<p>Hey everyone! First post here. I was seriously expecting a flat-out rejection...overjoyed that I wasn't rejected! But still, no cigar yet.</p>
<p>Decision: Deferred</p>
<p>Objective:
[ul][li] Deferred EA? Yes.</p>[/li]
<p>[<em>] SAT I (breakdown):
1st time: 700 CR, 630 M, 590 W (devastated; I was expecting 700s for all)
2nd time: 730 CR, 710 M, 700 W (worked crazily on the writing section; I took one practice test the night before and got routinely destroyed by the CR and M sections...I actually got nearly 100% for the W though...didn't show in the actual test *sigh</em> )
Overall: 2140.</p>
<p>[li] ACT: N/A</p>[/li]
<p>[li] SAT II: 760 Physics, 730 Chemistry, 690 Molecular Biology (I missed the first half-year of Biology in Year 11 - your junior year; I was doing Music at the time >_<)</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): N/A - average of A/A?-</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/~180, probably tied with two others</p>[/li]
<p>[li] AP (place score in parenthesis): None.</p>[/li]
<p>[li] IB (place score in parenthesis): None.</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Senior Year Course Load: [/li]Biology (topped)
Chemistry (topped)
Physics
English (compulsory)
Maths B
Accounting
English Extension (senior year only; entry by invitation if student has achieved minimum B+ in junior year; placed 4th)</p>
<p>[<em>] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
I got Distinction in both the University of New South Wales Maths Competition and the Australian Westpac Maths Competition. We don't really participate in many competitions at our school.[/ul]
Subjective:
[ul][</em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Chess - 7 years, in top team for five years (Vice-Captain). Was undefeated with 6/6 this year ^_^.
School Chamber Orchestra - four years (Lead 2nd Violin)
Debating -“ one year, 10.3 team
Amnesty International - one year, this year
Ad-hoc A capella group - one year, Year 10 (sophomore). The story about this is that lots of members kept on turning up late so the teacher got frustrated and discontinued it. I was lead baritone.</p>
<p>[li] Job/Work Experience:[/li]Worked at local travel agency for a week - they loved me.
Worked at local optometrist - a bit boring but I got to see how they manufacture lenses.</p>
<p>[li] Volunteer/Community service:[/li]School program - go out to local schools or community each year for a week; I went to the same school for three/four years - they loved me there.</p>
<p>[li] Summer Activities:[/li]Violin masterclass session over in China in 2005.
Maths prep for self in 2006 (I sucked at Maths throughout high school, rarely got anything above B+ until this year).</p>
<p>[li] Essays:[/li]One about subjectivity after reading '1984'.
One about music and cultural influence.</p>
<p>[li] Teacher Recommendation:[/li]One from Chem & Biol teacher - she loved me.
One from English & Eng Ext teacher - same.
I was lucky to have two teachers for four subjects - personal qualities show more clearly I think.</p>
<p>[li] Counselor Rec:[/li]Was housemaster for five years, saw me through my tribulations.</p>
<p>[li] Additional Rec: N/A</p>[/li]
<p>[<em>] Interview: Didn't get one. I think I stuffed the area code and phone numbers >_<.[/ul]
Other
[ul][</em>] Country (if international applicant): Australia</p>
<p>[li] School Type: Private</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Ethnicity: Asian (I prefer to call myself an Asian Australian as opposed to an Australia Asian)</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Gender: Male</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Income Bracket: pretty low...</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/li]First-generation to go to college, probably for a few generations back.[/ul]</p>
<p>[ul]Reflection
[li] Strengths:[/li]Not sure. Might be the first-generation stuff. Most likely my gradual improvement through 9-12. I got three Cs in Year 9 (rest As; I was a tard then), two Bs in Year 10 (rest As), one B in Year 11 (rest As), and now all As in Year 12.</p>
<p>[li] Weaknesses:[/li]I was lazy with the application. I spent a few months on the essays, but everything else was last minute. Don't think I tried hard enough for the SATs - I hardly did any revision. In fact, I only found out what I had to do for the rest of the application in Term 3 of my senior year (first half of final semester) - our counselor very rarely (I mean, once every ten years?) deals with US applications. Apparently we sent a student to Harvard a few years back. I'm hazy on the details. If so, he made the wrong choice :P.</p>
<p>[li] Why you think you were deferred:[/li]They want to see my music?[/ul]</p>
<p>General Comments:
I am supremely surprised. Will be revamping my application for Regular decision in light of this, as I am deadset on Yale. A quirk was that I didn't really know how to submit the Common App and ended up sending it to Yale as Regular Decision...sent an email and it was fixed though. Congratulations to those accepted! Hope I'll be joining you in 2008!</p>