Yes, I know, but... What are my chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>My high school is in rural Illinois, and I'm a white female.</p>

<p>ACT: 33 composite, 35 English, 34 Science, 32 Reading, 29 Math, 9 Writing.
Haven't taken the SAT yet, but I'm intending to this fall.</p>

<p>AP classes: European History (4), US History (4), Eng Lang & Comp (5), Biology (didn't take the test)</p>

<p>GPA 3.76 unweighted, 3.98 weighted.</p>

<p>Class Rank 15 out of 390, so top 5%</p>

<p>ECs: French Club (10,11,12)(honorary president 12), Key Club (11,12), Orchestra (9,10,11,12), Pit Orchestra (10,11,12), String Band (10), NHS (11,12)(committee chair of the GAPS program 12), private piano lessons (since forever), 17th/18th century tunes on tin whistle, self-taught (10,11,12). </p>

<p>This year's schedule: AP US Gov, AP English lit, AP Calculus, honors physics, graphic design, fashion & textiles, symphony orchestra, french IV (I'll be taking the AP test for French)</p>

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<p>Not too good of a chance. Your ACT is decent; your grades are below average; and your EC’s are alright but certainly not outstanding.</p>

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<p>OOH I forgot some things. Not that it will make much of a difference, but…
I’m a National Merit Scholar commended student.
I’ve taken any and all AP/Honors courses I can with my schedule. Our school doesn’t have that many, but it comes out to around 15 or 16, and my math is a year advanced.
Also, I left out Economics from next year’s schedule.</p>

<p>Thanks for the feedback, silverturtle. (by the way, I think you meant all right, not alright)</p>

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<p><a href=“by%20the%20way,%20I%20think%20you%20meant%20all%20right,%20not%20alright”>quote</a>

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<p>No, I meant “alright,” though “all right” would have worked as well. I’m not one of those who object to “alright.”</p>

5

<p>hmm. interesting take.</p>

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<p>I’d say your chances are okay. Make sure you write a great essay and have good recs. Also, ECs are average, I mean, it would help if you have something you’re passionate about and can make evident on your application. (I’m not saying you don’t, this is just what I’ve gathered from your post)</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Your chances are quite low unless you can demonstrate your passion better in your application. Best of luck!</p>

8

<p>ECs look like box-ticking the way you’ve presented them here.</p>

<p>Don’t present a list of all the things you’ve done but speak with passion about two or three things and how you’ve excelled at them.</p>

<p>Any SAT II scores?</p>

9

<p>naw, we don’t take the sats here in illinois, but I’m taking some this fall. I’m thinking math 1, biology, and us history.
my main passion is music, and that’s what I’m writing my essay about. everything I do, I do it because I love it. showing passion shouldn’t be a problem on the application :]</p>

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<p>Some of us do. <em>raises hand</em></p>

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<p>dude, do you even go to yale, or are you just plaguing my thread for no reason? I don’t wanna sound rude, but you’re kind of asking for it…</p>

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<p>No.</p>

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<p>Excuse me? I have no idea what you are referring to.</p>

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<p>Out of curiousity, why didn’t you take the AP Bio test?</p>

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<p>megapiano, silverturtle knows his stuff. I haven’t really posted here before but from what I’ve seen he has good advice. I don’t think he intended to “plague” your thread.</p>

<p>Regarding your thread, I think you should apply. Who knows what might happen? No one on here, that’s for sure :)</p>

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<p>I didn’t take it because I didn’t feel confident in my abilities. Science has always been my most challenging subject and my AP Bio teacher was new that year, so she didn’t know much about the actual test. I probably could have passed, but I just didn’t want to risk my mom’s $86.</p>

<p>@Nanmander: that’s really true. However, I’ve decided not to apply unless my SAT scores are around 2300.</p>

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<p>You are worrying too much about tests. Unless you have a really good reason for the GPA, and your E.C. are more than just check boxes, I’d rule Yale out. I mean, obviously there are extenuating circumstances for a lack of E.C. or less than stellar grades, but unless you have one, you should focus on another school. I know this may sound very harsh, but at the same time I’m just trying to be realistic. Please don’t feel like I’m attacking you.</p>

<p>BTW, what grade are you in? You didn’t mention this. I ask because some people look to get chanced before they’re ready.</p>

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<p>Oh, I’m a senior now. So yeah, I should hope I’m ready, haha. I understand, but what do you mean by “check boxes”? Everyone keeps saying that, and I don’t know why. I would never participate in an activity unless I’m in love with it, and that’s why I don’t have that many… so can you clarify?
Also, I’d like to put it out there that I know Yale is a reach, and it’s not my life goal to go there, I was just wondering if I had any chance at all.</p>

18

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The thing is, piano, there are many many people that join multitudes of clubs just so they can “check off” that they did this and that on their application. A good portion of those people even did their clubs/EC’s for all four years of highschool! Colleges know this happens. </p>

<p>So how are they going to discern between your passionate potpourri of activities and those “check boxes” of the resume padders? </p>

<p>Since you don’t demonstrate a specific interest from such a diverse selection of activities, your list alone doesn’t seem to convey much passion. If you’re truly passionate about all your activities, you should show them you’re more than a resume padder through your essays, awards, etc.</p>

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<p>I agree with the majority of the posters, though. None of the objective measures (test scores, transcript, rank, etc.) you’ve shown us stand out; most of them are average or below for Yale. The GPA, especially, is on the low end. I’m not chancing you, I’m just stating this as fact.</p>

<p>But please, don’t be discouraged: The only way to have no chance at all is if you don’t apply! :)</p>

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<p>That’s absolutely silly. I’m not sure of the exact numbers, but I’m pretty sure that Yale’s average incoming freshmen SAT scores are NOT 2300. More likely around 2200-2250 or so. </p>

<p>That said though, don’t be unrealistic and realize that at such a competitive school, your chances, like the majority of the 30000~ applicants’, are going to be slim.</p>