Should I bother to apply to Yale, Stanford, or WashU?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Yale and Stanford would be dream schools. I always liked Wash U since my cousin went there. Yale and Stanford would give excellent financial aid, according to the financial aid calculators. </p>

<p>My stats are as follows
SAT 2090, UWGPA 3.73, class ranking-right at top 10%, excellent ECs and references and interesting volunteer work that I did when it was not required even and do way more than required with NHS anyway. I also take EPGY courses. I attend a top public school</p>

<p>I know that these schools are reaches. But I am wondering if they are such huge reaches that it is not even worth trying. Part of me thinks that I should just apply, because I won't really know until I apply. And of course, if I got in to any of these, I would attend. But, on the other hand, I think that I actually really do know and I should not waste money or time on these applications. </p>

<p>What do you think? A stretch, but worth applying? Or it would be a joke if they saw my application?</p>

2

<p>Try to up your SAT or try taking the ACT.</p>

3

<p>If your school subscribes to Naviance then look at the stats for previous students from your high school who’ve applied to Stanford, Yale, and Washington University.</p>

<p>Although not necessarily representative and certainly not validated look at the results threads for Yale and Stanford applicants.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/1477850-official-yale-class-2017-rd-results-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/1477850-official-yale-class-2017-rd-results-thread.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/stanford-university/1480174-stanford-class-2017-official-decisions-thread-rd.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/stanford-university/1480174-stanford-class-2017-official-decisions-thread-rd.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Washington University is not quite as selective as Yale and Stanford. You may be able to find detailed historical data for specific students who’ve applied there. I didn’t look very hard but I couldn’t find it.</p>

<p>No one would see your application as a “joke”. Some students with academic stats such as yours do occasionally get accepted. Often though those students have unique attributes – e.g. sports, music, URMs, etc.</p>

4

<p>I have music. I play the viola and do quite well, including playing for the city symphony orchestra. Would this help?</p>