Ask a Yale Student (ie: me) - Page 3

shrimpthief · 01-07-2008, 10:49 PM

I have a question about the importance of standardized testing. In general, are the students at Yale all good "test-takers"? To be honest, my SAT I scores aren't bad (2270), but I never felt I was a natural test taker. My SAT II scores for U.S. History and Math IIC were kind of disappointing.. =( I think the U.S. History score was the reason I was deferred, since that was the one they saw. The funny thing is, I got a higher score on that SAT II when I took it as a freshman (as well as a 4 on the AP Test the same year). But when I took it this year, I scored 10 points lower. eeek they must think I'm really stupid...
My second question is about a supplemental material. I sent Yale an entirely new essay that I believe is a better representation of me--besides being a much better essay. Since I was deferred, I read on CC that it would be a good idea to update the college and perhaps even send a new essay. Do you think Yale would be annoyed? (even if this 2nd essay is good?)

JohnC613 · 01-08-2008, 10:00 PM

do send the second essay and maybe a short thing about what you have done/won since applying ED
what exactly were your SAT II scores (don't be shy lol)
2270 is a very solid score
it makes perfect sense why your history test score went down. you score best right after taking the class when the material is still fresh in your head. you probly didn't study enough the second and forgot some of the stuff you learned.

Jules Winfield · 01-20-2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

I have a question about the importance of standardized testing. In general, are the students at Yale all good "test-takers"?

No.

Quote:

Do you think Yale would be annoyed? (even if this 2nd essay is good?)

No.

/tenchars

shrimpthief · 01-22-2008, 10:55 PM

Okay, that's good--because I did send in another essay to them over the winter break.
Well for the first US History score, I got a 690 (just 10 pts away from 700!!arghh but it looks so much worse) and then a 680 the second time. =( My other SAT II for Lit was a 750.
My current grade for AP Stats is also a low B. I don't know if Yale will see my marking period grades, or just the 1st semester grade--but even still, my AP Stats grade isn't pretty. This class is seriously screwing me over. xP This is the lowest m.p. grade I've ever gotten in high school thus far.
So basically, do you Yalies think my chances are screwed b/c of that nasty SAT II score and the couple of Bs for Stats? This is pretty depressing... =(

bmwdan13 · 01-22-2008, 11:56 PM

There's no way to tell. Yale students aren't admissions officers...

There's not much anyone here can say without reading your essays and recs, seeing transcripts, etc. Even then, the guesses are going to be wrong in many cases. Just go with your gut. Do something incredible! And, above all, try to beat that nasty AP Stats class. I hate it too.

JohnC613 · 01-23-2008, 05:15 PM

stats is fun! haha

yeah i got a 690 for US history too. but yale only wants 2, so that one doesn't really count for me

so your retake was basically pointless. that's why you only retake if you are sure you can do significantly better. but don't worry too much. It's just a subject test.
As for a B in one class, don't sweat it. personally, I don't think stats takes too much math talent. It's just a lot of repetition and practice getting all the different tests and terminology straight.

Ragsypagsy · 01-24-2008, 11:43 AM

Hi Jules..

A parent of a perspective Freshman here. Did you have a good experience with the Yale interview? My son's interview was nightmare! I hope it doesnt jeopardize his slight chances. His Academic transcripts as well as his SAT's / and SAT II's are off the charts. Plus he is president of his School.etc etc.. How important did you hear the Yale interview is?

JohnC613 · 01-24-2008, 06:46 PM

no score is exactly off the charts for yale
the interview is one of the least important parts of the application, but I feel elite schools put more weight on it than other schools, simply because they need another factor to separate applicants.
there's nothing you can do, so you just hope for the best. It won't make or break, but given that almost everyone who applies to yale is in the grey area, it may have given some other candidates and advantage over him. Look at the interview as a valuable opportunity, and your child failed to take advantage of this valuable opportunity

ep1th3t · 02-09-2008, 11:51 AM

I'm considering Yale, along with a few other of the Ivies

I have to choose whether I'm going to take AP Calculus and AP Statistics for my senior year. If I take AP Cal., then I will also have to take Pre-Cal. in the preceding semester (I have block schedule...). I want to take AP Stat., but I've recieved advice pushing me to take AP Cal. because it's more rigorous and colleges appreciate it more. Is it true that AP Cal. is weighed as a more rigorous class than AP Stat.? Should I even really worry about it?

chicagoboy12 · 02-09-2008, 03:47 PM

If you are doing physical sciences obviously take calc. Most people would say to take calc either way, but if you are planning on doing humanities, foreign language, liter., etc. then stats would be fine as well.

ep1th3t · 02-10-2008, 09:47 AM

I'm planning on going into political science, so I feel that Stat. would be the most beneficial, but I'm just scared that schools will look down on the fact that I chose Stat. over Cal.

chicagoboy12 · 02-10-2008, 11:47 AM

Stats would be more helpful. It is not like they will be like "oh look here, look here, this kid chose Stats over Calc." They won't see that you turned down calc. They will probably just say "oh intended political science major, didn't want to bother with useless calc."

bmwdan13 · 02-10-2008, 01:57 PM

I'd say take AP Calc. Calculus is the benchmark of high school math, whereas stats is kind of like a humanities class at times: "How do you FEEL about the data? What do you THINK it's trying to say?" I write more in stats than in English sometimes.

Take calc. It will show you a side of yourself that you never knew.

boho_girl · 02-10-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmwdan13

I write more in stats than in English sometimes.

This reminded me of the time when I tried to switch to AP Calc from Honors Stats (in which I was originally placed by the dean of academics) in US.
I tried to convince my math teacher and math department head to let me transfer to Calc but they were so unwilling and my math teacher said something like: "It will be good for you to take Stats because you'll learn English better since there is lots of reading."
... what a heck? I want to do MATH on my math class, I don't need an additional english class!?!

(Oh, they eventually let me in Calc class after over nauseating 2 weeks of convincing. That school somehow underestimates internationals until they are proven wrong...)

In the end, if they're both APs, I guess it comes down to your preference. I don't think schools will look down on your choice of Stats unless, as stated above, you'll do physical sciences (which you won't).

ep1th3t · 02-10-2008, 10:02 PM

Can essay topics be too controversial to write on?

I'm thinking of writing one of my essays on how it was for me, as a homosexual, growing up in the South (specifically, Georgia). I'm not sure how this will be taken by colleges. What do you think?