<p>Hi everyone, I live in California and I'm about to become a senior (more importantly I'm an actor...but we'll get to that). Last year, one of my best friends talked me into taking a look into Yale's undergraduate theatre department and obviously there was nothing not to love. I'm very interested, so I might as well ask the big question: can I get in with what I have to offer? I've got an SAT score of 1930 and a 3.85 GPA, but that's obviously nothing special... my strengths are found elsewhere... What I believe (hope/pray/beg)...take your pick) will allow me to stand out from the other 30,000 applicants are my ECs. Throughout my high school years I've been accepted into many intense, well known, theatre summer programs located in and out of the United States including: BADA (The British American Drama Academy) at Oxford University, London; CSSSA (The California State Summer School of the Arts) in Valencia; and the Aquila Morong Studio Program in Los Angeles. This summer I designed a beginners theatre class for children at a local shelter located near to where I live and I'm in the process of teaching these kids the basics of acting. It's been a very rewarding process considering that it's been incredibly inspiring and it seems like a good start to an application essay. So what do you think? Can I convince the application staff to accept me for my ECs despite a not so extraordinary SAT score or GPA? I appreciate any feedback (but please don't clobber my self esteem, if I have no chance...let me down gently) THANK YOU!</p>
<p>Can you retake SAT or even ACT? You have something unique – it’s worth a shot. Now you should think how do you present these ECs. Good luck.</p>
<p>I find your extracurriculars impressive too…but alas this is a holistic process. Unless you moved to the States 5 years ago, your SAT must improve drastically to ensure it wont be a factor that get u rejected. Your gpa, if unweighed, is totally fine. </p>
<p>As for the essay, there WILL be kids who write the same stuff like helping kids/the poor. So its hard to distinguish yourself that way. Instead I think taljing about being an actor is way cooler. People likes learning new stuff/perspective. Plus u will need to preside over other clubs/activities too (unless, say, ur at a VERY high level in acting, like appearing on TV)</p>
<p>See: Yale Common Data Set, C9 Data: <a href=“http://oir.yale.edu/common-data-set[/url]”>Common Data Set | Office of Institutional Research;
<p>Seventy-five percent of admitted Yale students had a 2110 SAT or 31 ACT and HIGHER. Although I’m sure at least one student must have been accepted to Yale with 1930, that student probably had some other overwhelming “wow” factor that compensated for their low test score – maybe they were a recruited athlete, a legacy applicant, a URM, a renowned concert violinist etc. Students like you, without those “wow” factors, need test scores that are safely in Yale’s mid-range. As T26E4 suggested, you need to retake the SAT, or try the ACT.</p>
<p>FWIW: Yale’s undergraduate theatre program is more of an academic program. If you are really interested in drama, you should investigate schools that admit students based on an audition not test scores. There is a whole section of College Confidential devoted to BA and BFA theater programs: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/</a></p>