I am a rising senior currently, and I was wondering whether my qualifications meet what is demanded in order to be admitted into such a prestigious school such as Duke, Yale and/or Cornell. Intended major is bio btw.
Academics: 4.25 weighted GPA, 1390 SAT (I think I can raise it a little bit though to low 1400s), 26 ACT (I know that is REALLY bad, I know I can do better)
EC: President of HOSA, Treasurer of Tech Club, (I’ve won minor awards in both clubs), Treasurer of Student Government, Treasurer of Kindness Club, NHS, Boy scout (Haven’t really accomplished too much in Boy Scouts, however), Volunteer at a local park this summer, Cross Country (captain), Indoor/Outdoor track. This year I plan on starting a club aimed at guiding other students through AP Macro/Microeconomics to sit for the AP exam (I independent studied these courses).
I know my focuses are kind of spread all over the place, will that be a problem? If you think I need more, what should I do.
If you can raise your SAT to the 1400s like you said, you’ll stand a better chance. Your ECs look good overall, but I don’t really see one passion or focus- and Ivies trend towards applicants with a passion or focus.
I think you can still try! There’s nothing wrong with sending an app in and seeing what happens. Just treat Duke, Yale and Cornell like the reaches that they are and focus on top 20-50 schools.
They’re definitely reaches (they are for anyone) but if you can raise your scores I think you have a shot. Make sure you have targets/safeties that you really like. Definitely apply and hope for the best. Judging by the fact that you seem (at least to someone looking at your resume) like an economics (treasurer, AP economics classes), health (hosa), or community (kindness club, student government, boy scouts) type person, pick one of these to emphasize. You have a lot of leadership positions which is good.
Ivys do take students with scores in the low 1400s. But it is the exception, not the rule. Generally these are students who are URMs, or have undergone great adversity. Do either of these apply to you? If not consider broadening your scope and looking and schools where your SAT scores are close to or above the 50th percentile.
I’m a white woman who is also applying for Bio and help looked at these colleges. I have a 4.7 W, a 1540 SAT, and a 36 on the ACT, as well as having done cancer research at Northwestern. Every single college counselor has told me that Duke, Yale, and Cornell are reaches, with Yale possibly even out of reach.
Quick note. The 25% mark for SAT is at Duke is 1440, at Yale 1490, and Cornell 1410. That will be pulled down by recruited athletes. I would not focus on Yale so much if I were you, but look more at the other two, where your scores will be in range, should you be able to get it to the lower 1400’s as you stated.
Just saying, I would not put all those EC on your application. I don’t think that they all help your cause. In fact, I would quickly say that they muddle who you are rather than make it clear.
Focus on HOSA, Cross Country/Track, student government, and the club you are starting. The other ones sound like fillers and will muddle your application rather than help it. (Treasurer of Kindness club made me cringe just a bit. Whether or not this is a filler, it really sounds like one.)
I’m really sorry if I sounded mean or harsh! That was not my intention!
Good luck!
Really being honest, your GPA and SAT are not on a par with that of an average student of any Ivy League. Although EC matters, ADCOM will not weigh it any more than the fixed amount of weight, so relying on EC won’t do any good.
Yeah I agree. You should focus on raising your SAT scores. Otherwise, I suggest you do more bio-related EC’s. Maybe do a research project this summer or something like that.
Good luck!
Here’s my proposed game plan for you maximizing your chances of acceptance:
-Get the SAT to at least 1450+. Try for 1500+, but if that’s too much, you’re still in the pool with mid-1400’s (still on the lower end).
-Pick an EC, and take it to the next level (start a new project, initiative, etc.) You’ve got to stand out, thousands of kids are “president of this and that.” You need a spike in your application to show adcoms you’re willing to make a difference. I agree totally with @ConcernedRabbit. Since your stats are on the lower end, you’ve got to compensate with EC’s.
-Start your essay drafts NOW! Brainstorm what you love about those 3 schools and keep editing them each day/week.
-Apply Cornell ED: They have just below a 30% acceptance rate ED, which is fantastic for Ivy’s (it’s the highest of all 8 and Duke, which sits around 23%.) Cornell’s your best shot, they take lots of kids in the 1400’s.
Also, what’s your UW gpa? If it’s above 3.7+, you have little chances. If it’s 3.85+, you have a much better shot. I’d still say high reach for you, but you’ll never know if you don’t apply.
Good luck!!!