My name is Borat! Chance me!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>I am currently a high school junior. Just looking to see how I stand. Relatively new to CC. Just need some opinions/suggestions on how I'm looking so far. Thanks a lot guys! Really want to go to Yale or Columbia. Need some other options, I'm still searching lol.</p>

<p>Maybe this was a bad time to post this thread since all the seniors are doing it. I copied and pasted this from a previous thread.</p>

<p>Asian Male, CA, Competitive Public</p>

<p>ACADEMICS</p>

<p>SAT: 2310 (M:770 W:770 CR:770)
SAT II: Not taken. Expect 770ish+ for Bio, USHist, Math IIC</p>

<p>GPA: 3.97 UW. Toughest courseload esp with science. Media arts, cancer research, and computer programming electives</p>

<p>APs: So far just AP Euro (5). But I am taking US, Bio, English, Comp Sci A this yr</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULARS</p>

<p>Fiction and Documentary Filmmaking (Director, Editor, Screenwriter, Actor) 9-12
- Intense workload and time commitment
- I try to finish one major project per semester of HS
- Currently have 12 shorts made, 2 documentaries, and one mockumentary
- Film screenings at some small venues in the community</p>

<p>Film Club (Founder, President) 11-12
- Trying to spread my knowledge and stuff
- Kurosawa, Kubrick, Fellini, Welles, but the standard American Tarantino, Coens, etc
- Pretty much the coolest club in school (we have sexy sweaters)</p>

<p>Biomedical Research Internships (2 summers)
- Might participate in some fairs depending on my filming
- Worked with a major research center on DNA methylation</p>

<p>First Responder, ER Hospital Volunteering</p>

<p>Cancer Research Institute
- President, Presentation Speaker</p>

<p>Part-time job tutoring HS biology and chemistry (helped me buy my camera)</p>

<p>Boy Scouts
- Eagle Scout
- Senior Patrol Leader, ASPL, PL
- World Conservation Award</p>

<p>Venture Crew
- President, Treasurer</p>

<p>Water Polo and Swimming
- Nationally ranked HS teams</p>

<p>Took two Community College classes on Film History and theory. Good stuff.</p>

<p>So yeah. I'm really into film, medicine, outdoors, being in the water, and sleeping in. I like connecting all these things with film.</p>

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<p>I think you mean, "My name a Borat".</p>

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<p>So I've never really 'chanced' anyone before, but I thought it would be fun to at least try hah, especially someone who hasn't already applied to Yale. </p>

<p>Obviously your grades/scores are there. What I like about your EC's is the fact that you try to keep things cut and dry--it's clear that you have a singular passion that stands out (film)--but you also do other things, and incidentally try to relate them to film. It's going to be clear for an adcom to see this, I think. </p>

<p>What I would do if I were you at this point would definitely be to enter a lot of film competitions--national ones, preferably. I think these schools like to see that you push yourself to the farthest extent possible...and clearly you have ability in the realm of film...so just go for it. I would say aim for a minimum of three fairly substantial film awards, if that's even possible (I'm more of a writing/english person myself so I don't really know what there is to win in film). </p>

<p>Well that's my take on things, but I'm kind of biased towards guys who play water polo...a lot of my guy friends play water polo...and also I tend to be overly optimistic regarding everyone but myself...but still, I think you're quite solid.</p>

<p>Hope this helped!</p>

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<p>Yeah, film competitions are really difficult for teenagers. There are usually no festivals solely for teens (a lot of adult directors are working their tails off to get discovered). Also, a lot of these directors are either in film school or are professionally working where they have a lot better resources than mine which consists of:</p>

<p>Netflix (inspiration) + $1000 camcorder i worked my tail off to get + adobe premiere + my actor buddies in drama</p>

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<p>On other sites you post actual SAT II scores. I am guessing that you are really a senior, or something does not sound right here</p>

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<p>When I first joined CC I posted a chances thread that had estimated SAT I and II scores. I just never explicitly stated it. I got my October SATI scores back and I'm happy with them. Just need to get those SAT IIs!</p>

