<p>hey Gibby, if a school uses a GPA system on 4.0 scale, what would you say should be the acceptable range for GPA?</p>
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<p>“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.”</p>
<p>I would imagine that iqtest applied to Yale SCEA, got in early, and then applied to two other schools RD - one of them being Harvard. Not nearly as risky as it sounds. </p>
<p>Now, if she didn’t get into Yale, you could bet your bottom dollar a slew of applications would have gone out the door RD and she wouldn’t now be so passionate/adamant about applying to your favorite school early despite unfavorable odds (and certainly not just three schools in total).</p>
<p>Iqtest, if you are not seriously trolling, then there is definently something you’re not telling us. Even a URM with a 2140 SAT does not easily get into harvard rd (less than 5% rd acc. rate). That means 19 people were rejected/waitlisted for every admit. Did you donate 5 million dollars or write an essay about fighting malaria while growing up in Kenya?</p>
<p>@Falcon1 “Also, my choice to apply to only three schools was made long before my acceptance to Yale.”</p>
<p>So, no. Iqtest did not decide this after his acceptance. Just wanted to set the record straight.</p>
<p>Well, if iqtest had been rejected by Yale SCEA, then that decision to apply to only three schools might have been reevaluated, unless one of them was a clear safety that she really wanted to attend.</p>
<p>^^ Exactly. Easy to stick with a plan to apply to three schools in advance after an early acceptance. But after a Yale rejection, applying only to Harvard and a safety would have been foolish. More likely, normal panic would have set in and a more reasonable number of apps sent out (especially with a 2110).</p>
<p>^^ Given that many high school’s close for Christmas/New Year’s break several days after SCEA acceptance notices come out, it’s just not wise to wait until hearing from your SCEA school before applying to more schools. That kind of “just in time” college admissions plan potentially can overwhelm a guidance department and college office, which must send any add-on schools the transcript, SSR and teacher recs before the January 1st deadline. That’s why many high schools frown upon iqtest’s way of doing things.</p>
<p>OP, are you considering taking the SAT over again in October or November? Just curious. If you got a 2140 SAT the first time around, it’s definitely possible that you could do better the second time with a lot of studying over the summer. I’m not an expert, but from what I’ve seen in the past, there are quite a few people who have been Siemens or Intel semi-finalists AND had SAT scores over 2300 but were still deferred or rejected from HYPMS. There are just so many stellar math/science people with great scores and grades that you really need something more (ESSAYS!) to get in. </p>
<p>I think you should definitely focus on bringing you SAT score up and working on those essays this summer. If you can get you SAT score up in October and write stellar essays that highlight both your passion for Yale and your love for science, then you’ll have a much higher chance of getting in. </p>
<p>Either way, I think that you should definitely start researching a broader range of schools. There are A TON of fantastic schools out there that are more likely to accept someone with your stats. </p>
<p>Best of luck!!</p>
<p>I wasn’t really going to answer any of these posts, but I’m actually disgusted by all of the strategizing that goes on in this process. It’s absurd. As an actual Yale student, I don’t know anyone at Yale who acted like this. This is my stance: </p>
<p>APPLY EARLY WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Who the heck cares about all that nonsense? </p>
<p>Also, no I did not donate 5 million dollars or do any of that. Also if I was not accepted SCEA, I still was going to stand by my only three applications because the fact of the matter is that those were the ONLY three schools I could afford to go to if accepted. If not, my legitimate plan was to not attend college. I truly do not care if someone believes me. Some college students pay the entirety of their tuition on their own plus help their families financially. </p>
<p>Yes, students can always try to improve their SAT scores and the like. But most importantly at this point: spend a LOT LOT LOT of time writing essays on really average things, but things that say something about your character. If anyone would like to read my essays they can. One was about my daily routine as a waitress. The other was about a city council meeting dynamic. (no, not malaria in Kenya).</p>
<p>“If not, my legitimate plan was to not attend college.”</p>
<p>That is truly not an option for the vast majority of high school students applying to college, which is the reason many must strategize. BTW: A good financial safety is a student’s flagship state school. Often times with the financial aid of both need and merit scholarships, a state flagship school will be free, so student’s do not have to choose between a school like Yale and not going to college.</p>
<p>
I’m sorry but I find this statement a little hard to believe. Unless you live in Alaska or some obscure state I have to think there are a few instate public schools that would have been affordable and probably would have some merit scholarships you could have been eligible for. Now if you made the statement that they were the only affordable schools you would have gone to if accepted, I might be more inclined to believe it. I know my son could have attended Northwestern or his flagship public for a minimal amount of student loans each year.</p>
<p>Also, I would never have given my son the advice to only apply to 3 schools. I made sure he applied to at least 3 instate public schools in addition to any private schools he choose to apply to. His total number was about 7 schools altogether.</p>
<p>
It’s not necessarily that we don’t believe you, but rather that our experience tells us that what you did will not translate to success in college admissions for a lot of other students. First, anybody with the accomplishments to be accepted to both Harvard and Yale would find numerous colleges that they could attend for little or no cost. Second, many, many students, even with sterling qualifications, do not get accepted to their early choice, and may not get accepted to all, or any, of their other reach choices as well. Strategizing is necessary for most people. If you didn’t have to do it, you either had some really great qualifications that may not be typical, or you were really fortunate in your results. That’s worth celebrating, but it doesn’t necessarily serve as a model for many other people.</p>
<p>Also, if you don’t know exactly what you want to be, not going to college may be an option. But if someone has a dream of becoming a doctor or a lawyer, there is no way of accomplishing this without going to college. Yes, passion is something colleges want to see, but many students with passion get rejected by colleges every year.</p>
<p>Then again, if one of your three colleges was a safety that you really liked, I suppose applying to three colleges is acceptable, but I still wouldn’t do it. </p>
<p>And question. You said that those three colleges were the only three you could afford to go to. But a lot of top schools would give you the financial aid that Yale could give you. I mean if those 3 colleges were the only ones you wanted to go to, htne fine. But I don’t think that cost of tuition should be the thing that holds you back.</p>