SCEA or RD

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>Let me just start by saying that Yale is my super-reach-"dream"-probably-not-going-to-happen school. It was my dream school since freshmen year, but I realize that it is a very unrealistic option.</p>

<p>With that said, I am debating between applying SCEA or applying RD. I had originally planed to apply RD (so that my mid-year reports would be included) but after visiting a college fair at my school where a Yale alum. rep was present, my mom is convinced that I should apply SCEA.
I don't know if that is a good idea since I have heard that, although the admission rate may be slightly higher, the best and the brightest apply early action.</p>

<p>My basic stats are:
GPA UW: ~3.5
GPA W: 3.8 (It was a 4.3 but when I changed schools due to a move, the school refused to weight a lot of my classes)
SATI: 2010 (retaking Nov.3)
ACT w/Writing: 30 (retaking Oct.27)</p>

<p>EC (just the major ones):
Link Crew(12)
*Drama Club (9-12)(main one)
PLUS(12)
Art Club (11-12)
Volunteering at local art museum (only volunteer under 18)
*I know I only have a few listed here but these are my main ones that take up most of my time (depth rather than breadth)</p>

<p>Hooks/Other:
URM, 1st Gen., Military kid (Navy Brat)</p>

<p>I know that my stats are (much) lower than normal. I was in a full pre-IB/IB program at my old school and I am in all AP classes this year (besides 2nd semester of my junior year my classes have been all academic and all rigorous).</p>

<p>The reason for my low GPA is that my parents went thorough a really messy divorce spanning my freshmen and sophomore years (like the police had to be called multiple times messy) so my grades from those two years are almost all B's (nothing lower). I am going to have my guidance counselor talk about this in her letter of rec.</p>

2

<p>Sorry to hear about the rough time you had in school due to your parents’ messy divorce – that sucks! Your GC should definitely talk about that in their letter.</p>

<p>Have you read Yale’s advice to students: [Frequently</a> Asked Questions - Single-Choice Early Action | Yale College Admissions](<a href=“Single-Choice Early Action | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions”>Single-Choice Early Action | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions)</p>

<p>“Applying Single-Choice Early Action does not increase the likelihood of being admitted to Yale. Historically, the rate of admission among early applicants has been higher than the overall admission rate because many of our strongest candidates, from a wide range of backgrounds and interests, apply early. We therefore offer this advice: Apply for Single-Choice Early Action if you want to receive a decision in mid-December and you are confident of the credentials you will be presenting to the admissions committee early in your senior year. An Early Action applicant must meet the same criteria for admission as an applicant in the regular pool. A thoughtful college search and a careful assessment of your readiness to present a strong application as early as November 1, are key. Candidates who need more time, for whatever reason, will be better served by our Regular Decision process.”</p>

<p>In, addition, Jeffrey Brenzel has said this about SCEA accepted students: [Early</a> admit rate rises slightly | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2009/dec/15/early-admit-rate-rises-slightly/]Early”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2009/dec/15/early-admit-rate-rises-slightly/)</p>

<p>“Our applicants continue to be an exceptionally talented, highly diverse group of students,” Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jeff Brenzel said in an e-mail. “As always, we only accepted students that we were certain we would also accept in the spring."</p>

<p>SCEA is really for students with exceptional GPA’s and test scores, recruited athletes, legacy’s, URM’s, Developmental Cases, Questbridge applicants, or student’s who have shown amazing promise at an extracurricular activity. </p>

<p>Although you are a URM, you will be competing with many other URM’s in the early round who will have higher GPA’s and test scores. If you apply SCEA, there is a high likelihood that you will be deferred. My advice is to not waste your early slot on a reach school, such as Yale. Instead, apply to a broad range of non-binding early schools, such as Georgetown, UChicago, MIT, a State School, etc and apply to Yale RD. In that way, you will hopefully have at least one school in your back pocket come mid-December and still have a shot at Yale in the RD round.</p>