Rising Junior... How Am I Doing So Far?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>Hey everyone. I've been lurking these forums for a while and finally decided to post. I'll be a junior next year and this seems to be the best place to get good, honest advice.</p>

<p>So, you see, I want to go to Yale. Not like "Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell..." but, YALE as in, I want it more than anything. It is my ultimate dream school. I don't know why, but it is. If you have a lot of fabulous reasons why NOT to go there, I'd probably be relieved because other schools aren't so competitive. But for me, right now, it's Yale. And it has been since I actually started thinking about college (at the age of twelve). </p>

<p>So here I am:
I go to a competitive public school in Washington (the state)
My GPA (unweighted) is about a 3.93 so far (one bad math class brought it down)
I take the most advanced courses at my school (After eighth grade, I took and passed an optional test to jump ahead in science, which about twenty other people did too, out of like 350 students)
I haven't taken the SATs yet, but I've done well on practice tests.
As for extracurriculars, I've done National Honor Society, Key Club, Spanish Club, Drama Club, Environmental Club, and Film Club for the last two years, and a lot of drama before that. I'm a shoe-in to be Drama Club President next year, and possibly something in Spanish Club too.</p>

<p>As for Drama, I got a varsity letter in it last year. I've been doing plays since early middle school, and I've done almost everything I possibly can. For instance, my school has two One-Act festivals per year. Last year I acted in both of them (a total of three one-acts, starring roles in all) and next year I intend to write/direct for them. Drama is a big deal for me, and I know that the Yale School of Drama is a big deal to them, so maybe that will help. </p>

<p>As for on-my-own community service, for the last three or so years I've done a TON of horse-related stuff. Last summer I spent several weeks volunteering for a saddle club that raised money to save the park they put on shows at (the park was going to get destroyed for apartments), and I've done a lot of time as a counselor for a horse day-camp (nonprofit). Later this summer I'm volunteering at a dance studio in my neighborhood that puts on a camp for disadvantaged kids in the area where they learn to dance and put on a play (I'm helping with that)</p>

<p>As a side note, but a very hopeful hook, I'm writing a book. It's young adult fiction (no, I am not a loser writing bad fan fiction, in case you're wondering), and I really think I could get it published. If I do, hopefully that would sound quite good.</p>

<p>The thing that depresses me is that my school is loathe to give out awards or even rankings, so I don't sound overly impressive. I need to find some awards to win!</p>

<p>Anyway, I know I'm not full of information (I don't have SATs or anything yet), but I'd really appreciate an analysis of how I've done so far and what I can do to improve my chances of getting into Yale...this means way more than it should to me!</p>

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<p>Looking good so far. The important thing I see is you have about 3 good things to push on your application: drama, community service, and writing. If you show above average promise in each of those interests, you should have a great chance... unless your book is like that of a particular student at Harvard haha. The important thing for your final two years of highschool is to not drop the ball. I got just the least bit lazy senior year and ended up on extended waitlists for some great schools</p>

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<p>Oh God, I know. That book scandal was terrible! How embarassing... Yeah, I know that I've got to keep it up as much as I can, although I'm pretty nervous considering my insane schedule next year. Oh well, I figure that if I can't handle it I don't belong at Yale anyway, right?</p>

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<p>I'm sorry, but what exactly was the book scandal about? I guess I missed it.</p>

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<p>Check this out:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/25/books/25book.html?ex=1303617600&en=c3e053b8a55ab26d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/25/books/25book.html?ex=1303617600&en=c3e053b8a55ab26d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Advice for your book: Start writing query letters early...</p>

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<p>You think I should? I just figured I should finish the thing before I start making any calls or whatnot. But maybe you're right...I'll admit to knowing nothing about the publishing business. Any advice on that front is extremely appreciated.</p>

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<p>Lol Kaavya Vinaswanathan (Harvard book girl) went to my High School (Academy for the Adv of Sci & Tech). lol it was funny cuz 2 years ago all our lit teachers bragged how she got the 500k advance. And our teacher after finding out about kaavya (he taught her), pulled out a copy of Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye", drew a line crossing out Salinger's name, and wrote his own and said "Hey guys look, my own book!" lol.</p>

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<p>That's sad but hilarious. I was so ...irritated... by that whole thing. I don't know what would inspire you to do something like that... If anyone found out, it would be a scandal. And it was. How embarassing. Fortunately, I don't plan to rip off any of my favorite authors (much as I wish their books had my name on them...)</p>

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<p>Well, I don't know that you should start writing them now, but don't delay too long after you're done, certainly. You want to have something to send along, and more should they ask for it, but at the same time, the point is that the whole agent-getting and sniffing-about process is just very lengthy. You send something out and wait. So the sooner you start, the sooner you can get results.</p>

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<p>That makes sense. I've been bad and have been messing with a few ideas at once, ending up so that I have one manuscript of 38 pages and one just over 20. Definitely not enough to send out yet, I think. I really must get on it...this month and November (NaNo WriMo) are my two pegged months to write intensively. So I go back to it now.</p>

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<p>I'm a big fan of nanowrimo--hopefully this year I'll get more done than last.</p>

<p>I'd hoped to write some this month myself, also... but it looks like I'll probably be writing mostly essays and the like. What tragedy.</p>

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<p>That's depressing. I'd prefer a novel over an essay any day. I'm starting to get frustrated, though, since I start writing, then I actually plot the story, and then I'm frustrated and hate the 20-some pages I've already written. It's not very productive, I tell you! </p>

<p>Oh well. Maybe NaNo WriMo will give me big inspiration. I'm not aiming to win this year, since I'm just using it as an excuse to write more of what I already have. (My goal is to have a completed, 300+ page novel by December 31...we shall see)</p>