OFFICIAL Early Action Decision Thread

[Internet Nomad]

I very much agree with vaguy89's sentiment that the essays should very much be about WHO you are rather than WHAT you did. I was really confused about what to write for the Yale Supplement for a long time. It seemed like the logical choice was to just write about one of my EC's, what I learned from it, blah blah blah. But eventually I realized that something personal would really resonate a lot more. My essay wasn't even about why I'm a good person, why I have the right qualities for Yale or whatever, it was just about who I am and what I've experienced. And it was written in a voice that was distinct and honest. IMO it's really easy to lose sight of this and just write something disposable that fits the "college essay" mold really well (I have written my share of these this year...). That makes it easy for adcoms to not care. And when adcoms don't care, it gets a whole lot harder to get through to the admit pile.

That is not to say that the deferred and rejected in this thread fell into that trap, though. Ultimately there are way more than 880 or whatever extremely qualified Yale applicants. Cuts--sometimes arbitrary--have to be made. Yale's decision really is not that important. Talent will shine anywhere, and it seems very likely that everyone in this thread will end up at some equally incredible schools.

[clippers12]

Decision: Accepted


Objective:

• SAT I (breakdown): 2300, 730 CR, 780 M, 790 W
• ACT:
• SAT II: 760 Math 1, 760 Physics, 770 Math 2, 800 Bio.
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.94
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/299
• AP (place score in parenthesis): Eng.Lang. (5), Bio. (5)
• IB (place score in parenthesis):
• Senior Year Course Load: AP Eng.Lit., APUSH, AP French Lang., APES, AP Calc BC, AP Stats, AP Psych, AP Chem., H Latin 4, Chamber Ensemble
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): MA Math Olympiad Finalist, Mass State Science Fair 3 years, All-State Rec. for Violin, Regional JSHS finalist, nothing national/international level.

Subjective:

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Math Team (Captain, 2x All-Star), Ecology Club, MUN (treasurer), PTPI (treasurer), Latin/French/Creative Writing Clubs, NHS (president), Tri-M, Mu Alpha Theta (Founder, President)
• Job/Work Experience: Marine Biological Laboratory since freshman year (important)
• Volunteer/Community service: Ecology Club, NHS, Falmouth Road Race, Service Center, 300ish hours
• Summer Activities: CTY, SEA Oceanography of the Gulf of Maine (Cornell), Work at MBL, Soundfest String Quartet Institute
• Essays: Math Team (good), sailing (good)
• Teacher Recommendation: Sophomore English Teacher, Department Head (good, i think), Junior AP Bio, Department Head (very good)
• Counselor Rec: excellent
• Additional Rec: lab director at Marine Biological Laboratory
• Interview: good, smooth

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): MA
• Country (if international applicant):
• School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Asian American
• Gender: Male
• Income Bracket: Middle
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none

Reflection

• Strengths: science work, despite no national/international awards, independent studies
• Weaknesses: asian...
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: tons of independent studies, strong science work at world-famous institution, tons of luck (and admissions officer who used to live in my area)

General Comments: Good Luck!!

[caffinefree826]

so are you guys who were accepted going to attend or turn yale down in harvard accepts you?

[caffinefree826]

Decision: Deferred

Objective:
Deferred EA? Yes. Blah.
SAT I (breakdown): 2290 (CR: 740, M: 780, W: 770/10essay)
ACT: Did not submit
SAT II: Math2: 750, German: 750; Physics: 730
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/78
AP (place score in parenthesis): German Language (5); US Gov't (5); English Language (4); Physics B (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Chemistry (with AP Independent Study), AP English Language and Composition, AP Computer Science A, Honors Japanese IV, PSEO Spanish I at a community college
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NMSF, also Yale Book Award and Bausch&Lomb Science Scholar, 3 most outstand student awards

