Does anyone Just Smart, without anything special, ever get in?

realisticdreamer
Wed, 09 Dec 2015 04:23:21 +0000

Hi everyone! I am applying to Yale and its peer institutions this year, and I was wondering if I have a chance, given my rather average resume, and the fact that I’m an Asian female. I excel academically (36 ACT, 2360 superscored SAT, 4.3 GPA), but so does everyone else applying to these schools. Unfortunately, I have a real dearth of EC’s. I am president of one club and involved in two others (FPS and FRC), have done a little bit of minor research, volunteered for two years, and play violin and piano (like every other stereotypical Asian), but that’s about it. Writing is my true passion, but I’ve rarely done anything with it (some short stories published in a random online lit mag), as I didn’t know of opportunities for high school writers until recently. My honors/awards are very standard (NHS, National Merit, Honor Roll, AP Scholar), and I have nothing extremely noteworthy.

I suppose I’m just wondering if I actually have a chance at Yale and peer institutions, or if I should be setting my sights lower. Has anyone heard of superb essays making up for weak EC’s and awards? I’ve heard that everyone at those top-tier things has that “thing” that they excel at, but does anyone just average (or just smart) ever get in without legacy/hooks?