Please Evaluate My Chances For Yale. Thanks!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>RESUME</p>

<p>Honors/Awards
-National Honors Society
-Spanish National Honors Society
-Tri-M International Music Honors Society
-Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society
~A Tri-State (NY, NJ, CT) Competition Winner.
~Nine groups out of sixty groups that auditioned were selected for this honor
~Young Musician’s Concert
--Performance at Alice Tully Hall
~Strings International Music Festival Scholarship
--invited to have master classes with renown musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra<br>
-Tilles Scholarship Award (C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival)
~one of few chosen for scholarship into the festival
-LISELA (Long Island Science Education Leadership Association) Award
~awarded for excellent Leadership Role in Earth Science
-Earth Science Leadership Award
~awarded for excellence in Earth Science
-Honor Roll
~ rewarded for excellence in academics for all four quarters of the high school years</p>

<p>Clubs/Activities
-Member of Mathletes
~team was ranked 2nd place in Long Island
-Member of the Ping-Pong Club
-Member of the Chess Club
-AMC (American Math Competition) Participant
-Tri-M (Modern Music Masters)
~chamber ensembles
--Leader of trio ensemble outside of school
~performances
~master class with Shanghai Quartet at Tilles Center
-GERF (Geological and Ecological Resource Foundation)
~one of few students in school selected to give a presentation to the Board of Education about earth science and the importance of setting up this foundation at school; the foundation would serve as a visual aid for earth science students, making it easier and more fun for them to learn.
-LISFA (Long Island String Festival Association)
~Associate Principal Cellist {3rd chair}
-All-County NMEA (Nassau Music Educators Association)
~Principal Cellist {1st chair}
-All State NYSSMA (The New York State School Music Association) Conference
~orchestral performance in Upstate New York
-School Symphony/Chamber Orchestra
~Principal Cellist (1st chair}</p>

<p>Athletics
-Boys Swimming (Varsity)</p>

<p>Community Service/Work Experience
-In-School Volunteering
~Chairperson for Nyssma Festival
--checked attendance for incoming Nyssma auditioners
--helped in setting up rooms for festival
[12+ hours]
-Gig Performances as trio and quartet ensembles
~Leader of gig groups; arranged job dates and times, rehearsal dates, music
preparation, etc.
--churches
>mass accompaniment
--parties
--country Clubs
>performed for the Master Works Foundation at Woodbury
Country Club
--Weddings
-North Shore LIJ (Long Island Jewish Hospital)
~office work; filing, charting
~equipment management/transport
~patient care
[50+ hours]
-LuHi Tennis Camp at SportTime
~Volunteer Counselor (PIT): Person In Training
--aided in running camp
--clean up
--served lunch
--office work
--organizing equipment/t-shirts
[200+ hours]</p>

<p>Summer Programs
-C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival
~chamber orchestra
--Assistant Principal Cellist {2nd chair}
~master classes
--with the Pierrot Consort and members of the Emerson Quartet
~chamber ensembles
--Leader of a sextet and an octet
~performances
--best ensembles of festival selected to perform</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 (almost certain)
SAT 2: Biology M-710
I'll probably take 3 more; math IC, Chem and US History next year, and probably two or three more during the senior year.
AP: Euro-?</p>

<p>I HAVENT TAKEN THE SAT YET SO CAN ANYONE GIVE ME AN IDEA OF WHAT A GOOD SCORE WOULD BE? I ALSO TAKE AP EURO THIS YEAR AND IM GOING TO TAKE AP US NEXT YEAR, AND PROBABLY 6 MORE APS.</p>

2

<p>what grade are you in?</p>

3

<p>It sounds like he'll be in eleventh grade next year.</p>

<p>A good score on the SAT would be 2400 or 1600 on the old SAT. ;) Seriously, though, a good score on the SAT would be 2250 (1500 on the old SAT), but there are a lot of people who have gotten in with a score between 1400 and 1500 on the old SAT.</p>

