OFFICIAL Early Action Decision Thread

[PJFavs41]

thanks, jl08. how do I go about showing more interest?
you might be in the same boat as me: too many x-currics. as jayman pointed out, this can hurt.

also, anyone else who sees other weaknesses w/ my app, please let me know

[vaguy89]

I don't know if those little application mistakes really matter all that much. For instance, my application was about 15 minutes late, i accidentally listed that i particpated in 2 of my extracurriculars for 222 hours 22weeks a year. When i uploaded my resume/brag sheet the formatting was skewed and chunks of it were missing. I sent in a correction form a week or so later though. They're really not out to disqualify you because of a small mistake or two.

[jayman1466]

There are many deferred people here who seem to have a better resume than I do.

But, I think what really made me stand out was my interest in attending Yale OVER Harvard and Princeton. Since Harvard and Princeton both tossed their early options, Yale was bombarded with applicants who applied early to yale only because they couldn't apply early to the other two. As a result, I'm sure the Yale application committee tried to fish out those who were genuinely interested in only Yale. I showed this interest especially in the interview, citing all the reasons I chose Yale and out-right telling him that I would choose Yale over Harvard any day.

And, like I said before, concentration in a few things is better than a laundry list. Don't be afraid to take unneccessary and unimportant things out. They will only hurt you.

[icypineapple37]

Didn't apply to yale, but seems that when everyone all have the same awesome credentials, they look at each essay. If yours has some generic topic, then it's not as eye-catching.

Plus, this year I heard that the % of early applicants rose significantly, since H and P both got rid of theirs. THus it's way more competitive.

[ublar13]

Hey vaguy89, thanks for the input. I appreciate it. I don’t remember being insincere, but I might have done it unconsciously.

As for dude08, thanks for your input. I reviewed my application and it didn’t have any of those typos I made on this thread. The point I was trying to make with the SAT scores was that although they are not impressive, they are in Yale’s range. And they are better than the scores of some other people that were deferred and accepted.

I’m just hoping that it’s not something that makes me seem like a bad candidate in general, because then I have no chance of getting into some other the other ivies. =(

[merlin900322]

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

• Deferred EA? NO
• SAT I (breakdown): 800CR 780M 740W (2320)
• ACT: NO
• SAT II: 770MATH 720USH 730LIT
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.75
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 14/601
• AP (place score in parenthesis): USH(5) APES(5) FRENCH(3) ENG.LANG(5) WH(5)
• IB (place score in parenthesis): NO
• Senior Year Course Load: APCALCBC APENG.LIT APMICROECON APGOV DRAWING CERAMICS
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 15th in the nation - debate, National Merit Finalist

Subjective:

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): debate (captain) SAVE (captain) various others?
• Job/Work Experience: canvassing/deputy field director
• Volunteer/Community service: NO
• Summer Activities: Yale JSA Summer School
• Essays: GOOD
• Teacher Recommendation: REALLY GOOD
• Counselor Rec: dunno
• Interview: hmm...

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): CA
• Country (if international applicant):
• School Type: PUBLIC
• Ethnicity: ASIAN
• Gender: M
• Income Bracket: UPPER MIDDLE
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nah...

Reflection

• Strengths: ECs, recs, essays
• Weaknesses: GRADES!
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: i got really really lucky.

General Comments: Good Luck!!

[sopranosenior]

Decision: Accepted



Objective:

• Deferred EA? No.
• SAT I (breakdown): 800 CR, 640 M, 800 W
• ACT: none
• SAT II: U.S. History 720, Literature 750
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 10/446
• AP (place score in parenthesis): U.S. History (5), Language and Comp. (5), Calculus I (5), U.S. Government and Politics (5), Chemistry (4)
• IB (place score in parenthesis): none
• Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus II, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Music Theory, AP Literature and Comp., Programming in JAVA, Chamber Choir, self-studying AP European History
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): (My State) Distinguished Scholar, National Achievement Semifinalist, National Merit Commended, AP Scholar with Distinction, various state and regional awards in chorus

Subjective:

