i would rly appreciate any advice/input that you guys have to offer!! also feel free to suggest other schools i should look into. thank u!!!
background:
i am a white female from a competitive state. i go to a rly prestigious school that sends like 20+% of its graduating class to ivies every yr. im a rising senior, middle class and moved to the us 7 yrs ago. my dad went to a crappy college in his home country and my mom never went to college. as of now, im thinking of majoring in chem and minoring in a humanities subject, like english or politics or philosophy
stats:
sat: 1540 is my highest score in one sitting, but I have a superscore of 1570
sat subject tests: 790 math 2, waiting on chem
gpa: 4.0 UW
ec’s:
- science research club (4 yrs)
- volunteer at 2 nonprofits - both related to environmental research & tutoring low income kids (2 yrs each)
- contributor to online science magazine (3 yrs)
- xc + indoor / outdoor track (4 yrs)
- school newspaper (4 yrs)
- politics club (2 yrs) → (this is actual advocacy work, not just discussing issues/politicians/etc.)
- two chem research internships - the one im doing this yr is thru a rly well-known program
- writing tutor (2 yrs)
- mentor for younger students at my school (2 yrs)
recs: gonna be great!!
essays: my english teacher told me my common app essay was great and i think supps will be good too
additional info:
- i have been published in a few out of school magazines
- i can speak 4 languages
You will be competitive but acceptance rates are still very low. Work on your match and safety school list, and know what your family can afford to pay.
You are a competitive applicant. Your stats and ECs are great. Write amazing essays and you could get accepted to any of these schools
You told us about what you can do, but you haven’t told us what you want. I’d love to suggest other schools to you, but I don’t have enough information. What is it about Yale that you like? Is it just that it’s an Ivy?
What are your financial constraints? Do you like Yale’s small city location, or would you be OK with something more rural or more urban? Are you looking for somewhere that you can walk on and compete in the xc team or do you anticipate just doing it for fun in college? Are you focused on the Northeast or would you consider colleges further away from home?
ok so i like yale’s residental college system and its focus on liberal arts over engineering. i am fine w something more urban but don’t rly like more rural locations. im definitely not fast enough for the xc team but might run for fun. i’d prefer colleges in the northeast and would probably only go as far as the midwest. my parents can’t pay the full 60k a yr but are willing to pay up to half of that.
Have you run the Net Price Calculator at Yale or any other school? Is Yale affordable?
i have checked yale and my family and i think its affordable
Instead of focusing on trying to make yourself fit into a school, spend some time determining your interests and aspirations, then find a school that fits you. Otherwise, you’re going to make yourself miserable. If you HAVE to get into Yale or similar school, you’re doing your college search wrong. You’re working under the assumption that this school is “best” and you have to “settle” if you don’t get in. Absolutely false. “Better” and “best” are completely subjective terms. No one has the authority to determine that except you. Empower yourself by getting rankings out of your head and shop around. You can get a full scholarship to just about any college in the country.
it’s not that im obsessed with rankings – i genuinely like yale and think that it’s a good fit for me. id love to go to yale, but id also be totally fine going to another less selective college that meets my criteria. ill admit that, as an immigrant, i don’t know a lot of colleges (besides the elite ones) which is why im looking for some suggestions based on my interests.
If you like the residential college system and you need financial aid, check out Franklin and Marshall as a low match/safety. Lancaster is not a big city so it might be a bit rural for you, but I think it meets your other criteria.
You are definitely competitive. Applying SCEA is also a good move. I don’t think there is an admissions bump, but others think it may give you a small one. In any event, you’ll get valuable feedback before RD applications are due. If you get in, you are done except for some other reaches you might want to try. If you are rejected, there may be some issues with your LoR’s and/or essays which you might be able to revisit. If you are deferred, no harm. Yale’s SCEA policy does allow you to apply to rolling admissions programs at state universities. Definitely do that for some honors programs that fit your needs.