<p>You really don't need to take that many SAT II's unless you want to give lots of money to the College Board. Take those three you plan on taking and see how well you do; a good score would be 750 or higher. However, a score above 700 is also acceptable, and if you ended up with a score between 700 and 750 on those three, I probably would not take any more, since it would seem to colleges that you're taking as many as you can in order to get a good score.</p>

4

<p>2150 and over is perfectly fine. People on this board always seem to think that 1500+ (or 2250+) are the only acceptable scores, but then when decision time rolls round and 1450s get in and they don't they cry bloody murder. (lol) But then they go on claiming that 1500s are the only way to go. It seems like no one learns...</p>

5

<p>lol yea well, im gunna aim for 2200 and up, if i get 2150 ill still be happy i guess. do u have any advice on my ECs or anything? thanks a lot.</p>

6

<p>There are many people who get in with scores in the 1300s. Does that mean that 1350 is good enough? If you want it to be, but the higher the score, the better the chance. There have been some people who have gotten in with scores in the 1200s, showing that there isn't really any "acceptable" score.</p>

7

<p>bump bump bump</p>

8

<p>can anyone help me out here? thx</p>

9

<p>stele32 gave you great advice about sat2s. Also, try to take the math2c test not the 1c if you can. However, whats even more important is that you really keep up your grades next year because they are looked at very closely by adcoms, especially if you apply early. For your ecs, that list is huge! But it really doesnt need to be. Do not include things like "AMC (American Math Competition) Participant" b/c everyone and their mother is. haha. Anyways, just list the things that will really make you stand out. Also, DO NOT attach a resume. I just finished reading the new Michelle Hernandez book and she definitely advised against it. As I have said on earlier posts, show adcoms your depth, not breadth with your ecs. They should set you apart, but if you have a laundry list, you will just blend in and be sent to the reject pile.</p>

10

<p>thx choco for ur advice. yea i already am aware of "laundry list" deals and stuff. i plan to bring out my musical penchant and skill as my main theme when i write my essay. i want to talk about how when i play, i not only play for getting rid of my stresses and calming me down, but i also play for others during my community service experiences at weddings, churches, etx, to try to deliver a message that music can be a great thing in life. I want everyone to feel how i feel when i listen to music. Music really helped me to be more active in my community in spreading the beautiful quality of music throughout. lol this sounds corny right? well anyway. this is my way of bringing out my major EC. as for my "resume", i love doing everything that i have listed, which is why there are so many things. i want to show the colleges how "well rounded" i can be, as well as devoted. of course ill define my MAIN focus through my essays. but i also want to show how versatile i can be too. don't worry, im not making a laundry list. i hope u understand that im trying to show my determined characteristic, AND my passion for music and other stuff through my essays. anyway, thx for ur advice. if there's anything u think is wrong about what ilve said just now, plz feel free to tell me. thx!</p>

11

<p>bump bump bump</p>

12

<p>That post's bloody hard to read, y'know. </p>

<p>Honestly, I wouldn't worry about the list of things -- I had a three-page-long resume (granted, some of that was explication) and did just fine. </p>

<p>As for an essay...music could make for an interesting essay, depending on how you play with that as a theme. It'd be fun to write. If you can convey the idea you had of sharing the way you feel through music in the essay...well, I dunno how you'd do that, but it could be really good.</p>

13

<p>I had a resume 1.5 pages long and they accepted me and even called to say how much they wanted me to come. I just organized it well.</p>

14

<p>how do you submit a resume if you are doing it electronically?</p>

15

<p>RESUME</p>

<p>Honors/Awards
-National Honors Society
-Spanish National Honors Society
-Tri-M International Music Honors Society
-Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society
~A Tri-State (NY, NJ, CT) Competition Winner.
~Nine groups out of sixty groups that auditioned were selected for this honor
~Young Musician’s Concert
--Performance at Alice Tully Hall
~Strings International Music Festival Scholarship
--invited to have master classes with renown musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra<br>
-Tilles Scholarship Award (C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival)
~one of few chosen for scholarship into the festival
-LISELA (Long Island Science Education Leadership Association) Award
~awarded for excellent Leadership Role in Earth Science
-Earth Science Leadership Award
~awarded for excellence in Earth Science
-Honor Roll
~ rewarded for excellence in academics for all four quarters of the high school years</p>

