Rejected Stanford, Chances at Yale?

<p>I was rejected SCEA at Stanford, and due to the sheer unpredictability of the college admissions system, I thought I might send an application Yale's way, just to see what happens. I know a couple of people who were admitted SCEA Yale, and my stats are similar to if not basically the same as theirs - with the exception that one was a URM. So, anyway, take a gander and let me know what you think.</p>

<p>Male, Caucasian</p>

<p>SAT:2280 (CR 760 Math 720 Wr 800)
SAT 2:Chinese (800), MATH 2 (750), Lit (730)
AP: Chinese-5, Calc AB-4 (Taking APUSH, CHEM in Spring)</p>

<p>Academics:
My School does not rank the students, however, my College counselor basically told me that I was in top 5 in my grade (out of only 130...). This may seem uninteresting, yet my school sends AT LEAST 20-30 kids every year to the level of schools that I am applying to - there are roughly ONLY 3 letter A grade equivalents in ANY given class, so having an A (even an A-), is like being the best in the class. Also, my school does not place the name AP, on any given course description (like many Northeastern Prep schools.</p>

<p>-Latin 1-4
-Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus, AB Calculus AP, Multivariable Calculus
-Chinese 1-6
-World History, US History to 1900, Contemporary Chinese History, Contemporary US History
-English 9-12
-Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Chemistry II</p>

<p>I have had A's or higher every year in each class, except for math....which was a B in both fresh/soph years...</p>

<p>Also, I just got back from School Year Abroad China, where I spent my Junior year studying Chinese in Beijing while living with a Chinese host family. The experience was amazing, and the academics were grueling. I was able to skip 5 levels of my American school's Chinese after being back.</p>

<p>Extracurricular:</p>

<p>-Model UN (10-12)
-Quizbowl (10-12)
-Chinese language School (3 hours/Sunday) (9-12)
I began in the Bilingual level 1 class and I am now enrolled in the level 10 Native Speaker class, the highest in the entire school. I am the only non-chinese person to do such in the school's history.
- Chinese Culture Club (9-12), President (1 year)
-Red Cross Club Founder (1 year)
- Red Cross volunteer (3 years)
-Volunteer at a NPO dedicated to blind and visually impaired children's education (10-12: over 170 hours total), every Saturday morning at 8 AM til 10.
-Taekwondo (8-12), Blackbelt (1 year)
-Interned at a local hospital for over 80 hours during the summer: shadowed Cardiologists, observed open-heart and catheter surgeries, performed (not kidding, not sure how this is even legal...) a renal stent placement.</p>

<p>In China</p>

<p>-Calligraphy class weekly(75+ hrs)
-Traditional chinese instrument lessons weekly (75+ hrs)
-Taught English to 60 4th graders at Migrant School in Beijing Slum weekly (60+ hrs)
-I took care of orphans who have undergone surgery for conditions such as cleft pallet weekly (55 hrs).
-Wrote a 10 page research paper on the Migrant Phenomenom in Beijing, includes original research from interviews with workers, college professors, and the highest ranking police officer of Haidian District in Beijing. To be published along with other students research.
-Went on Study Trips to remote areas such as Yunnan (borders Thailand and Burma), Guizhou (borders Vietnam), Fujian (across the strait from Taiwan).</p>

<p>Being Caucasian and fluent in Chinese will make you stand out, especially with the amount of exposure you've had in the culture (calligraphy and traditional music). In the end, you need to make sure both of your essays are excellent and reveal your voice. I wouldn't write both of them about China, or else that make you seem a bit one-dimensional. I saw your chance thread some time ago in the Stanford forum. I thought you would get it.</p>

<p>BTW, I'm taking AP Chinese. Any advice on how to study for it? I have no doubt that your Chinese is tons better ^^. </p>

<p>Good luck with the college process.</p>

<p>You're very interesting--and I think that is the best thing anyone can have going for them.
Good luck!</p>

<p>What I think they want to hear about, know about, is what have you taken away from your year abroad....what have you done already with what you learned during that trip. Talk in your essay to your take away.....how it has changed you.... how you now look differently at specific things.... take the experience to the next level...and don't just tell them about what you did..... talk perhaps about the books you now gravitate towards in the local Borders..... or the photos you now find yourself taking... </p>

<p>My girlfriend's daughter did a stint in Vietnam recently..... and one of the comments that resonated with me was how crowded every place was.... and how everyone stared at her all the time, because she was in a remote region and she was different from everyone else. To me, that is what admissions is looking for..... tell me what that trip did to you..... I think they want kids that are paying attention to life around them, contributing to life around them....and not just kids that are collecting scalps, if you will. </p>

<p>this is my gut reaction.... I have no idea what your chances are... but, I agree with your fundamental approach of lobbing an application in because you have nothing to lose. </p>

<p>perhaps research Yale's forays into China and see if they intersect with your own experiences at all? Certainly, in my opinion, Yale has led the way in forging an educational partnership with China. Levin was early out of the gate on this ....</p>

<p>I think you have a VERY good chance. I'm not saying Yale is by any means an easy school to get into, but don't let the Stanford rejection scare you. They were a very tough school in general this year. I have a friend with a 4.0 UW GPA, 2320 on the SATs, and she is an internationally ranked figure skater, slotted to be in the next winter Olympics. She got rejected by Stanford. Keep your head up! With that resume you're bound to get into a fabulous school.</p>

<p>Hm, Yingcai I thought you were a shoo-in for Stanford.</p>

<p>Take care to express what you've taken out of your experiences in your essays! I'm certain if you do that well enough you can get into Yale</p>

<p>yale and stanford have similar admissions systems. Dont look too much forward for yale is my advice</p>

<p>I think you have a great shot, actually. You have good stats and your ECs are really interesting. I think you'll stand out. Good luck!</p>

<p>You should take a look at Yale's ties to China. They go pretty far back. Good Luck!</p>

<p>Thanks for all the posts so far guys. </p>

<p>BUMP</p>