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<p>I really don’t think this is a great idea. All that things like Quest Overseas do is 1) expose privilege by showing that you had money to spend on trips like these (which, while not bad, causes adcoms to expect more out of your application as a whole since they’ll presume that you’ve alternatively had more academic opportunities) and 2) demonstrate an interest in community service without highlighting leadership skills that you could have underscored by starting your own community service project.</p>
<p>That’s not to say that programs like these would be a bad idea to do, but it is to emphasize that it probably won’t help your application that much. :/</p>
<p>You still have another school year and a summer to really “make the grade”. I’m an upcoming senior in a prep school in Maryland and only aiming for lower ivies (Brown, Cornell, Columbia). I too had a “dream school” that I wanted to attend, NYU, but as time passed, my train of thought changed and so did my “dream school”. If you are still focused on Yale as a junior and later on as a senior, then absolutely go for it! But you NEED to improve your leadership roles and you actually need a valid grade, not practice tests. Doesn’t mean a 34 on an ACT practice test will necessarily translate to an actual 34. Come back to the forums when you have a bonefied test score.</p>