<p>At my school, I'm on the borederline 5% percentile (20/414) It's all because I had really bad grades first semester junior year, which dropped me from a 5 to a 17, and then second semester I just couldn't get rid of a B, which got me a 20th. </p>
<p>Is that WAY too low for YaleSCEA? </p>
<p>I got perfects on my SAT's so far (2400SATI, 2x800SATII), and my EC's are a little above average ><</p>
<p>Apply and give a good explanation for first semester of 11th grade. It's unlikely you can say much about the solo B, though.</p>
<p>I don't think it should hurt too much personally.
However, keep in mind that if you don't get into Yale that it may be for the best.
It isn't the smartest people that go to HYP but rather the most hardworking types. Obviously, intelligence plays a big role but if it was the only factor- HYP would have SAT averages of at least 1550. </p>
<p>If you don't get into Yale, it is proof that HYP have extremely anally-retentive student bodies.
I think you have a good shot of getting in though, :)</p>
<p>Junior year is crucial to college applications. I think your dip in grades will be a bigger problem than your ranking. Also having ECs that are "a little above average" won't cut it for Yale unless your metric is a little above average among the pool of accepted Yale students.</p>
<p>Ahhh >_< I see...</p>
<p>Oh well! I will be trying my best for Yale~it's probably one of my two absolute most-wanted-to-attend places ever!</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your advice :D</p>
<p>I honestly don't think ranking is much of a problem. I knew a kid who was ranked 50/499 and got into Stanford which less than average test scores,etc. Apparently his essays were the greatest thing ever (according to him).</p>
<p>Junior year and first semester/quarter senior year are by far the most important parts of your application. The dip during crunch time, as somebody else mentioned, will be more worrisome than simply being top 5%. Presumably, your junior year was the beginning of AP onslaught, and Yale would like to see success under those circumstances.</p>
<p>However, under 300 people have scored perfectly on their SAT I's and at most half that number have also scored 1600 on two SAT II's. You have some extraordinarily ability. You aren't screwed, but unless your school is pretty spectacular or you're in a class which is a bit of an academic aberration, that could be a tough sell. They will look at recs and essays closely. Best of luck.</p>
<p>A lot depends on your school, the courses offered, the courses you have taken. If you are taking the most difficult courses offered at a school where the kids tend to mostly be top students, that B is unlikely to hurt you. Especially if this is noted by Yale and other such schools and shown by kids being accepted in percentages other than the very few top. My older boys went to a school where kids in the first and even second quintile have been accepted by top schools since the courses are tough and the grades unweighted.</p>
<p>It depends on teacher recs and GC letter have a big impact on the way the school thinks about the GPA. Its a reach of course, but you already know that</p>