<p>I know that people are usually admitted via SCEA who are athletes or "cream of the crop" applicants, and many get deferred. I am not a cream of the crop applicant with a high score or an athlete. I got a 2140 SAT, 730 Bio M, and 2 more SAT II's (Math IC and Spanish) coming in the mail in a few days. I expect to score above 700 for both. Other than that, not much else stands out statistic-wise. (I have a 4.0 with an upward trend in course rigor). However, I think my essays and recommendations will stand out. Also, I will apply to the Siemens competition. Let's say I am recognized as a semifinalist or something...Will my SAT really hold me back to such an extent? Should I apply to Yale SCEA, as most science-bent students are applying to MIT/Stanford/Caltech/Harvard?</p>
<p>The only issue is that it is not enough to merely be “science-bent” in an applicant pool like this. There WILL be Siemens winners,2300+ SAT scorers, and varsity D1 athletes in the early applicant pool. There will also be kids whose teachers will write recs saying that these students are the best that they’ve ever taught “in 20 years”. What makes you stand out? And more importantly, what would you contribute to the campus if you were admitted? You must understand that no one gets into a school like Yale for no reason and with no talent/passion and that only you can “chance” yourself.</p>
<p>That makes sense. Well, I can’t change my background, grades, or recommendation content at this point. I will hope for the best.</p>
<p>You should think hard about whether SCEA at Yale is the best strategy for you. It’s a long shot–and it would still be a long shot even with a higher SAT. Consider whether it might not be better to apply EA to several really good schools that wouldn’t be such a long shot.</p>
<p>Choosing to apply SCEA at Yale, at another school, or not at all shouldn’t be about strategy. It only matters where you ultimately would like to end up. If Yale is your number 1 school, YES! Apply SCEA. But if you are only doing it because of strategy based on where other science kids are applying, you won’t get in because your reasons are wrong. Admissions are anybody’s game, but if it helps, I am not an athlete or a competition winner of any kind and I was admitted SCEA to Yale for 2016 with a 2110. It’s not your SAT score. It’s your passion that you bring to your application.</p>
<p>^^ I disagree. For a student with top test scores, applying SCEA to Yale because it’s their first choice school is a wise move. However, when you have 2100ish SAT score, and the chances of being deferred are greater, a student needs to think about the “best” strategy, as they shouldn’t waste their chances on a long-shot. In the OP’s case, I would recommend they apply to a broad range of non-binding early schools, such as Ohio Wesleyan, Northeastern, Georgetown, UChicago, UMich, Case Western Reserve, their state school, etc. and apply to Yale in the RD round. In this way, the OP will hopefully have at least one acceptance in their back pocket come mid-December and still have a shot at Yale in the RD round.</p>
<p>I just think college applications should be less about “strategy” and more about true hopes of attending a top college. Many people on CC question why really seemingly overqualified candidates are rejected from schools like Yale, while lesser qualified students are accepted. From my own experiences speaking with my pees who were also accepted SCEA to Yale, a common theme was simply the really strong desire and having Yale as a number 1. The above student will obviously be accepted somewhere even if Yale is a long shot, the chance of having a #1 acceptance come December is worth more than a bunch of “strategic” acceptances at places that someone is not truly excited about. When I applied to schools, I applied to only 3.</p>
<p>Gibby: I am sure Chicago administrators are very happy to have you personally increase the application rate and thus lower their acceptance rate even lower (reject more students) for this august institution…Chicago is a lot more sensitive to high test scores and GPAs like Caltech even though they may claim to be “holistic” with the ESSAYS…</p>
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With all due respect, you were extremely lucky that this strategy paid off–and since you got into Yale SCEA, you didn’t really need to apply to more schools, anyway.</p>
<p>Yale does not care how passionately you’d like to go to Yale. They use the SCEA round to admit students they definitely want. A person with stats below average for Yale admits is not likely to be such a person without some really unusual characteristics.</p>
<p>Gravitas: I mentioned UChicago, along with a group of other schools, because it has a non-restrictive early admissions policy – not because it may be easier to get into (which it’s not). Given the OP’s 2140 SAT, I think it’s a wiser move NOT to put all the eggs in one basket. Unless, you disagree with that strategy.</p>
