<p>For a long time now, I've been doing a lot research in regards to universities/colleges I would like to apply to. I haven't really looked into any ivy league schools, because my ACT/SAT scores are no where near the average for any of them and my EC's are great, but not ivy material based on profiles I've seen in the chance threads. Since the common app evaluates students holistically, would I still need scores around 2300 or a 34 to be accepted or 1000 hours of community service? I know this may be extremely low compared to the average score, but would a score of a 28 get me anywhere? I'm not banking on getting accepted to an ivy whatsoever, but I'm just curious.</p>
<p>It depends on whether or not you have a “hook.” Are you a division 1 level athlete? An under represented minority with a compelling life story? A legacy? The progeny of a famed family or celebrity? Is your family willing and able to make a six figure donation to the school?</p>
<p>Applying to an ivy is like trying to get in to the hot dance club of the moment. The club has the advantage of over demand so they get to admit who they want based on purely subjective criteria. What an ivy euphemises as a “holistic approach.” </p>
<p>The numbers are very discouraging. The 7% admit rate at an ivy is; once you account for recruited athletes, URMs, legacies, fame and celebrity admits, and developmental admits, actually more like 4%. That’s the real story for us unlucky unhooked folks. </p>
<p>Yet the ivy will tell you that the only way to be 100% certain to not be admitted is to not apply. Whiich is true, but sounds an awful lot like how lotteries sell themselves, “if you don’t play, you can’t win.”</p>
<p>Ivys do this to boost their applications because they want to maintain the perception of exclusivity. The rarer something is perceived to be the more valuable it’s perceived to be.</p>
<p>No, you don’t need a 34 or 2300 - it just helps. No, you don’t need 1000 hours of community service - anyone can lie about this or do some bs “service” with no real passion involved. A 28 is fairly low, but it won’t completely shut down your chances as people do get in with that score. You need to make sure you have genuine letters of recommendation and remarkable, personal essays that show you are deserving even with your 28. Cornell is probably your best shot.</p>
<p>Thanks to you both for sharing your thought. I’m very familiar with the ivy admission process and it’s quite similar to the lottery. I may apply to like 2 or 3 through the common app and see what happens. My confidence has been boosted greatly from what you told me, but I won’t bank on getting accepted. I have to actually get my 28 or higher first!</p>
<p>I know one individual who got accepted to Yale with only a 32 and a good essay. Not a NMS, no athletics, no legacy, no outstanding grades.
But that’s one person out of my entire high school for four years. Ivy = SAT 2300+ or ACT 35+.
If you look at the percent of individuals attending, you’ll see that a large percentage, (especially in the smaller Ivys) don’t attend. Sometimes over 30%. Consider Dartmouth, even though an individual got accepted, they also got accepted to Yale. So configure those perfect students who get accepted, then consider athletics who have a reserved spot, legacies, many of which can afford full tuition. It’s depressing, but like I said at the beginning, there is hope.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Even though it’s a holistic process, since so many applicants have high stats, you really need high standardized test scores, GPA, and whatnot to get your foot in the door. The holistic aspect really only comes in if you prove you’re academically qualified (i.e. if your numbers are good enough).</p>
<p>Of course, hooks can sometimes make up for low scores (depending on which hook), and it’s still worth applying with a 28 (which is by no means low). It’s worth a shot, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up very high.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input, hopefully I can score a 28 or more in October! I’m aiming for a 26 in September.</p>
<p>Actually it is people thinking “eh, its easy enough to apply with the common app and who, knows even my 28 act score can fly” that allows the Ivys to boast 7% acceptance rates! Generally - out of the 25k that apply to Yale, only 5k are academically qualified. Hence the percentages.
And no, below a 2300 on the SAT doesnt preclude you from getting in. A standardized test score acts as an easy mark for colleges to gage your admissibility. With scores below 2100SAT/32ACT - only legacy/athletes/development cases/URM get a look. Above - everyone has a chance.</p>
<p>@mhmm</p>
<p>Would you mind explaining/showing how only a fifth of the applicants are qualified in Yale admissions? I would love to believe this, but it seems too good to be true.</p>
<p>What would my chances be at Cornell (ivy), Duke and UVA with a score around 28? My hooks are: URM, low income and first generation.
Of course there’s other things to consider such as my GPA, ECs, etc.</p>
<p>Your an interesting case Mars. I have a single parent with 4 kids in addition to URM+Low income + 1st gen. You have 3 out of the four, so a 28 and a compelling essay (that better be true, mind you) will work well in your favor. A bit of advice: be sure to have a couple dimensions (or just one large one) of talents if you want to let a 28 slide, have 3 out of 4 +'s, not have enough optimism about your admittance chances, (I think so, and it will be quite obvious in your essays if you don’t carry yourself with an intriguing confidence despite knowing full well that your stats aren’t the hottest on the market) and still get in. You have great EC’s (so you say): use them in coordination to make yourself seem outstanding (you should be, anyway, if you seriously want acceptance into an Ivy). You could always study for the ACT, take it again, and get a 31+ (lucky you), making you even more impressive. Check out my post here: Could be of some help. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1161644-do-i-have-chance-your-opinion-new-post.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1161644-do-i-have-chance-your-opinion-new-post.html</a></p>
<p>Thanks Oluwamide, I appreciate the advice and will be sure to check out your post. Here’s my stats btw:</p>
<p>Stats/Info:</p>
<ul>
<li>Male (Rising Senior)</li>
<li>New York </li>
<li>African American (URM)</li>
<li>First Generation</li>
<li>Low Income </li>
<li>GPA: 3.8 (unweighted)</li>
<li>ACT: 20 (re-taking for at least a 26 in September and a 28+ in October)</li>
<li>Class Rank: Top 10%</li>
<li>AP/Honors: (my school only offers AP Bio and I’m taking it this year) </li>
</ul>
<p>Activities:
- internship in pre-college office at school (90 hours)
- co-founder/organizer of the music club
- senior representative of the student council
- played guitar for 3 years
- played soccer for 2 years
- College Now @ Baruch College - “Introduction to Business” (worth 3 credits)
- Junior Scholars Program (a neighborhood honors program; applied last week)
- after-school volunteering (8 hours, plan to complete more)
- community service (10 hours, plan to complete about 70 more)</p>
<p>Additional Info:
- I want to major in something related to entrepreneurship and graphic design.
- I may tryout for track in the winter.</p>
<p>Random Info:
- Disciplinary Issues: 0 (9th - 11th)
- Latenesses: 0 (9th - 11th)
- Absences: 6 (9th - 11th)</p>
<p>Aside from my ACT score, is there any else I should work on?</p>
<p>@raincoats - with the advent of the common app the numbers of potential applicants rise to unprecedented heights (for a recent example look at what happened to Columbia and Georgetown numbers when they went on Common App last year). Same with UChicago that used to have 40% admit rate before the Common App since it was a self selected pool of applicants. In terms of Yale numbers though - I didnt make them up - yale dean was in my daughter’s school giving a lecture and those numbers are from him. So if one takes 32ACT/2100SAT as cut off scores for non hooked academically admissible students, the students with numbers below are the ones boosting up the odds. The OP never mentioned his hooks, which should put his 28 in the ballpark.</p>
<p>I really have to study hard until October to get that 28, I’m also reconsidering the SAT again, but I’m not 100% sure.</p>
<p>You could do really well. Try to shoot for even above a 28. Have faith, and most importantly (don’t mean to be controversial here, just a figure of speech) PRAY LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. Harvard accepted 250 something (class of 2015 attendance total times 12% African/American) African/Americans in the class of 2015. Just knock it out of the ballpark.</p>