<p>OK I might apply ED, but first I have to know my chances. Is there any way to improve? maybe (If I still have time)?</p>
<p>Personal: class of '08 (high school), Asian, applying for biochem as major, male, have friends and a life... I go to a pretty good public high school (like 6th or 7th in my state?) all 4 years.</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<p>Ranking: top 1% of class (although my school does not do official placement rankings)</p>
<p>GPA: 4.0 :)</p>
<p>SAT: 2360 (math 800, R-780, W-780)</p>
<p>SAT 2: Chinese-800, chem 800, math 2-800</p>
<p>Course load: Like the best classes my school offers (10 APs and a few honors)
Got fives on all the APs except like 2 that I got 4s in.</p>
<p>ACT: 35</p>
<p>ECs:
-4 year Qbowl member and 4 yr captain for the team, 2 varsity Qbowl letters. 2 yr historian for Qbowl.
-Help start a math club,
-4 yr swimming team member
-4 yr varsity track, 2 yr team manager
-2 yr debate team member
-3 yr tennis team member (1 yr varsity)
-Green ribbon in Cleveland sci fair (Fr) 3rd place in Cleveland science fair (So)
2nd place in Cleveland Sci fair (Jr) (First place hopefully this year)
-Captain of Knowledge team for 4 yrs (Won 1st place in state all four years)
-NHS (basically a requirement nowadays...)
-Book drive
-12 yr piano player (6 yr state semifinalist)</p>
<p>Volunteering
-Volunteered at various places (I dunno? like 200+ hours total?)
-100 of those from medical related places (i.e. Hospital, hospice...)
-Many more from a senior center</p>
<p>Recs/essays
-Essay: good-very good (somewhere in between, lets say)
-Recs: great</p>
<p>Obviously you have not done sufficient research on Yale as it does not offer ED. Your lack of interest in the school clearly shows through now, and I assume it will show through to the admissions officer in the fall as well. Regardless, I'm to analyze your chances and with a glimpse of your credentials I feel that you offer a much as the next applicant or as much as the the applicant before you. There is truly nothing that stands out now, no hook, nothing that distinguishes you from the hundreds of individuals that ask for chances on CC and certainly nothing from the thousands of applicants to Yale. Invest time in the fall to perfect those all important essays to give dimension to your application. Good luck.</p>
<p>The uncertainty in some of your responses (i.e. "I dunno? like 200+ hours total?") may manifest itself as a lack of passion. Are you doing these things just to get into college?</p>
<p>Aside from that, you are definitely academically capable handling Yale. But even these strengths don't mean much if you're not passionate about all that you do. </p>
<p>Just make sure your essays don't give the same message as your CC post and you'll be extremely competitive.</p>
<p>your scores are very impressive. however, there will be plenty of people applying to yale that have excellent scores AND excellent EC's and awards. that fact is, your are too dull. nothing stands out.</p>
<p>this thread is a little harsh...yes you seem to fit the asian stereotype. it doesn't mean you're not an unbelievably gifted person. i hope you're accepted, and i wouldn't be at all surprised.</p>
<p>I'm not doubting his ability, the kid is obviously very intelligent. They problem is that he fits the asian stereotype perfectly, and when you're just like other kids it's much harder to distinguish yourself. For example, I know an asian who had a 3.1, 28 ACT, but since he was a great recruited sprinter he was admitted to cornell. His GPA and ACT were well under, but his excellence at sprinting and football broke the asian mold. (I'm sure the recruiting helped too)</p>
<p>what's your passion? what do you like to do when you're not doing the things every other asian male is doing - aka science/math. i echo 1MX here: you're probably a very gifted individual, but at places like yale, they can only take so many science/math-confined asian males. good luck with your essays.</p>
<p>I think that knowing EXACTLY how many hours you've spent volunteering shows that you were doing things just for college. I spent a ton of time working for a new track and a referendum for my school, and I don't think I could even ballpark how much. Doesn't say anything about how passionate I was. Anyways, true passion will show whether you get into Yale or a state school that will offer you just as good of an undergraduate education.</p>
<p>Also, to the starter of the thread, after reading what the kid from Yale said to you and the general tone of that response, I don't know why you'd have any desire to join more like him.</p>