<p>If you are from Southeast Asia (Southeast Asia is often the poorer part compared to other parts of Asia), recent immigrant (as recent as 9th grade), living in extreme poverty without mom or dad having a job. You are also categorized as homeless, and your SAT score is only around 2050. You also attend a top public high school in your area since junior year. You also hold a job, or at least held a job.
With several 4s, 5s on APs, a few Bs on transcript (3-4), and 650-700 SAT II, plus involvement in a few activities (say 3 but extremely involved), do you think this applicant will be accepted? Comments from current Yalies would be appreciated</p>
<p>Anyone stands a chance, and, while the scores are not going to stand out among other Yale applicants, the applicant’s unique, humble position will certainly be taken into account by Yale admissions. Chance threads are rather fruitless in their efforts, but I think if they worked through your shortcomings and that hardwork is reflected in their application, they have a shot.</p>
<p>anybody else?</p>
<p>For a homeless kid those are very good stats. That application will be looked at very carefully- they will be looking for ‘authenticity’- and all that goes along with that term. Beyond that, nobody can say.</p>
<p>My only real data points are a low-income Albanian kid who got into Yale (and almost everywhere else) after coming here with parents in the middle of 9th grade, but she had much higher grades and test scores at a competitive high school, and a penniless American orphan who spent high school in a succession (5-6) of foster homes, with somewhat better grades and scores, who did not get into HYP but did fine elsewhere. Both of these were some years ago, i.e., a somewhat less competitive environment than now.</p>
<p>In other words, the OP’s story is great, and compelling, but Yale may have other similarly compelling stories in its applicant pool with better numbers. I’m sure, as vicariousparent says, that the OP’s application would get a close, sympathetic look, but I don’t think anyone can say that admission is more likely than not.</p>
<p>This is the kind of case where obsession about HYP (and “Ivies”) really hurts the candidate. Practically any top LAC – and certainly any LAC other than the four most selective ones – would kill to get an applicant like this . . . and she (or he) probably won’t even bother applying.</p>
<p>I definitely feel you have a strong shot at some great colleges. Be sure to apply to the QuestBridge program. QuestBridge is a program designed to help high-achieving, low-income schools apply to top ranked colleges. Yale is one of around 20 partner schools. The QB application is free and the participating colleges waive their application fees. The application is designed to let you explain your life so it is perfect for someone like you. I’ve helped two kids go through the QB program. It is amazing. Here is their website:
[QuestBridge</a> Home Page](<a href=“QuestBridge”>http://questbridge.org/)</p>
<p>There is a section for QB here on the College Confidential website.
[Questbridge</a> Programs - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/questbridge-programs/]Questbridge”>Questbridge Programs - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>@JHS: How better were the test scores for the 1st one? Did he/ she get involved significantly in any activities? Test scores can easily be changed. But this applicant I mentioned above transferred from an inner city school to the best public school of the city (or even the state) so he is in the transition period, and unfortunately has made some Bs.</p>
<p>@2blue: Does the questbridge program concentrate more on the essay part?</p>
<p>Are you this applicant? Even if you are, the details you’ve provided are not sufficient at all to elicit any real estimation of chances.</p>
<p>I don’t want to give too much information about myself, so I will maintain the right not to answer your question</p>
<p>ROFL…
a) you are curious about the chances of some randomly generated stats
b) you (or a friend/child etc) is this applicant.</p>
<p>I think it is probably b, don’t you?</p>
<p>But you had me going for a second.</p>
<p>i think a candidate like the one you describe could get in, but your description does not really describe any strengths. the circumstances you describe would help explain some below-average aspects of the application, but you’re not really showing what positive things the applicant brings. so, if this applicant is accepted to a great school, it won’t be because his background makes his pitiable, or excuses him, it will be because there are wonderful things about him that match what the great school is looking for. of course, that’s just my guess about how selective admissions works. </p>
<p>concentrate on using your application to put together a consistent story about you, which emphasizes positive achievements and contributions you have made. yes, you should make sure your application also tells about unusual obstacles you have had to overcome.</p>
<p>the idea that someone could give you a ‘chance’ as in a percent likelihood of acceptance based on what you’ve written so far seems to be a fantasy.</p>
<p>@Idiosyncra3y: No. Instead, I am c) Someone who has a friend or a relative in that situation, and because I want to keep everything secretive, I retain my rights not to clarify more.
But you had me going for a second.</p>
<p>@Everyone else: How more specific would you need? Tell me and I’ll do my best to convey it</p>
<p>Did you read b? or just see ‘a’ and think Ah-haaa!</p>
<p>Let us re-hash;
b) you (or a friend/child etc) is this applicant.</p>
<p>There is now c?
c) A friend/relative is this applicant</p>
<p>wait…</p>
<p>hold on…</p>
<p>b == c</p>
<p>You forgot to mention relative, dear. And the etc. is too ambiguous to mean anything. And c also has the implication that you should not ask more, or try to pry more information on my relationship with the applicant thereof. By the way, I’m not stopping you from being a jerk/ ■■■■■ ETC. , but I suggest you do something more productive with your time than diluting the topic. thanks. ;)</p>
<p>But other than that, I think you are a good person</p>