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<p>I like you :) From a current Yalie, you seem to be a fine candidate for Yale and the kind of kid that flourshes here.</p>

<p>Try to add some more awards. I see your EC's, and while great, they need some method of validation. Do a summer program this summer, and do community service. </p>

<p>Good luck :)</p>

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<p>Directors Cut, you list those stats for the SAT II's on on your stats profile - at least as of this morning! I have seen your posts on other recent cc sites and you include those scores. Most dont have three SAT II's completed by the fall of their junior year and so I figured you were probably really a senior. I only bring it up because I assumed you were a senior who was posting as a junior because you wanted advice but were afraid that if you said you were a senior that others here would not be inclined to give it to you because you might think they were competing with you. Actually the people on this forum are very helpful</p>

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<p>I agree with Ferney Reyes.</p>

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<p>so what are your favorite films?</p>

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<p>Ferne Reyes - I did a summer program at a National Medical Center this summer doing research in DNA methylation. While not as interesting as film, I still learned a lot and had a ton of fun. My parents cant afford to send me to a film camp (costs around $4000 even with fin aid) and besides creativity cannot be taught and random experimentation gives the best results. I will try and enter some contests and festivals with my shorts but I am def. not doing anything that costs more than $12 a unit at my local CC!</p>

<p>Haha thanks collegbound5. Sorry, it's wierd being so personal over the internet :).</p>

<p>So my favorite films, so many. This is a list that I regard as my personal favorite. I actually just got surveyed by my school newspaper on my top 25 lol. This is the list I gave :)</p>

<ol>
<li>2001: A Space Odyssey - Kubrick</li>
<li>Citizen Kane - Welles</li>
<li>Rashomon - Kurosawa</li>
<li>The Godfather: Part One - Coppola</li>
<li>Apocalypse Now - Coppola</li>
<li>Requiem For A Dream - Aronofsky</li>
<li>Pulp Fiction - Tarantino</li>
<li>Easy Rider - Hopper</li>
<li>Raging Bull - Scorsese</li>
<li>A Clockwork Orange - Kubrick</li>
<li>Blade Runner - Scott</li>
<li>One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest - Forman</li>
<li>Goodfellas - Scorsese</li>
<li>Ran - Kurosawa</li>
<li>Jarhead - Mendes</li>
<li>Brokeback Mountain - Lee</li>
<li>City Lights - Chaplin</li>
<li>Forrest Gump - Zemeckis</li>
<li>The Blair Witch Project - Myrick and Sanchez</li>
<li>Blue Kite - Tian</li>
<li>To Live - Zhang</li>
<li>Hero - Zhang</li>
<li>Signs - Shyamalan</li>
<li>Fargo - Coen</li>
<li>Kill Bill (Vol 1 and 2) - Tarantino</li>
</ol>

<p>So yeah. I would definitely say Kubrick and Kurosawa are my favorite directors. The best director currently working is Aronofsky. I think that guy has a lot of potential. I really dont like directors such as Peter Jackson and George Lucas who think CGI is art.</p>

<p>There are a good many great directors such as Fellini, Bergman, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Leone, Wilder, Hitchcock, Herzog and Welles (except Citizen Kane) not up there. They made amazing films, but personally, I think I need to develop more (artistically, intellectually, personally) to really understand all the complex ideas in those films.</p>

<p>Phew. Long post! I get really excited about this stuff!</p>

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<p>Your name isn't Borat and Yale frowns on lying. ;)</p>

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<ol>
<li>hmm its one of those films I hate watching but respect for its technical achievement. its bombastic and overdone but a sight to behold. i like the list though. Some of my faves are:</li>
</ol>