<p>Clubs/Activities
-Member of Mathletes
~team was ranked 2nd place in Long Island
-Member of the Ping-Pong Club
-Member of the Chess Club
-AMC (American Math Competition) Participant
-Tri-M (Modern Music Masters)
~chamber ensembles
--Leader of trio ensemble outside of school
~performances
~master class with Shanghai Quartet at Tilles Center
-GERF (Geological and Ecological Resource Foundation)
~one of few students in school selected to give a presentation to the Board of Education about earth science and the importance of setting up this foundation at school; the foundation would serve as a visual aid for earth science students, making it easier and more fun for them to learn.
-LISFA (Long Island String Festival Association)
~Associate Principal Cellist {3rd chair}
-All-County NMEA (Nassau Music Educators Association)
~Principal Cellist {1st chair}
-All State NYSSMA (The New York State School Music Association) Conference
~orchestral performance in Upstate New York
-School Symphony/Chamber Orchestra
~Principal Cellist (1st chair}</p>

<p>Athletics
-Boys Swimming (Varsity)</p>

<p>Community Service/Work Experience
-In-School Volunteering
~Chairperson for Nyssma Festival
--checked attendance for incoming Nyssma auditioners
--helped in setting up rooms for festival
[12+ hours]
-Gig Performances as trio and quartet ensembles
~Leader of gig groups; arranged job dates and times, rehearsal dates, music
preparation, etc.
--churches
>mass accompaniment
--parties
--country Clubs
>performed for the Master Works Foundation at Woodbury
Country Club
--Weddings
-North Shore LIJ (Long Island Jewish Hospital)
~office work; filing, charting
~equipment management/transport
~patient care
[50+ hours]
-LuHi Tennis Camp at SportTime
~Volunteer Counselor (PIT): Person In Training
--aided in running camp
--clean up
--served lunch
--office work
--organizing equipment/t-shirts
[200+ hours]</p>

<p>Summer Programs
-C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival
~chamber orchestra
--Assistant Principal Cellist {2nd chair}
~master classes
--with members of the Pierrot Consort
--with Larry Dutton of the Emerson Quartet.
>only a few groups in the entire festival were chosen for this honor
~chamber ensembles
--Leader of a trio and an octet
~performances
--best ensembles of festival selected to perform</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 (almost certain)
SAT 2: Biology M-710
I'll probably take 3 more; math IC, Chem and US History next year, and probably two or three more during the senior year.
AP: Euro-3 : (</p>

<p>I HAVENT TAKEN THE SAT YET SO CAN ANYONE GIVE ME AN IDEA OF WHAT A GOOD SCORE WOULD BE? I ALSO TAKE AP EURO THIS YEAR AND IM GOING TO TAKE AP US NEXT YEAR, AND PROBABLY 6 MORE APS.</p>

16

<p>i didn't apply to yale but for the "competitive schools" i'd suggest taking math iic instead of ic. and you really shouldn't mention taking the amc unless you qualified for aime. but others would be able to give deeper insight. and don't worry about that 710 bio score, as if u do well on chem it will make up for it.</p>

17

<p>bump bump bump</p>

18

<p>That's a nice laundry list you have there man. And it's not an eye sore or anything.</p>

19

<p>Let me tell you something. Everyone wants to look brilliant and versatile. I mean who doesn't want to tell the admissions officer that they are everywhere in the community and have taken a phenomenal amount of interest in extracurriculars.</p>

<p>The plan to talk about specific ec's rather than all of them is still much more efficient. Here's why. An admissions officer simply has to look at your ec files in order to determine whether or not you have been involved in the community. You don't need to write an essay and specifically tell him about your numerous community activities in order for him to butter him up about your "versatile" skills. </p>

