Better to Apply SCEA to Yale or Through QuestBridge?

owlwise
Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:56:44 +0000

I’m new on CC and after browsing through some threads here I’m beginning to doubt my status as a URM (Puerto Rican) is going to help much when coupled in with some other factors. I go to a private school whose tutition is $15,000 a year, located in an affluent area of town, and am one of five hispanics taking APs in my school. Will college admissions officers see my school and immediately disreguard me as a “non-affluent” minority, even if my mother is disabled, my father makes minimum wage, and I’m only able to attend that school through a full academic scholarship? I talked to my admissions rep at my school (yeah we have those), and she said that some schools favor URMs from struggling schools, not those from prep schools.

I was planning on applying either through SCEA or QuestBridge (to hopefully mitigate some confusion as to why I need full aid dispite going to an expensive prep school) to Yale. My biggest question is if it’s even worth it to apply to Yale through QuestBridge as last year only 20 scholarships were given out through QuestBridge even though Yale is supposedly need-blind.

What should I do? Before I heard about QuestBridge, I was planning on applying SCEA to Yale, & if that didn’t work applying RD to Brown, Georgetown,John Hopkins, Columbia, and College of the Holy Cross.

My stats:
GPA:3.85 unweighted, 3.95 weighted
Rank: top 10%
SAT: 2100; 780 CR, 720 W, 600 M
SATII: (will take) Bio,US History,Lit
ACT: (will take) practice tests between 33-35
APs: AP World History, score 5
AP US History, score 5
AP English Language and Composition, score 5

Senior Schedule:
AP Chemistry
AP Biology
AP English Literature and Composition
AP US Government & Politics
AP Statistics
Theatre (Student Directing)
AP European History (Independant Study)

Ecs:
•Four Star Debate: July 2010
o One of 24 students chosen from the United States to participate in a cultural exchange, leadership, and debate program at King’s Academy in Madaba-Manja Jordan under General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum, National Center for Policy Analysis, and Academy of Leadership and Liberty at Oklahoma Christian University.
•Nevada Film Office: June 2010-Present
o Screenwriting Competition- June 2010
•Broadcast Media Club: January 2010-Present
o Head Writer- January 2010- Present
•High School Worship Choir: September 2009-Present
•Church Worship Choir: September 2009-Present
•School Theatre Guild: August 2009-Present
o Tony Award Best Entrance-May 2010
o Tony Award Best Set Construction/Deck Running Crew Member-May 2010
o Deck Running Crew/Vortek Operator-Spring Music Concert-May 2010
o Rosalind-Moon Over Buffalo-April 2010
o Patch Recipient of National Thespian Society-March 2010
o Lady Bracknell-The Importance of Being Earnest-March 2010
o Deck Running Crew-Winter Music Concert-January 2010
o Inducted Member of National Thespian Society-December 2009
o Set Construction/Deck Running Crew-Peter Pan-December 2009
•National Spanish Honor Society: October 2009-Present
•National Honor Society: September 2009-Present
•National Forensics League: August 2008-Present
o National Forensic League Degree of Special Distinction Award-July 2010
o National Semifinalist Senate Congress- June 2010
o Presiding Officer Preliminary Session National Senate Congress- June 2010
o Vice President of School Chapter-May 2010-Present
o National Forensic League Degree of Distinction Award- May 2010
o National Forensic League Degree of Excellence Award- May 2010
o National Forensic League Degree of Honor Award- May 2010
o National Tournament Qualifier in Senate Congress-April 2010
o 1st Place Golden Desert District Senate Congress-April 2010
o Top Chair Golden Desert District Senate Congress-April 2010
o 4th Place Golden Desert District Domestic Extemporaneous-April 2010
o 1st Place State Senate Congress Team-March 2010
o 4th Place State Senate Congress-March 2010
o Top Chair State Senate Congress-March 2010
o 3rd Place Regional Senate Congress-January 2010
o 3rd Place Green Valley Tournament Domestic Extemporaneous-November 2009
o 1st Place Green Valley Tournament Senate Congress-November 2009
o National Semifinalist Senate Congress-June 2009
o National Forensic League Degree of Merit Award – May 2009
o National Tournament Qualifier in Senate Congress-April 2009
o 4th Place Golden Desert District Domestic Extemporaneous-April 2009
o 3rd Place Golden Desert District Senate Congress- April 2009
o 1st Place Foothill Invitational House Congress- September 2008
o 1st Place Foothill Invitational Novice Impromptu- September 2008
•Multicultural Club : September 2007-2009
•Mock Trial : September 2007-2009
o Best Advocate in District Competition-February 2009
o Best Witness in District Competition-February 2008
•Academic Society : January 2007-2009
•Varsity Quiz : September 2007-2009
o Team Captain 2007-2009
•High School Swim Team: 2007-2008
•Club Swim Team: 2005-2008

Volunteering:
100 hours since 9th grade
started peer mentoring service in Speech and Debate

Other awards:
• AP Scholar- July 2010
• National Merit Qualifying Student- April 2010
• State Bar Essay Contest Winner- May 2009
• Certificate of Honor: Scholars English 2 – May 2009
• Certificate of Honor: Forensics – May 2009
• Certificate of Honor: Varsity Quiz – May 2008
• Certificate of Honor: Scholars English 1 – May 2008
• Certificate of Honor: Theatre 1 – May 2008

I also got info from the NHRP program so I guess I’m in for that? (PSAT score 211)

btw I’m from Nevada.

The only reason I’m asking the questions on this site instead of my gcs is that there are very, very few low-income students at my school, and even fewer Hispanics. My gcs have actually never known any student at my school who’s applied through QuestBridge and I’m trying to see if it’s better to just apply SCEA as my parents’ income is low enough for 0 EFC, or go through QuestBridge.