<p>The Bridge On the River Kwai, The Third Man, Battle of Algiers, Strangers On A Train, North by Northwest, Vertigo, Suspicion, Notorious, Dial 'M' For Murder, I Confess, The Wrong Man, Rear Window, Rope, Casablanca, M, The Devil's Rejects, Night of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead ('78 & '04), Shaun of the Dead, An American Werewolf In London, The Descent, Session 9, The Shining, Re-Animator, The Thing, Samurai Trilogy I: Miyamoto Musashi, Samurai Trilogy II: Duel At Ichijoji Temple, Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Sword of Doom, Dersu Uzala, The Grande Illusion, Lumumba, American Splendor, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, Apocalypse Now!, Airplane!, Desperado, Star Wars, 12 Angry Men, Malcolm X, Office Space, Road to Perdition, Carandiru, City of God, Apocalypse Now! Redux, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, Chinatown, LA Confidential, Der Untergang, The Great Escape, Stalag 17, Fi****l of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Once Upon A Time In the West, High Noon, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Lawrence of Arabia, The Maltese Falcon, Dr. Strangelove, Young Frankenstein, Taxi Driver, Touch of Evil, Raging Bull, Pulp Fition, Reservoir Dogs, Crash, A History of Violence, Being John Malkovich, Iron Monkey, Hero, Blue Velvet, Sanjuro, Dead Alive, Full Metal Jacket, In America, Hotel Rwanda, Snatch, Dead and Breakfast, The Royal Tenenbaums, Platoon, Mulholland Drive, Seven, Bubba Ho-Tep, Traffic, Oldboy, Wordplay, Blow</p>

<p>(dont worry I copied and pasted)</p>

<p>Kurosawa's awesome especially on the big screen. I saw Sanjuro at a revival theater.</p>

<p>Don't sleep on Hitchcock though - you can take many of his films at face value and still enjoy them for what they are: tightly constructed, well paced nuggets of film bliss. You'll notice the religious undertones, themes etc. pretty well probably. I recommend Vertigo, North by Northwest and Strangers On A Train (my favorite of his)</p>

<p>My top ten (in no order really)
The Third Man
Chinatown
Strangers On A Train
The Thing (yes by John Carpenter)
Battle of Algiers
Apocalypse Now!
Dawn of the Dead
Bridge On The River Kwai
Sanjuro
and maybe Vertigo</p>

<p>that was tough</p>

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<p>I recommend Snatch...neither of you have it on your lists, so you probably haven't seen it yet.
DirectorsCut, I am ashamed that you put Signs and Pulp Fiction on your list, but not Full Metal Jacket</p>

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<p>Yes. 2001 is bombastic but consider its narrative. Hard to not be showy when all you are doing in a film is showing. It's an opera. It really is. Shakespeare (esp in theater) and The Great Gatsby can both be considered bombastic. It only adds to their artistic and literary value.</p>

<p>Another great film that I forgot on my list is House of Sand and Fog. Really incredible film.</p>

<p>Lion, Der Untengang was an incredible film. I got an essay question on my AP Euro exam (the actual collegeboard one) on why Hitler lost the war and that film helped me out tremendously :).</p>

<p>Eli. I saw Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Good films, both of them though not great. Signs was phenomenol. Shyamalan's use of music, suspense, and horror were amazing. He involves his audience and gets them to fear what his characters fear.</p>

<p>Pulp Fiction was the greatest film of the 90s. Fun on the surface. Bottomless in depth. Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. Tarantino makes an alternate world where everything could happen in ours, but we know that that cannot possibly happen :). It's the ambiguity of it and that's the genius.</p>

<p>Full Metal Jacket I would say is one of Kubrick's weakest films. The first part is incredible. They last two are weak. It was the environment that weakened it. You don't get the "feel" and that ruins how we perceive Kubrick's ideas. Watch Mendes' Jarhead or Coppola's Apocalypse Now and you can really feel the desert/jungle.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I didn't think much of Lock, Stock, and 2 Smoking Barrels.
Don't really see the depth in Pulp Fiction, but I'll take your word for it. You have great chances at Yale</p>

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<p>I agree with the other. Your passion (cliche?) for film really stands out. But if it at all possible, something to qualify it would help.</p>

<p>The very best of luck to you!</p>

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<p>Little Miss Sunshine. Rent it.</p>

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<p>Seen it. That's a great one. I hope it does well at the Oscars. The Academy has made some poor choices over the past few years imo.</p>