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Clarification: some of the people Yale doesn’t “definitely want” in the SCEA round may be deferred and then admitted in the RD round when compared to other people more or less similar to them. I don’t mean to discourage OP or anybody else from applying in the RD round.</p>
<p>Gibby: I usually agree with you on most occasions but students that don’t have TOP test scores, GPAs, extracurricular activities, essays, and recommendations have little chance of getting into Chicago early action since they can pick from the cream of the crop…that is why I generally recommend students who have the “record” to competitively compete for a spot at the TOP schools who are not willing to pull the trigger on an SCEA school, nor commit to a ED school, to try apply EA to schools like Chicago, MIT, Caltech ONLY if they are seriously interested…not to just throw in an application.</p>
<p>…this particular candidate has a small chance of getting into Yale or Chicago in the Early round no matter how you slice it…</p>
<p>…moreover, it is projected that Chicago will continue to receive the most EA applications of any top school and their overall application numbers continue upward…</p>
<p>…most predict Chicago will surpass MIT’s acceptance rate this coming year and challenge Princeton/Columbia’s numbers…</p>
<p>…so, no matter how much I and the Chicago administration would love nothing more than Chicago’s acceptance rate to become outrageously low to be consistent with its august history…I don’t think one should condone artificially increasing the application numbers for this institution…it is tough enough for the students who TRULY love and want to attend Chicago. Hope this makes sense.</p>
<p>Hunt, With all due respect, my admissions officer explicitly told me that my clear passion for Yale was, in fact, one of the underlying reasons I was accepted. Also, my choice to apply to only three schools was made long before my acceptance to Yale. I truly believe, and actively recommend, that students only apply to schools to which they MOST want to go. I have very little respect for those who apply to a plethora of Ivies or a ton of schools just for the sake of increased chances. I would not and will not discourage someone from applying SCEA because of low SAT scores, (especially since those scores were higher than mine, and I was admitted to Yale as well as Harvard). Yale cares much less about scores than people believe, and I know from personal experience that they do value a really strong sense of school passion.</p>
<p>iqtest, I’m sorry that I just don’t believe passion for Yale makes much difference, no matter what somebody may have told you. You had to have a lot more than passion to get in early–and maybe it was strong enough to give you a pretty good idea, like if you are strongly hooked. But for the vast majority of kids who really want to go to a school like Yale, applying to only three schools is a foolish strategy. I’m glad it paid off for you.</p>
<p>^^ In addition, I don’t know of one respected guidance counselor that would agree to having a student apply to just 3 schools, one of which is Yale, even with a 2400 SAT. The odds of being accepted in today’s ultra competitive admissions process to high end schools without a safety and financial safety school are pretty long – and doing so, at least from my perspective is pretty caviler and reckless.</p>
<p>^^^Gibby, what exactly do you define a “top” student to be, as in one that would be competitive for the SCEA cycle?</p>
<p>iqtest, if there was nothing special about your application as you suggest (in post #5), and it was primarily your passion for Yale that got you admitted to Yale, what are the reasons you think you were admitted to Harvard?</p>
<p>@ Marioanluigi: A top student is just that – someone who is ranked in the top 1 to 3 percent of their graduating class, with a 95+ GPA (unweighted), ACT/SAT scores of 34+ or 2250+, who has the strong backing of two teachers and a guidance counselor, who also has interesting and thought provoking essays, with a demonstrated passion (2 years or more) for something in their life other than getting good grades and test scores. That’s the kind of competitive student admissions diectors are looking for in the SCEA pool – whether it be HYPS.</p>
<p>^Adding to what gibby said, it would also help if you were a clear academic standout on the national/international level (as evidenced by winning competitions if you’re math/science or by publishing an essay in The Concord Review if you’re humanities oriented) or were very clearly the best in the country/world at anything, ranging from debate to ballroom dance.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that most of such top students have been denied admission by some or all top institutions.</p>