<p>chair2-</p>
<p>I think your real question is “Could someone be admitted with grades like mine?” The answer is “probably”. It might also be “Do I have a chance of admission?”, to which the answer is a little murkier.</p>
<p>Even if you had straight A’s on the most challenging coursework your school has to offer, and assuming you have similar test scores, in the mind of an admissions officer this would only support the inference that you can handle the coursework. Admission to a school like Yale will likely turn on whether or not they also think you can bring something to the Yale community that other candidates with perfect and near-perfect academic records do not have. Do you think you have this? It doesn’t have to be national awards nor outstanding leadership nor superior athletic skills nor some element of demographic/geographic diversity. It could just be an remarkable set of personality traits or a record of overcoming severe setbacks. It does have to be something that can be demonstrated in your application either by record or essay or personal recommendation – hopefully in multiple and mutually reinforcing such ways.</p>
<p>If you think you have this, then what elements of doubt your earlier grades might create for a reader of your application can be overcome in these ways:
- An upward trend in your grades (which your record thus far demonstrates but must continue), especially in increasingly demanding courses.
- Excellent test scores (on all standardized tests: SAT/ACT, Subject, and AP/IB exams)
- Letters of recommendation from your teachers and counselor, especially one who has witnessed and is willing to attest to your maturing performance.</p>
<p>If an admissions officer sees these, s/he is likely to conclude you’re not an academic risk and ignore your earlier somewhat weaker grades. Then s/he will be able to evaluate both the additional value you might add to campus and the additional value a Yale education might provide to you.</p>
<p>So, I would suggest you concentrate on the things you can control (like your current grades, future course selections, and extra-/co-curricular activities) and evaluate your situation next Fall when application time comes around.</p>