>Anyone else willing to chance? Anyone’s feedback/advice is much appreciated.</p>

4

<p>From you background, you may also consider USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, one of the best in the world.</p>

5

<p>Your stats look like that of a few students from last year. They got in. BUT then there were others with higher SATs who were slapped with a rejection. Your ECs are really good, but make sure you are not putting too much time into your ECs and leaving your books out. </p>

<p>That being said, make sure your ECs are all three to four years. One thing I know Yale looks at is that rigor of your courseload. They do not want a person who started thinking about college in the eleventh grade.</p>

6

<p>Thanks, jack1232! I actually am applying to USC, and it is one of my top choices. :)</p>

<p>And thank you, bluewhitebulldog, for your feedback! Do you suggest I leave out extracurriculars that I only did for one year, even if they were substantial? For instance, last year, I did 200+ hours of community service volunteering at an elementary school. I think it’s significant, but I only did it for one year…</p>

<p>Also, I definitely did not start thinking about college in 11th grade :P, but I also did not take the very most rigorous course load available at my school. I took 5 out of 9 AP classes offered, and the rest have all been honors classes; what would Yale think of this? Not rigorous enough? The reason I did not take AP math or science classes, however, is because I knew that I would not be able to perform very well in them and they do not suit my strengths/interests/major. So, how would Yale view this? Would they immediately reject me because I didn’t take math/science AP classes?</p>

<p>Something that might be helpful is the fact that I took AP English Literature during my sophomore year and was the only sophomore admitted to this class (only offered to seniors except in very special circumstances like mine). This might show that I took the initiative to challenge myself academically and take on rigorous classes while most were not even thinking about/capable of taking AP classes?</p>