SCEA = Waste of $75?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>So, I was wondering like what else should I do to improve the chances for Yale other than my really bad SAT scores which i expect to improve. Or is it a complete suicide?</p>

<p>Race: Chinese
Gender: Male
School Type: UWC
Legacy: None</p>

<p>IB Grades:
Economics Higher: 7
Chemistry Higher:7
Maths Higher: 5
Biology Standard: 7
English A1 Standard: 6
Italian Standard: 6</p>

<p>Extended Essay in Economics: A
Theory of Knowledge Essay: B</p>

<p>Total: 38+3 = 41/45 [top 2.5% in the world based on last years statistics]
Language teachers are ridiculously crazy...</p>

<p>Rank: None (school doesnt do that), although i would say i would be near the top/ upper average considering the courses i take in relation to the points that i have achieved</p>

<p>SAT 1's: 1960, 1980
M-780, 720
W-600,590
R-580, 670</p>

<p>Composite Score: 2050/2400
1450/1600</p>

<p>SAT 2's:
Chinese: 780
Maths 2: 780
Chemistry: 770
Total:2330/2400</p>

<p>Extra-Curriculars:
Swimming, participated in national competitions in Singapore
NGO, Vice-President of NGO that operates out of school, its student set-up
Senior Website Designer for a now-defunct NGO that was succeeded by the new NGO that I am now Vice-President of
Scouts (national and International representation at grades 8,9,10)
School/International Representation for Maths and Science at competitions (its not that good, but thats what the certificate says so I dont really care)
Internship at the government ministry where i helped out with alot of big events</p>

<p>Volunteerism:
over 200 hours of community service at grades 9,10
consistent volunteering for grade 11 (it should amount to alot!)</p>

<p>Summer:
Internship at Government, Turned down a internship at a Standard Chartered because it coincided with the Government internship,
teaching a student in maths pro bono,
various conferences on world economics and foreign policies during internship</p>

2

<p>UWCSEA, I imagine? Fellow SG resident here. </p>

<p>Your application is pretty outstanding considering your IB predicted is top 2.5% in the world! The only thing that’s on the low end is your SAT, but your SAT 2’s and grades are great for Yale. EC’s are very good but you don’t seem to have a specific focus (or so it seems), so prove your passion in your essays. Attending UWCSEA is pretty advantageous as well, considering you guys send quite a few kids off to Oxbridge/Ivies/T25 schools every year. </p>

<p>Good luck, write some amazing essays and you’ll have a great shot. Even if you get flat-out rejected, don’t be discouraged, a lot of outstanding applicants do college and admissions is often an extremely arbitrary process. Have confidence in yourself and you’ll do fine.</p>

3

<p>I can’t see why they would look past your SAT scores; nothing else really hits me. Not much of a chance imo.</p>

4

<p>well, i studied at the UWC in Italy, not the one in Singapore so I can’t really comment on them sending students to the really famous schools, although I have to admit that they are really famous in Singapore and Asia so as to speak. </p>

<p>I’m not really sure about the EC’s but I managed to start up a college-based NGO that is now international with two other brances at the other UWC’s in Bosnia and Wales. I guess that does say something about my commitment to, if not passion. Although, I must admit that I am not even sure if I want to apply to Yale SCEA now that I just realised that almost every admit has an SAT score of 2300…</p>

5

<p>The fact that your ethnicity is Chinese will make it about 3x harder for you to get in. You’ll be competing with all of the other Asians (SAT: 2300+/tons of ECs), and even they will get rejected. Buff up your app and SAT score.</p>

6

<p>About your pm.</p>

<p>Your SAT score almost disqualifies you immediately.
You have nothing great - nothing to make them say “wow he is cool” You need that for Yale, and especially for EA</p>

7

<p>Your scores are a problem. Also, you are an international (I think), which probably doesn’t help. Also, I have to say that 780 in Math 2 is not particularly great, given the percentiles.</p>

<p>I don’t think it would be crazy to apply early to Yale if your SAT goes up substantially. If it doesn’t, I think I would suggest a different strategy for your early application.</p>

8

<p>It is the score, not the percentile that matters for subject tests. Collegeboard tries to balance all tests so that score x reflects the same achievement in each subject. Some have easier curves because the that subject is more self selecting. 780 is still solid (not great) but certainly not bad.</p>

9

<p>780 on Math 2 is 85th percentile. That is solid, but it’s not going to impress the admissions committee at Yale. “Not great” isn’t what you want if you’re trying to crack a school with a single-digit admissions rate.</p>