<p>Hello all! I am a junior and this is my first post on CC. I have a few questions that haven't been cleared up by my school counselors, and I am a bit in the dark about college admissions in general. My first choice is definitely Yale and has been for a while now. I just got my first SATs back and I think it went well. 800 reading, 800 writing, and 690 math (cold turkey) for a 2290. I was flipping through a prep book after the test and now have a pretty good feel for the math section, and I am positive I can get a high score on that as well. </p>
<p>Here is my basic resume:
Extra-Curriculars
Young Democrats club president
Model UN club president
Youth and Government club president
International relations club president
3 years varsity golf
Math team
Investors club president
Editor of school newspaper</p>
<p>Academics
3.98 unweighted, 4.5 weighted (very challenging college prep school)
Will graduate with 11 APs (should be all 5s, already 2 for 2)
2290 SAT: 800 writing and reading, 690 math</p>
<p>Achievements
8th place in state geography bee
Gold Medal (Summa Cum Laude) 2010 National Latin Exam (2 years)
Top Diplomat State Model United Nations Conference (2 years)
A host of golf awards
Lots of Youth and Government awards
Division 1 High School Golf State Champions</p>
<p>Volunteer
National Honors Society
Rebuilding New Orleans Project
5th grade basketball coach for 2 seasons
Volunteer at homeless shelter
Work with deported migrants in Nogales, Mexico frequently</p>
<p>So here are my questions...
1) Should I retake the SAT even though I risk dropping my reading and writing scores (I have heard Yale looks at all test attempts)?
2) Is there any benefit in sending my scores now? The college board keeps sending stuff on score sending etc.
3) I'm thinking about contacting the golf coach and applying as an athlete. Any suggestions on how to approach that?
4) And most importantly, what do you think my chances of admission are right now assuming I apply Early Action?</p>
<p>1) I would retake the SAT, especially since you’ll likely improve on Math. Even if you dip a little from your 800s (congrats btw), make sure you do your best to keep that high. I think the jump in your Math will be looked at favorably overall – it’s not as if this is your 5th time taking the SAT. Go for it, I’d say.</p>
<p>2) can’t hurt. Less to worry about later</p>
<p>3) How good are you? Go to the athlete recruit forum. Do some perusing for golf recruits. Go to Yale’s sports webpages and see how you compare with the current players. Could you make one of the top spots on the team? Are you, with coaching, improving? Are you at the top of your game? Do your coaches envision your improvement? Are you involved in non-school tourneys? If so, by all means, introduce yourself to the coach and send him/her your achievements (along w/your GPA and test scores)</p>
<p>4) No one’s chances are good. Your stats make you viable. And that’s about as good as it gets. </p>
<p>Best of luck to you. BTW: the 9th hole at Yale Golf course is one of the country’s best holes, period! Google it</p>
<p>You look like a strong applicant. One of my friends who’s now at Harvard had stats and activities like yours. That definitely doesn’t mean you’ll get into Yale though. Your essays and recs will have to be great.</p>
<p>If you think you might drop in W and CR by 40 points max, take the SAT again. As long as they’re close enough to show that your first try wasn’t a complete fluke, the adcoms will understand that conditions vary.</p>
<p>Hey thanks for all the help. T26E4- I have heard about the Yale golf course, and hopefully will get a chance to play it soon! I saw that it its ranked best college course in the country. I have a few other questions…
For athletes, is it true they use the Academic Index (read about it in the Times) for ranking athletic recruits, and if so, does having a high AI actually help your chances of being recruited?
How do most students get to Yale? Do they fly directly to New Haven or fly to NY and take the train in?
Do any undergraduates have their own cars?
If anyone else has gone through the athletic recruiting process at an Ivy school, I would love to here your experiences.
I realize how seemingly unimportant these questions are, but I would love to here the answers!</p>
<p>Post your recruiting questions in the athletic recruiting section (under college admissions topic). There are lots of people well versed in the ivy league recruiting who read those posts and can provide you with good advice.</p>
<p>2) New Haven/Tweed is pricey to fly into. I recommend Hartford or New York (La Guardia or JFK). Newark isn’t terrible. I hear some people use White Plains NY (but I’ve not done it to date). There’s a shuttle service from Hartford and the NY/NJ airports. The NY/NJ airports can be gotten from less expensively w/combination of trains. Go to the parents thread and you’ll get the low down
3) No freshmen are allowed cars. Upperclassmen can but it’s pricey and the student parking structure is a hike. Few take this option. I think I knew two people who had cars while I was there.</p>