I just sent my app to Yale...what to expect?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

So i just applied to Yale and I’m currently going through the “the more i read my essay the dumber it looks” and “wow I didn’t even cure cancer or rescue dolphins how am i going to make it” phase. Any way you guys can take a look at my profile and let me know how my chances are? I’ve already sent the app but my subconscious won’t shut up.

ME:
Asian, Female (I’ve tried to deviate from the stereotypical a bit), middle class
International Applicant from Canada

SATS: 2060 overall, never been good at it :frowning: but I’m taking the late Jan one and hopefully it can be a 2150+

GPA: I have no idea how the Canadian average converts/curves into the American GPA, but my counselor said the lower end of a 4.0

COURSE LOAD: medium to high difficulty. All “honors”, 5 AP courses from grades 11-12

HONORS (just 5 off my comm app)

National Poetry Institute of Canada Silver Medallion
(I have about 5 provincial - national level poetry/writing honors which my english teacher said he talked about in his ref)
Music and Band Achievement Award
Western University National Debate Tournament 3rd Place
English Achievement Award
Principal’s Scholar Award

EXTRACURRICULARS

High School Magazine - President
Planning content and design of each issue, logistics and distribution, co-ordinating social media expansion, overseeing budget financing and funding

School Debate Team - External Executive
Competing at provincial/national level tournaments, presenting seminars and contributing to the National Debate Handbook, coaching students
Community Service (Volunteer)

Marketing Director - Youth Action Committee
Organization that manages youth activities and volunteer involvement for the city. Duties include: promoting and planning events, social media, etc

Rifle, Air Cadets Rifle Marksmanship Team - Captain
Attended provincial and national marksmanship competitions, managed a provincial team of 12, became an instructor in senior year

Royal Canadian Air Cadets - Flight Sergeant
Flag Party Commander - trained at Canadian Forces Base in summer of 2014 and 2015, Top Senior Cadet (2015), National Marksmanship Award (2015)

Learning Disabilities Association - Tutor
Provide tutoring services in mathematics, literacy, and writing for children with developmental disabilities. Awarded the York Region Volunteer Award in 2015

Shad Valley Program 2015 - Attendee
National leadership and entrepreneurship program hosted by a university - won Shad Cup Engineering Award, patent pending on an original technology that was sent in last year

Administrative Personnel
Performed secretarial duties for municipal government, created PLU sales reports, conducted transactions, managed municipal database

International Student Exchange (ISE) - France 2012
Studied full-time in Bordeaux, France, living with a host family for two months during school year. Was a guest speaker at the ISE Banquet in 2014

Richmond Hill Community Band - First Saxophone
Performed at malls, public stadiums, town halls, and hospitals as a community service.

TEACHER RECS: I think they should be alright, I got letters from 2 teachers who i’m very close with. My counselor also added something about “very proud of my rec letter”, they should be decent.

ESSAYS: I think my essays were pretty mediocre, but once again I under-rate myself too much. According to some uni friends, my “why yale” essay was pretty unique and my comm app essay was on the better end. I realized there are 1 or 2 very minor typos in those essays (despite double checking like 10000 times), which probably hurt my application, but from what I’ve read shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
If you want to read either of my essays I can PM you :slight_smile:

How do you think i’ll fare in the admin process?

2

Your ECs are exemplary, but as an international applicant, your SAT is somewhat low for Yale standards, so… it evens out? Honestly, though, you’ll feel a lot better if you don’t hang this over your head!

Repeat after me: I’ve submitted my application. I’ve done the best that I could, and it’s out of my hands.

3

Yeah, I’m planning on boosting my marks come january…the SATS are my weakness. My SAT essay got full marks and my math was good but for the mercy of Ra my reading was an unspeakable catastrophe. It looks so bad because I’m a literary arts/english based student too. And those typos! shrivels and cries

4

WOW your ECs are amazing. You may not have cured cancer or rescued dolphins, but you’ve come pretty damn close. Your SAT is a little low, but you should have a fair chance. You’ve already applied, nothing much you can do about it now.

5

Hey thanks for your concern. Im taking a late SAT in January, and im aiming for a higher mark for sure. If I’m able to pull it up to a 2200 (im going to try!), how much would my chances increase? This would also be my third time taking the SAT, so would that be bad?

6

Its a reach, even with a high sat. You are in a tough demographic as an international asian

7

@sattake - I know, regardless of the fact that I come from a white-washed family (i’m Asian but I’m from Canada, not an Asian country), I’ll still be stuck in that pool. I’ve tried to make myself seem less girly/asian with the rifle marksmanship and my interests in poetry and other literary arts (highlighted in my essays/recs). It’s so unfortunate that applicants are labelled even if they don’t come from their “ethnic” cultural background. Oh well, i would probably hate myself more if I didn’t apply whatsoever.

8

bumpy bump

9

LOL- bump?? unlikely much has changed in the 10 minutes since your last post.
Relax and enjoy your winter break. And take practice tests.

10

Yale is super competitive… Acceptance rate of six percent. So basicall 94/100 get rejected. And then you have to factor in the athletic commits, legacies, donors, urm, etc… So as an applicant without an inherent hook, youre lookin at less than 6%…maybe around 4-5%… And then theresthe fact that you are asian (objectivly a disadvantage in applying to top colleges)… And then the fact that you are international… So probably 97/100 “yous” probably get rejected… Its the brutal truth. Regardless of how qualified you are, and besides the sat which im assuming youll be able to raise, you have a pretty nice application, the sheer numbers alone make it unlikely that youll get in. So what does that mean for you? Realistically, you probably wont get in, but they DO of course admit people, and you are academicly qualified, so ya never know! Regardless, im sure youll find a great college, and frankly, if i were canadian, i wouldnt even consider shelling our 60k a year for yale when Mcgill, UofT, etc are only a few thousand a year and are internationally renowned institutions.

Best of luck!

11

@jym626 LOL i DON’T HAVE MY SHIT TOGETHER ANYMORE IM SORRY

12

@pcaornkqeurest The things I would do for a different ethnicity…the things I would do. Yeah ofc I already applied for Queens and UofT and my other Canadian schools. I’m most realistically prepared to go to those ones, not the American ones, since my chances are basically 0. It would probably be easier if I had an overseas U.S citizenship (like my friend does) but I don’t :frowning:

13

Dont beat urself up… Youre statistically an outstanding student and you clearly ah e excellent community involvement, but even if you were white and from the usa, yale is rediculous to get into…

14

@pcaornkqeurest Thank you for your concern and kindness - despite all the cr*p that CC gets for “mis-representing colleges” or “providing heresay information” I think it’s a great place for students to get support. Not too many people whom I know are applying to the states so there are few people to talk to.

15

Thanks bruh, canada rocks btw