I understand that it is a long shot for me to get in to Yale because I would not have the strongest application, but I wanted an opinion on whether or not it would be worth it to apply. If there is basically no chance I would get in then I am not inclined to apply. Please be honest!
Background:
-White
-Female
-Illinois (suburb of Chicago)
-Both parents went to college
School:
-Good but not amazing public school
-3.7 UW ((definitely going to increase)
-4.1 W (definitely going to increase)
-Top 10%
-Rank: 60/689
-Expected ACT: 32
-Grades have improved from my Freshman year (I had a concussion at the end of the semester so all of my grades dropped)
-5 honors, 8 AP
-5 years of French
-2 years ahead in math (calculus junior year)
-5 years of Math total
Extracurriculars:
National Honors Society (junior and senior)
French Honors Society (junior and senior)
Cheerleading (4 years)
Cheer captain (sophomore and senior)
French club (4 years)
Athletes Committed to Excellence (4 years)
Ran Chicago Marathon and raised $1000 dollars for children in Africa to receive clean water (junior)
Mad Dash Leader (help freshman at the beginning of the school year/junior)
RUSH Corps Leader (more time intensive than Mad Dash/senior)
Concert Band (freshman)
Community Service:
Math Club- tutor kids in math during the summer (sophomore, junior, senior)
Domestic Missions- help homeless people in Chicago (sophomore)
NEDSRA Track Meet- accompany a special needs person to all events (sophomore)
Camp Counselor (freshman)
Cheer Instructor- lead camp (4 years)
Internship at Salt Creek Ballet- private/non-profit company (junior)
Feed My Starving Children (sophomore and junior)
Work Experience:
Babysitter (6 years)
Essays and Recommendations:
Good but not extraordinary
Additional Information:
Dad went to Yale so I am a legacy.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and reply! It will be super helpful!
If even you believe you don’t have the strongest application, why apply? Also, your legacy will not tip the scales in your favor if you are not a strong candidate. My D is a legacy but her application could have stood on its own and she had no doubts that it was stellar. If you don’t believe in yourself wherever you apply, that will come through in your essays and maybe even your LORs. I don’t see any SAT/ACT scores. That may give a better picture of where you stand.
Since your dad is a graduate, he should know whether you are a realistic candidate unless he is one of those parents that believe that legacy status is going to get their mediocre kid into Yale (which from your stats you are not mediocre).
Junior. I don’t have any ACT scores yet because I’m taking it in February. I got a 32 on the practice but I’m not sure how reliable those are. My dad is leaving the whole college thing to me, but thinks I should try. He didn’t even think that me being a legacy would even do anything (my sociology teacher originally told me it might help). Thank you for the comment about believing in myself I never thought about that.
Yale’s 25th percentile ACT is a 31, meaning that 25% of all admitted students who submitted an ACT had a 31 or below, while 75% of students had a 32 or above.