<p>Okay so I applied to Washington and Lee University with a 31 ACT score under the binding Early Decision plan, thinking that my ACT was too low to apply to Yale. Before I got in, I received a score of 33. Because I got in ED, I have to enroll at Washington and Lee, but I am considering attempting to transfer to Yale. Aware of a daunting 3% transfer acceptance rate, I was wondering if anybody could offer some insight as to my chances of admission.</p>
<p>High School: Small, private, Catholic school in Florida</p>
<p>ECs:
Class President sophomore and junior year
Class Senator senior year
Student ambassador for my final two years
Vice President of National Honors Society
Manager of school baseball team for two years, both state championship teams, the second a national championship team.</p>
<p>Classes and Grades:
I took the hardest available classes each year, APs including world history, U.S. history, literature and composition, language and composition, economics, government, and calculus AB. I took the world history, U.S. history, and lit. and comp. exams and made 3, 3, and 4 respectfully.
SAT II's: U.S. History, Literature, Math: scores too low to even mention.
GPA 3.7 UW; 4.4 W (out of 4.5)
(I know this is low, but my grades got better each year)</p>
<p>Test Scores:
SAT: 1970 (630M, 630CR, 710W)
ACT: 33 (36E, 30M, 32S, 34CR)</p>
<p>I participated in Boys State, RYLA Youth Leadership Conference, and Christian Youth Leadership Conference. I will be a first generation college student.</p>
<p>Misc.: I taught myself the piano and guitar, but I cannot read or write music. I have a knack for teaching myself things that I am not taught in school (finance, for example, but that's still a work in progress).</p>
<p>College:
Washington and Lee University
Intended Major: economics and business administration
I am hoping to achieve a GPA of 3.7 or above before applying to Yale.</p>
<p>Essay: In my application essay, I will write about:</p>
<ol>
<li>Yale being a target school for investment banking, what I want to do, and Washington and Lee not</li>
<li>Yale's diverse student population. I was excited to attend W&L because it was the same kind of conservative, wealthy, southern, preppy, party-school that my high school was but I've since, inexplicably, realized a desire to break out of my comfort zone and experience people that are different from what I have grown up around. I feel that I can learn from them culturally and intellectually.</li>
<li>Yale's liberal arts curriculum. W&L is a liberal arts college, but Yale gives students more freedom to study what they want. I also like their "shopping" period at the beginning of each semester.</li>
<li>Touch on Yale's outstanding faculty, attractive academic rigor, and residential colleges.</li>
<li>What Yale can get from me: an open mind that has a real desire to learn as much as possible and because of this will work as hard as possible to succeed at Yale. I will do my best at whatever school I attend but I want Yale to be the one I do it at.</li>
<li>Touch on my awareness of weaknesses in my application, counter with "potential to grow, to receive more out of Yale than a more qualified student could" idea.</li>
<li>Will not mention the "Ivy League status" and will assure Yale that it is the only school that can fill my desires in the way that I want.</li>
</ol>
<p>All of those are how I really feel, and are not fabricated to look good.</p>
<p>So, when Yale sees all of this, will they laugh as they toss my application in the trash, or will they see the potential I have, and give me a shot? What do you guys think? Thank you!</p>