Hey everyone!
I’m fairly new to the site, so I’m sorry if this is an annoying discussion thread. I’m a female applying to college later this year. My SAT scores are pretty mediocre (1300-1400), though I’m still planning on taking it again in June. I’ve been told many times I have very distinguishable community involvement, especially through my clubs.
I’ve realized fairly late this year that I’ve hit a rut and cannot seem to overcome it. I used to be very involved with sports and music, but this year (my junior year) has been fairly hard to adjust because the grades I felt so used to getting have gotten slightly worse. I’m still pretty active in music programs and some science clubs. Is there any advice on how to stay college ready? I’ve just got a rejection from my top summer program and I won’t find out about the results for my next program until May, so I don’t really have a backup plan for the summer if I get rejected from that.
My goal, as overambitious and cliche as it is, is Yale. Not because of prestige but because of the environment. I’m from a school that is among the most diverse in the state. It’s very competitive and there have been multiple students from the past years that are now attending Yale and are really thriving in the environment. I can’t help but feel that Yale has the perfect environment for me. While I’m sure there are plenty of other schools, I really hope to become ivy league material.
For a kind of good view of how I am right now, my safeties/targets include USciences and Rutgers.
TLDR: I really want to be ivy material. My scores and grades are okay (SAT 1300s and solid A student), but that’s coming from a student in a notoriously competitive school. I have a reputation for strong involvement in ECs. Also, I have good relationships with my teachers and counselor. Help with how to become a stronger applicant next year? Also, ways to stay motivated in the coming months of absolute stress and misery? Ideas for summer programs or pastimes that have deadlines in late April?
Focus your energy on finding match and safety schools, not dreaming of a school with a less than 5% acceptance rate. There are hundreds of schools where you can thrive.
As for the summer, get a summer job if your programs don’t pan out. It’s great experience no matter where you are working (supermarket, restaurant, etc…)
And if you want any shot of being competitive for Yale, get your SAT score up 200 points and take SAT II subject tests.
Do not think 'Every point I get off of a homework or test is a point away from going to Yale/Harvard."
Think: “I need to do my best, and there will be a college that is right for me when I graduate.”
Do not think “If I don’t go to an Ivy League School, I am doomed forever.”
Think: “No matter where I go, I can bloom where I am planted. I can get involved and shine.”
Do not think: “My life is over…the kid in my math class is taking 20 APs and I am taking 5. I will never succeed.”
Think: “I need to challenge myself, but only to the point where I can still do well.”
Lots of people want to be “Ivy material”. The reality is that there are TONS of other good schools out there. You are just setting yourself up for misery by focusing on one school. You need to develop a list of matches and safeties that you’d want to attend and seem affordable. Then add a few reaches if you still want to. No matter how much you love Yale, the odds of them loving you back are minuscule. @bopper has good advice for you.
Your SAT scores are on the low side for an unhooked applicant. It is possible to get it above 1500, but you’re going to have to work hard for it. Also, you need to maintain a 3.8+/4.0 UW GPA. Those are just baselines for a school such as Yale, and come with no guarantees.
Take your best shot, though. As the others mentioned, it is better to love all your schools that you apply to and not get hung up on one “dream school”. If you don’t find 3-5 match and likely schools that you can afford and would be delighted to attend, then you need to keep researching. They are out there.