Dream School is Yale. Think I Can Get In?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>Hi CC forumgoers! This is my first post ever, although I've been reading these forums for a while (you guys rock!). </p>

<p>I'd really like to know how you all think my application looks. I'm applying as a QuestBridge finalist to Yale, my dream school (I've also posted this on the QuestBridge forums, but I want to know how my credentials stand against regular applicants).</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for any thoughts/advice/criticism!</p>

<p>SAT: 2300 (second time; 740R, 800M, 760W)
SAT IIs: 710 Math 2, 730 Chemistry
**ACT: 33<a href="second%20time;%2033E,%2034M,%2033R,%2030S%3C---lol">/b</a></p>

<p>I sent my ACT to (hopefully) make up for the weaker SAT IIs. I'm taking some more soon for the RD round, though. Math 2 needs to come up.</p>

<p>I'll have taken 12 APs by the end of senior year.
Senior year course load:
-AP Lit
-AP Gov
-AP Psych
-AP Calc BC (got a 5 on AB last year)
-AP Stats
-Honors Botany, Honors Internship (both of which I use to work on my senior project--see below)
Other APs: Chem, Calc AB, Lang, Environmental, APUSH, World, Human Geo</p>

<p>UW GPA: 3.875
W GPA: 5.0 (out of 6.0)
Rank: 5th
Class Size: 500</p>

<p>I’m a white male.</p>

<p>I attend a medium to large size public magnet school (for environmental science) in South Florida. It’s really sad, but outside of the magnet (which comprises only a small percentage of the population), my school is... well... let’s just say “illiterate”. And that’s putting it nicely.</p>

<p>Now for the fun stuff!</p>

<p>I have swam competitively for the past 9 years on a club team, and on my high school team for all 4 years. Junior year I was MVP, this year I was Captain. Swimming takes up a huge amount of time (6 days a week or more, 3-4 hours a day). I definitely intend to swim in college. </p>

<p>During sophomore year, I taught myself how to program iPhone apps. I currently have 3 published on the iTunes App Store. I had no instructor or course to take; I just scoured the Internet for videos, blogs, and forums, eventually cobbling together my own understanding. I really love programming--I do it in my free time around swimming and school. I've made a game and two utility apps (that actually have useful purposes--gasp!). One of my essays talks about my love of programming and math, and how I taught myself how to make these apps.</p>

<p>I thought both of my essays were pretty spectacular, and really packed that “punch”. Teacher recs were great (I only got to see one, but it was pretty phenomenal) .
I barely know my guidance counselor, but she let me help her write her stuff.</p>

<p>Misc:
~100 service hours
National Merit Commended
AP Scholar with Distinction</p>

<p>If it means anything, I’ve had a couple of meaningful conversations with my regional admissions officer, both in person and by e-mail.</p>

<p>If you've read this far, thank you! Please give me your thoughts on my chances of admission and any other general comments. They’re greatly appreciated!</p>

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<p>If you’ve been reading other CC chance threads, you should know:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Based upon your test scores and GPA, you are a qualified student. That said, so are about 80% of all applicant’s. </p></li>
<li><p>Selective colleges read everything in your file, paying close attention to your teacher recommendations, guidance counselor report and essays – all items not included in your post. So, it’s really impossible to chance anyone for admissions, as so much of the applications process is subjective, and comes down to how an Admissions Director “feels” after reading your teacher recommendations and essays and compares them to all other applicants. You just have to send your applications out into the universe and hope for the best.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Good luck to you!</p>

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<p>Thank you gibby! I’m hoping for the best. Do you have any thoughts on my extracurriculars, though? I haven’t seen a huge emphasis on athletics on these forums, and I know iPhone programming is kind of out-there… Do you think these are competitive extracurriculars? Thanks!</p>

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<p>Unless you are applying as a recruited athlete, extracurricular activities show a college what you are interested in doing outside of the classroom. One EC is not better than another, or one EC is not stronger or more competitive than another – so forgot those phrases. Everything an applicant does is okay! What matters most is your commitment and passion to your extracurricular activities, whatever they may be. In your case, you have a commitment and passion towards swimming and CS – so, all is good, but you need to understand the role EC’s play in your application. No student gets accepted, or rejected, just because of their stellar EC’s, or lack of EC’s.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the reassurance. Fall is a nervous time for applicants, eh?</p>

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<p>I think that you have the stuff to get in, but coming from someone who doesn’t really have the opportunity to look at their trancripts and make any kind of estimate about the likelihood of getting into their dream school (my SAT scores fall a hundred points behind yours, and I’ve taken a whopping four AP courses- one of them Studio art- I’m hoping for good reactions to my essays, teacher recs, and portfolio), I think that there’s so much futility in trying to weigh the possibility of getting in, when it seems that above some threshold of grades and scores, we’ll all get put on a dartboard, and only so many of us will be hit.</p>

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<p>@ceruleia that’s such a grimly accurate comparison. Ugh I really wouldn’t be surprised if I found out that all the admissions people just played darts all day with our pictures lol</p>

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<p>You have a better than average chance. The Questbridge hook will help.</p>