<p>Almost everyone who applies to these top schools has pages and pages of extracurricular activities. You’re not the only one who has been extremely "versatile" as a high school student. Thousands of students clearly want their ec's to stand out; they are all going to be indicated them in an essay and have their counselor’s recommendation include those numerous activities they have done outside of school.</p>

<p>This conveys a message to the admissions officer that you are certainly involved in the community. So the admissions officer will say "this kid right here is not someone who limits himself to school and academics. He certainly takes part in the community and that is a good thing." </p>

<p>However, if you really want your admissions officer to ADMIRE you (in other words want your folder to truly stand out); you've got to show your personality as not just involved, but truly passionate and real. What this means is that you won't seem like just a application folder anymore; instead you seem much more animated and creative - in short, much more human and real. This is what separates you from that other kid who also had the same, long list of ec's.</p>

<p>How does one do this? How does one show their personality like this? The only real choice that you have is through your essay. Some might say interview. Well, most schools actually place much more importance on your essay than your interview. The reason is simple: Your essay is your only communication medium inside that committee room. Only one person interviews you but everyone reads your essay. It is the only way that you speak and show your feelings and creativeness. Your essay can be an amazing asset. </p>

<p>By picking specific ec activities and talking about them; your writing prose and content go much deeper and beyond the superficial areas. </p>

<p>As a result, you won't seem like a kid trying to impress an admissions committee about how versatile you are. Instead, you will convey something deeper and more meaningful to them: your livelihood and passions. When you focus and narrow down on a topic and speak about yourself very experiences very deeply; it shows your feelings, thoughts, and ideas so much more. It makes you seem so much more human and real; not just as an application folder sitting in front of their eyes out of the thousands! It makes you more unique and real in front of their eyes. </p>

<p>I have had many friends with tons of ec activities and 4.0 GPA along with a very rigorous curriculum and a good SAT score get rejected from places like Dartmouth, UPenn. After all these years (I'm now at one of the top engineering schools in the country), my friends and I realize why we got rejected from certain places we tried to get into back then. We just never conveyed ourself enough to the admissions committee.</p>

<p>Here's the deal. Think of it as two different cases.</p>

<p>Case # 1) This kid named Jill has her list of ec activities and talks about how she is very versatile and yada yada.... She also relists most of his ec activities in an essay of its own.</p>

<p>Case #2) This kid named Jenny has the same list of ec activities. Instead of listing all the activities over again in another essay, she picks one activity that she felt the most passionate about. Jenny than goes very in depth and talks about her feelings and experiences about that one activity. She even talks about how it has helped her be a slightly different person in life. How it has helped her to look at things in a different and more optimistic perspective and than Jenny backs this up by listing the specific events in that one activity that really impacted her.</p>

<p>To me, Jenny shows much more of his personality than Jill. I really didn't need Jill to re-list all her ec's and I feel that Jill is trying to FORCE IT. She's trying too hard to get the admission's admiration and that is just pathetic. Goodbye Jill.</p>

<p>Jenny on the other hand has done a superior job of conveying her personality and experiences. She did not seem like she was forcing it across. It is clear that Jenny is not trying hard to capture anybody's attention; she is simply speaking about who she is and how she feels about life. This person has much more of an impact on me than Jill.</p>

<p>Jill is just one of the thousands of applicants who seem like they really, really want in this college. That's all I can say about her other. She may have good grades and good test scores but thousands who apply to these top schools have those same credentials; Jill just is not standing out in her application to me.</p>

<p>Jenny is someone who I can visualize as a real person outside of her material application file that I'm holding. That coupled with good grades and SAT scores and recommendations presents a MUCH stronger file than Jill's. She isn't perfect but she is someone who the admissions would take very seriously. Chances are in her favor that they will take her.
Get the point?</p>

20

<p>1 or 2 excellent and dedicated ECs are better than 30. that will always be true.</p>