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Chorus (school chamber choir, MD All-State 4 years in a row, participation in other honors ensembles, Superior ratings at District and State Solo and Ensemble Festivals, organize fundraisers for school chamber choir, travel with school choir to NYC Heritage Festivals for 2 years, earned Gold Rating qualifying for 2008 Festival of Gold in NYC, blah blah lots of awards), Dance (LOTS of time commitment here and I've been doing it since elementary school - I dance for my studio's competitive showtroop, and I spend at least 8 hours a week at the studio, often more up to 11 or 12), Mock Trial (lead defense attorney), Theatre (again with the time commitment)
• Job/Work Experience: Summer Internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Planetary Geodynamics Lab, work as legal secretary at law firm
• Volunteer/Community service: eh, work on political campaigns during 2006 elections, but I didn't really talk about this, it wasn't a big deal, and I think it's silly to pump it up when other people are doing serious volunteer work
• Summer Activities: NASA GSFC internship, travel to Beijing (talk about interest in East Asian Studies in essay), intensive dance camps for dance studio, Explo at Yale
• Essays: one really good, one pretty good
• Teacher Recommendation: glowing
• Counselor Rec: don't know
• Additional Rec: none
• Interview: none

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): Maryland
• Country (if international applicant):
• School Type: public
• Ethnicity: African-American
• Gender: Female
• Income Bracket: 200k+
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, legacy, was told I had unusual/interesting EC's and a good internship

[b]Reflection[ /b]

• Strengths: extra-curriculars, recs, courseload, AP scores. I don't have a lot of EC's, but the ones I do have I'm intensely involved in.
• Weaknesses: rank, GPA
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: again, strong EC's, AP scores, essays, but everyone who got deferred/rejected had those too, so I really can't say. It's really a roll of the dice - they have a certain amount of spots and way too many qualified people to fill them. I have to say I'm still really proud of my answer to the "Why Yale?" essay, one of the few things I was completely happy with on the app. I agree with the post a little above me, who said in addition to the usual standards, they were probably looking for people who seriously wanted Yale, and not just the general qualities of HYP. There has to be a reason beyond "brilliant academics" - you can get that several places. My advice.

General Comments: I feel terrible reading posts of people who were rejected/deferred with better SATs than me, or more national awards of recognition, over even more time in their EC's.

[amb3r]

Icy, I have to point out that while the number of applications to Yale rose dramatically this year, their % acceptance didn't drop that terribly. I think they went from like 19.6% to 18.1% which is really not as bad as it could have been (they took more students to accomodate for the increased num of applicants). About the generic essay thing, I think only very few students can write essays that an adcom would regard as truly unique after they have waded through so many piles of essays. Mine were on somewhat generic topics, but I tried to infuse them with my own personal voice. I think it's more important that your essay be genuine and honest, and that you capture "your essence" on paper, than that you write about catching spider monkeys in New Zealand or some other crazy feat.

[jl08]

pjfavs41 -

i've heard people talking about requesting course catalogs or other information, so that's what i'm going to do. i'd say doing things like that - and what everyone else has been saying with calling yale - would let them know you're not out for princeton and are truly interested.

[collegeclass2012]

Decision: Deferred


[b]Objective:[ /b][ list][*] Deferred EA? Yes
[*] SAT I (breakdown): 2400
[*] ACT: 34 but didnt send
[*] SAT II: 800 ML2, 800 Chem, 790 USHist
[*] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.88
[*] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 10%
[*] AP (place score in parenthesis): Calc AB 5; US Hist 5; Chemistry 5
[*] IB (place score in parenthesis):[*] Senior Year Course Load: AP US Gov, AP Econ, AP English, AP Spanish, AP Physics, + 2 Dual Enrollment Sciences
[*] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):[/list]Subjective:[ list] Nat'l Merit, Sunshine State Scholar (District Scholar), many Model UN Awards (but I put my 4th place at nationals on the app)
[*] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): 2 varsity teams for 4 years, Prez of 3 clubs (including one i founded), Tutoring chief for another club, member of two local govt boards in miami
[*] Job/Work Experience:
[*] Volunteer/Community service: many tutoring hours (200+)
[*] Summer Activities: Dual Enrollment classes + Sports
[*] Essays:Good I thought[*] Teacher Recommendation: Awesome[*] Counselor Rec: Amazing[*] Additional Rec: Didn't send[*] Interview: Happened after decision (but went well!)[/list]Other[ list][*] State (if domestic applicant): FL[*] Country (if international applicant):[*] School Type: Public Magnet[*] Ethnicity: Asian (but left blank on app)[*] Gender: M[*] Income Bracket: $120-$150[*] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/list]Reflection[ list] None...[*] Strengths: Well rounded?[*] Weaknesses: Well rounded? (plus Asian...)[*] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I turned in my application only a few days b4 the deadline. They probably didn't even look at it and deferred me automatically.[/list]General Comments: Good Luck!! Don't know why I didn't get in, but good luck to all of you!

