Honest chances for Yale SCEA?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi everyone. One year ago I promised myself that I would never, ever post a chance thread. given my unusual circumstances however (my low UW GPA) I would like to see what everyone thinks. Could you chance me please for YALE SCEA?</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

<pre><code>SAT I : 2400
SAT II: 790 USH, 800 Math 2, 780 Bio (m)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.75
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): currently 6/350
AP (place score in parenthesis):
US history - 5
Euro history - 5 (self study)
World History -5 (self study)
US Gov - 5 (self study)
Psychology - 5
Lang comp - 5
Biology - 5
Macroecon - 4 (self study)
Microecon - 5 (self study)
calc AB - 5
comp sci A - 5 (self study)
physics c (m) - 5 (self study)
physics c (e) - 5 (self study)
Art history - 5 (self study)
statistics - 5 (self study)
chemistry - senior year class
literature - senior year class
enviro sci - senior year self study
comp gov - senior year self study
human geo - senior year self study

Senior Year Course Load:
AP chem
AP literature
AP gov (even though I got a 5 on the AP test I'm required to take the class for credit), multivariate calculus (at local college)
linear algebra (at local college)
intermediate macro/microeconomic theory (at local college)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Placed @ ISEF as well as a few other science competitions
State finalist for debate (unofficially I was 6th or so, but they didn't rank beyond top 5)
Mock trial, lead atty. 2nd in state sophomore year, 3rd junior year.
state MVP witness in mock trial sophomore & junior year

+minor stuff like AP national scholar and national merit.
</code></pre>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<pre><code>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):

Big one - From 8th grade through the first half of junior year, built a large online community focused around a game with ~200k members and ~1m users.
Science Research (with 0 connections and little guidance, my project was much more independent then everyone else I saw at the competitions)
mock trial (head attorney sophomore and junior year)
debate
glassblowing

Job/Work Experience: Work for my parents small business building statistical models for pricing warranties in this past year, general grunt work in the years before that. (Intended major is probably statistics or engineering)

create and sell blown glass bowls, sculptures, and similar such items for money.
Summer Activities: Glassblowing every summer
after sophomore I did Harvard summer school (how I met my ISEF mentor)
after junior (where I am now) I am working as a lab intern at a local university and working for my parents business on some statistical modeling, plus taking AP calc online.
Teacher Recommendation: 1st should be good, 2nd is excellent - I asked for it for a scholarship competition so I have already read it. Went something like "20 years teaching, had ~50 kids go to ivies over that time, best ever."
Counselor Rec: We get along well. Should be fine.
Additional Rec: Harvard prof who advised on my ISEF research, it should be excellent.

Other
School Type: Competitive public, 4 to ivy league schools per year
Ethnicity: Whiter than a sheet
Gender: Male
</code></pre>

<p>Overall I think I have a decent application, but for one thing - my unweighted GPA. I don't know how everyone on here has a perfect 4.0 as in 30 years that's only ever happened once at my school, and our probable val only has around a 3.9. Will this kill me?</p>

2

<p>I’m sure you have a great chance at getting in just as long as you can bring up your gpa to around 3.80?
Also write great essays</p>

3

<p>Marshfrog, it should be increasing so that won’t be a problem. I’m just wondering if it will kill me entirely as it seems that my ECs are otherwise above average.</p>

4

<p>what is your State?</p>

<p>What is your explanation for a lower GPA despite being 6th in your class?</p>

<p>Excellent scores and ECs. Depending on how your recs and essays turn out, you stand a reasonable chance, i.e., better than the standard 7-8%.</p>

<p>If this is your GPA at the end of 11th grade, it wont make any difference for SCEA if it goes up in your senior year.</p>

5

<p>You’ll be fine about GPA since you are 6th in your class. don’t worry about it – focus on writing good essays. </p>

<p>And good luck – i will be doing Yale SCEA as well (though I don’t have quite as good stats as you :P)</p>

6

<p>State is Ohio, and as far as GPA I believe my school is just somewhat grade-deflating relative to others - the person ranked 6th in this previous graduating class is going to Columbia, and everyone in the top 10 is at least 2250+ on the SAT. I’m wondering if schools understand such things.</p>

<p>As for recs, as I said I know one is perfect. The other is an unknown, though it should be OK.</p>

7

<p>bump…</p>

8

<p>Oh hey there! You have a really good chance for Yale SCEA. I have a few friends that got in early who didn’t have stats nearly as good as yours. I’m almost certain they would have been rejected or at least wait-listed had they waited for the regular round. I think you will be one of the strongest applicants in the early pool, but your essays better be awesome! As my English teacher says, your essays should be the kind that make angels weep tears of milk and honey :smiley: Good Luck!</p>

9

<p>gpa is taken in context of your school so 6/350 is a better judgment than plainly looking at a 3.75.</p>

10

<p>thanks dblazer and ojodeltigre.</p>

11

<p>DUde, thanks for commenting on my thread about siemens. So I decided to chance you back. As a fellow 2400er, I think you are definitely above average smart-wise at a college like Yale. Again, in the EA applicant pool ,probably 60% of the kids are 2350+, so you probably wont get in because of stats. I like your EC’s, they are pretty refreshing. Good luck! I might consider applying SCEA to HYP as well, so we will comepte against each other:)</p>

12

<p>Thanks andrew.</p>