Hey all-
I was wondering how hard it is to get into Dyson ED as a white, male, OOS, non-recruited athlete and nonlegacy? Is this even a feasible goal? I applied here early just because it is my first choice by far, but the more research I do the more it appears an acceptance is out of reach!
We won’t know without you telling us your stats. Your demographics tell us nothing about how competitive you are as an applicant.
@AspiringScho1ar thanks for the response! I was more talking generically, but since you asked-
GPA: 94 UW 96 W (super competitive private prep school)
ACT: 35 (English 36 Reading 36 Math 32 Science 36)
APs: World (4) Euro (5) Bio (5) Lang (5) this year Micro, Macro, US Gov, Calc AB
ECs
-Nationally ranked debater (18th in the nation, academic all-american, captain) this pretty much consumes all of my time, and I feel that I explained this well in my app
-Eagle Scout
-Varsity Lacrosse 9th and 10th grades, captain 10th
-NHS
-Summer jobs as a paddle guide and camp counselor
Obviously, I believe that my essays are superb and recs will be stellar (who doesn’t lol)
What do y’all think?
@connorf13 Sorry bud, you’re GPA is definitely towards the 25th percentile. A 35 ACT means you make mistakes sometimes, so that’s not a good look. I suggest retaking. Lacrosse doesn’t rhyme with “brew” so you’re out of luck there. Everyone is in NHS. Summer jobs just means you were too lazy to find an internship. 18th in the nation is a bit low. As you know Dyson is ranked top ten undergrad business in the nation so try raising your rank to top 10.
TDLR: Since you’re not a legacy nor a Native American, I suggest looking into Cornell College. It’s a much less competitive school but at least it has the same name.
@AspiringScho1ar hahaha looks like it’s my state school for me
It’s funny how people always post stuff like this - “chance me, I’m a white/black/asian male with this gpa and that act.” First of all, you saying that your school is a “super competitive private prep school” doesn’t mean anything until you give us the actual name of the school. Ok, it could be “competitive”, but it could also be a school with <400 kids. In that case, your ‘competitiveness’ doesn’t mean anything. And I can tell it’s not that highly ranked of a school because you became captain of the lacrosse team as a 10th grader. Even if you are an amazing lacrosse, high schools do not do this - this shows that your school is small and thus it is easier to achieve higher GPAs.
In addition, being ranked 18th as debate could be good, but that is literally the only thing you have. If you were top 10, then MAYBE you could make something out of it. But centering your application around the fact that you’re 18th doesn’t mean much. In addition, the top business school in the world does not care if you are a hardcore debater, so good luck trying to convince them that you are a good fit for them just because you are good at wasting your time arguing with people that have nothing better to do. Did you start your own “debate club” in your school? Are you a part of that club if it exists? Do you also know that the point system for nationally ranked debate is skewed towards people who win a few international awards at specific points in time?
In addition, do you know what business is? Today, business is dictated by the stock market and Wall street. Thus, you will be completely submerged in mathematics. A 32 in the math section on the ACT doesn’t show that you are ready. You should be getting a 36 on math with no problem whatsoever.
Writing down “eagle scout” and “nhs” is literally asking to get rejected. If you have to pad your resume with those commonplace activities, your “debate activity/essays” better be goddamn f**king good, or you’re done.
It also helps to say that everyone’s recommendation will be “stellar.” No one ever gets a recommendation that is mediocre, because teachers write decent recommendations for essentially everyone - they just won’t write one for someone they believe isn’t qualified. The fact that you say your essays are superb just tell me you didn’t even review them or get them reviewed by others. I got my essay reviewed by someone who graduated from Yale with an English degree and was told it was amazing, but even then I didn’t think my essay was “superb.”
All in all, I don’t think you are ready for Cornell. And I want to address this issue on a larger scale - just because you consider yourself to be “proficient” in one subject does not mean you deserve to get accepted into a school of an IVY calibre. If you really want me to “chance” you, post your essays, but as of now, I can confidently state that you will not be accepted into Dyson.
@collegecareers so high reach?
You should apply. Perhaps your extracurricular activities are a bit weak but that ACT is very strong.
I would argue that critical reading and ability to interpret data are equally as important as math skills in the “business” field. If you can effectively convey your interest in Dyson in your essay, then you have a shot.
@triceratops1 Thank you for the feedback! I did apply: figured it was worth a shot
@connorf13 those first two posters were overly harsh. Your ACT is stellar and GPA isn’t bad. It looks like the classes you’re taking are the most challenging so a 96 taking the hardest courses your school offers is way better than a 99 with basic courses. Ivies value academic rigor way more than test scores. I agree with the others, your ECs are not unique so they help but not as much as you think. I’m the 10th ranked non-native German speaker in my state and I guarantee that means nothing. LOL. Your summer activities could have been stronger too and I’m not reading much in terms of community service, which is really important. As a Girl Scout I can appreciate how much time it takes to get Eagle Scout, but honestly, I didn’t even mention my Gold Award on my application because EVERYONE it seems is a Scout or debater or UN model student. What you need is a major hook these days, something that makes you stand out. That’s getting really hard to do these days. Having said that, you have about an average chance - which is something to be proud of. Even if you don’t get in, how many people can say they had the stats to even be able to realistically apply to an Ivy? Not many.
@AspiringScho1ar you are being way too harsh, let’s be real. You think an ACT of 35 would be looked down upon?? If anything it sounds like you’re a bit jealous, lol petty…
@IBsleeping Bruh how could you not get that I was being sarcastic…