drbigboyjoe9505

Okay, so I am in love with Yale and I want to know whether I have a shot of getting in (now with my full stats)...

NYC (private, independent school)
Hispanic Male
First-generation college

My school does not rank nor does it calculate GPA. However, I am definitely in the top 10% (if not 5%) of my class, and my GPA is in the high 3.0s. We do not offer APs either (part of a "progressive" move). We do not have intensive history or english courses either, just electives, which IMO, are VERY rigorous.

Standardized Tests:

SAT I: CR720 M790 W740 (2250)
SAT II: Biology M - 740 (took freshman year)
Math II - 760 (took sophomore year)
*Waiting on ACT scores

I supply my grades in parentheses below, with both semester grades:

9th Grade Courses
English III (B+,A-)
Intensive French III (A,A)
Intensive Latin III (A-,A)
Intensive Geometry (A,A-)
Intensive Biology (A-,A-)

10th Grade Courses
English IV (A-, A)
Survey of US History (A,A)
Intensive French (A,A)
Intensive Latin (A-,A-)
Intensive Precalculus (A, A-)
Intensive Chemistry (A-,A)

11th Grade Courses (not my best year)
Essay Writing (A-)
African-American Lit (A-)
U.S. History Since '45 (A-)
African-American History (B+)
Intensive French (A,A)
Intensive Latin (A-,B+)
Intensive Calculus (A,B+)
Intensive Physics (A-,B+)

Senior Year Courses
Literature of War
Contemporary Literature
European Intellectual History
African Studies
Intensive French VI
Advanced Topics in Biology
Advanced Calculus BC
Advocacy for Social Justice

ECs: (This gets kind of complicated. I have several "traditional" ECs, however, there are A LOT of other little things I have done that don't really fall under the "traditional" group. So, I left them out from here. Should I somehow include them on an app?)

Students United for Multicultural Education - Member (9,10); Co-president (11,12)
Diversity Committee - Co-founder and co-leader (9,10)
Diaspora - Member (9-12)
Gender Roundtable - Member (11,12)
MAD Planning Committee - Member (11)
Varsity Football (10-12); JV 9th
JV Lacrosse (9)
Varsity Track and Field (10-12)
Varsity Winter Track (10)
Girl's Basketball - Manager (11-12)

Community Service: (There is very little. I am really looking forward to going to college and doing some and hope to do some more senior year.)

Admissions Office Assistant (Tour Guide)
Tutor - Math, History Centers (10-12) and tutored 1st grade students in math
Open Night Tour Guide (9-12)

This summer, I am doing an internship at the Weill Cornell Medical School working with a biochemist through an NIH high school program. I will be writing a research paper that will be published in an NIH research journal. I am not so sure yet, however, that I will want to do science... But it's been fun so far.

So, what do you guys think?

unluckyone1

why do science at yale?

yalie343

The B+'s junior year come at a bad time. That's my personal opinion. I think that there is a huge difference in PERCEPTION between a B+ and A- and I think that may leave a sour taste in an admissions officer's mouth. You also probably want to retake your Math SAT II because most accepted applicants will have an 800 on that test. That said, you should still apply. The NIH thing is good...

kwijiborjt

I think you have a respectable shot. If you have an explanation for the slight drop in your grades in junior year, you might want to have your guidance counselor include that in your application. But overall i think you're a strong applicant. Definitely apply early if you want to catch their attention.

And with respect to a previous comment, there are lots of good reasons to major in science at yale. President levin has made the hard sciences his top academic priority, committing three billion to science programs. Recently Yale acquired an enormous amount of property on the new west campus for lab space, and opened a graduate school of engineering. In the next few years a new biology complex is opening on science hill. Yale is a research I school with famous faculty (in fact, a big part of acquiring tenure in the sciences here is based on your international recognition).

I'm a biology major, and i've taken some good and some bad classes, with some great professors and other indifferent ones. I'm not claiming that my experience has been perfect, but overall it has been pretty good.

yalie343

Just reread your stats. I somehow missed that you are hispanic, first generation college, and attend a private school. All those things should help you out.

With respect to Yale and the sciences, people who like to h8 on Yale try to attack its sciences. The sciences are very good -- especially the pure sciences (e.g. bio, chem) -- and they receive a ton of attention and funding nowadays. Science majors go on to the best medical schools etc so don't listen to comments like those from unluckyone1 (who probably is "unlucky" b/c he/she can't get into Yale anyways).

Apply early!!

unluckyone1

rofl @ yalie
are you honestly going to tell me that yale can compare with the likes of MIT, Caltech, etc.
No.
And since when does science major = medical school?
I was under the impression that the OP wanted to go into research judging from his much coveted "NIH publication" (which, by the way, does not equate with a real publication since it is a program geared specifically to high schoolers).
Anyways, i realized that i never actually addressed the issue at hand. Sure, you'll probably get in. But its clear that you have done everything thus far in the sole interest of getting into college, and judging from your poor performance in high school science classes, i doubt you will excel at the level required to overcome the overwhelmingly negative image of Yale's science program (no matter how much money is being put into it).

rd31

^^ someone is clearly bitter about something. or maybe you're just a bitter person in general.

drbigboyjoe9505

Well... let me correct some of your incorrect comments, buddy. I never said I wanted to go into research. And I just mentioned the publication for background info not as some distinguished accomplishment, so please amend how you infer things.

And the bit about me doing stuff just to get into college: this is an area you have no jurisdiction in. You don't know why I have done stuff. For the most part, I have not done things because of college but because I enjoy it (hence, the random ECs I did for one year). Poor grades? I'm not even going to comment on that. Unless you know the way my school's grades work, which you clearly don't, you have no jurisdiction on that either.

laststopforme

^ Hey I think I know what school you go to but back on topic..you have a very good chance, don't listen to some of the other posters. Definitely cozy up with your college counselor

drbigboyjoe9505

^ Haha, thanks. I'm fairly close with my college counselor. He seems to like me a lot, which is good.

AdmissionsAddict

It is so freaking competitive out there that those B+s may be your downfall. Your ECs don't "pop" either, although I'm in no way saying you're not terribly impressive relative to normal teenagers.

I think it depends on which private, independent school in NYC you attend. If it's a feeder school and you're in the top 5%, then I'd say your chances are very good because most of the people at those schools come from much different backgrounds than yours and you would have made it to the top in a very competitive pack. If it's a random school that gets people in every few years, then your chances decrease for the reasons stated in my first paragraph.

drbigboyjoe9505

My school is (supposed to be) one of the top independent schools in NYC, with people going to the Ivies every year (usually, about 30 or so students go to Ivies, mostly to Yale or Brown). Then others go to renowned LACs (Pomona, Amherst, Williams, etc.) and a couple go to places like Stanford, Wash U, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, etc.

How much would a "good" explanation for those B+s sway in my favor?

drbigboyjoe9505

Oh, by the way, my recommendations should be along the lines of amazing. The two teachers I have chosen know me very well and both like me a lot.

kwijiborjt

Only include an explanation if there actually is one... like serious personal illness or some traumatic personal event. If it was just that your grades slipped a little one semester, let it go. They didn't even drop that much.