[Countdown'sBegun]

As a former educator and parent of a freshman in college who went through the angst of college applications last year, some suggestions for those deferred: rather than ordering a course catalog (anyone can easily do it, and they don't really track those requests - doesn't show true interest as it's a very passive activity), perhaps schedule a visit to speak to the admissions reps in person, write a handwritten note, thanking them for continuing to consider you and explaining why you still want to go to Yale - what you can bring to THEIR table! Someone above posted a comment about voice. YES!!! Schools want people, not robots. I don't care if the person who runs the country, operates on me, or designs my hurricane-resistant building got a perfect SAT. I want someone who is passionate about who they are, what they're interested in, and how they can make a positive impact with the help of a good college education. Colleges want interesting PEOPLE, not just numbers. There are, of course, some arbitrary decisions that get made due to the numbers of apps that are read. Focus on your essays - what makes you stand out? Not GPA- or stat-wise, but what make you TICK! Good luck to all.

A final word of wisdom - the sting of not getting in or getting deferred can be exceedingly painful right now. Know that it will pass, and wherever you go, you can make the best of it and shine like the stars I know you all to be!! And deferrees - please don't keep your eggs all in this basket. The reality is that very few get off the waitlists of any school. Sometimes I think it is easier to get the rejection so you can re-focus your energies. Good luck everyone!

[vaguy89]

ublar13: I seriously doubt that you'll get the same results from the other schools you apply to. Yale is quirky. You really put a lot of work into your community service (I dont care how motivated someone is, they couldn't do all that work unless they really cared) and its really impressive. I feel like my strength was community service as well. In my common app essay though I made sure not to mention any of it. Instead I talked about poverty and people suffering and who I feel about it and what i want to do about it. They can see from your app and your recs what you did so in your essay you need to tell them why. And it seems better to do it indirectly, by talking abour your general feelings that they can infer led to your actions. You're a caring guy, so just be straightforward and honest. If you dance around a subject it can make it look like you have something to hde.
I have no idea what you wrote about, I just thought i would mention that since it was drilled into my head that i shouldnt talk about accomplishments, but more about why i feel that they needed to be done.

I really hope I was helpful and not just a pain :-)

Good luck man

[bmwdan13]

merlin, PM me. I think I know you.

[heyiloveyouNOT]

woww... everyone's so similar =[

ublar13 : i think u shoulda been deferred.. but then again alot of my friends got right-out rejected and i have no clue why! they're sooooo well-rounded and smart -_- did you only take 2 APs during 9-11? that may be a bit weak.. and ur sat I wasn't as high as ppl who made it.

it seems like, to get accepted, you HAVE to be 1st in ur class. lol to bad my school doesn't rank -_-

[HYPwannabe]

[ size=+2][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted[ /b][ /color][ /size]

[ b]Objective:[ /b][ list]
[ *]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): 800 M, 800 CR, 800W 12 on essay
[ *] ACT:
[ *] SAT II: 800 Chemistry, 800 French 780, US History 780
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis): Chem 5, US History 5, Calc AB 5
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: A.P. Euro, A.P. French, A.P. Calc BC, A.P. Physics, A.P. English Lit
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): No big ones
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):Student Newspaper 10, 11 (Sports Editor) 12 (Editor-in-Chief)
Varsity Soccer 10, 11, 12, captain 11 and 12 (dont know if I will try to walk on)
Admissions Tour Guide 10, 11, 12
Amnesty International 10, 11, 12 (Group leader)
Play the guitar
[ *] Job/Work Experience: Worked for a traveling agency, 30 hours a week (6 each day M-F)
[ *] Summer Activities: Work, travel, summer study
[ *] Essays: Excellent
[ *] Teacher Recommendation: Excellent (I saw them)
[ *] Counselor Rec: Excellent (I saw it)
[ *] Additional Rec: Employer and it was excellent.
[ *] Interview: Great
[ /list][ b]Other[ /b][ list]
[ *] Country (if international applicant): Colombia
[ *] School Type: Boarding school in U.S.
[ *] Ethnicity: White Latin American
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I am international, well-rounded, and will bring diversity to the school.
[ /list][ b]Reflection[ /b][ list]
[ *] Strengths: I dont know
[ *] Weaknesses: I dont know
[ *] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Well-rounded
[ /list][ b]General Comments:[ /b] Guess I only have to apply to two other schools now...Harvard and Princeton...no need to worry about safeties...such a relief...congrats to those who got in...deferrees don't lose hope...I'm sorry for those who were rejected...you will still go somewhere great...