Subjective:
Extracurriculars:
Was a year-long foreign exchange student to Germany as a sophomore
Cross Country (2x Honorable Mention, Coach's Award)
United Way Club (President, this year we set county record)
Key Club (Treasurer, heading recycling project)
Model United Nations (Club Founder and Chairperson)
Academic Challenge (Top 3- was on TV)
Rotary 4-Way Speech Contest (Winner)
Lots of other little things
Job/Work Experience: Subway- "Sandwich Artist", 18hrs/wk
Volunteer/Community service: Already in ECs, also I helped out my school's tech dept. during my freshman summer
Summer Activities: 9-Tech Dept. Help, 10- Exchange, 11- University of Notre Dame Summer Experience Program
Essays: Fine, I guess... I'm sending in two new essays
Teacher Recommendations: One was beautiful, the other was boring and didn't say anything
Counselor Rec: I didnt see it, but I read a different rec she wrote for me... it exaggerated a lot: "incredibly brilliant", "an inspiration to the rest of the school", that sort of thing... is that bad?
Additional Rec: None
Interview: The interviewer told me that I was by far his top applicant

Other
State (if domestic applicant): OH
School Type: Tiny public where no one's ever even applied to Yale before!
Ethnicity: White
Gender: M
Income Bracket: Middle
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None, I guess.

Reflection
Strengths: Yearlong Foreign Exchange
Weaknesses: Essays, Teacher Recs?
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I wish I knew so I could fix it… I'm hoping the new essays I sent in help, also I asked my gov't teacher to write me one, and I think he'll do a good job.
General Comments: Good Luck everyone, and Congratulations if you’re in! If anyone has any suggestions/ideas on why i didn't get in, tell me please!

[fire_chark]

caffine:

I could be tempted away from Yale by Stanford and possibly Harvard.

Don't we just love being the peak of the echo of the Baby Boom?

[aiyi214]

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

• Deferred EA? luckily, accepted ^^
• SAT I (breakdown):CR800 M720 W740
• ACT:32
• SAT II:Japanese 790 Literature 720 MathL2 660 (just retook it and got a 780, but I still can't believe Yale forgave me for this =P)
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):4.0
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):1/139
• AP (place score in parenthesis):US History 5 Language&Composition 5 Art History 5
• IB (place score in parenthesis):
• Senior Year Course Load: most rigorous
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nothing much... AP Scholar? xD

[ b]Subjective:[/b]

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Rifle Team for a couple years, lots and lots of community service, School news editor, President of Zonta International, NHS, and a bunch of other little things
• Job/Work Experience:Subway (eat Fresh!) and Preschool summer TA
• Volunteer/Community service:Hospital, school highway cleanup coordinator, TA, tutoring, and a bunch of other things that add up to 750 hours of community service so far
• Summer Activities: part time jobs, took a college class at the local university
• Essays:hilarious apparently =P
• Teacher Recommendation:I'm guessing they were good?
• Counselor Rec:guessing it was good
• Additional Rec:didn't have one ^^'
• Interview: it was short (35 minutes) so I was worried, but I guess it was okay

[ b]Other[/b]

• State (if domestic applicant): Sunny, boring Hawaii -.-
• Country (if international applicant):
• School Type: private
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: Female
• Income Bracket: less than 70,000 a year I think
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): first generation

[ b]Reflection[/b][ list][*] Strengths: probably my essays[*] Weaknesses: lack of major ECs or awards[*] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: my overall impression must have been honest and good =)[/list]General Comments: Best of luck to everyone!

[social_nerd]

congrats to all of you who got in!
i wish the best of luck to the rest of you.

Ublar, isn't there a way where you can contact the admissions comitee and ask them? Ask them if there's a way in which you can improve so your others apps dont get screwed up.
I think this would be a very crucial thing to do.

[Remi10001]

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

• Deferred EA? nope, accepted
• SAT I (breakdown): 2400
• ACT: 35
• SAT II: 800 BIO-m, 800 M2. 790 USH
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.00
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2 of 804
• AP (place score in parenthesis): USH(5) , Bio(5), Spanish Lang(4), Psych, Microecon
• IB (place score in parenthesis): not offered
• Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics (two semesters), AP Calc BC (2 semesters), AP World History, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature, AP US Gov
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Bausch and Lomb Science, Michelson-Morley Math/Science, Science Olympiad medals (team event compet not olympiad test), not too much else

[ b]Subjective:[/b]

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Chess Team(Captain 11-12), Academic Team (Captain 12), Science Olympiads Team(captain 12), Student gov(didn't put on app though), boy Scouts(3 things including patrol leader), Church(president of youth group several times and other things)
• Job/Work Experience: none
• Volunteer/Community service: lots with boy scouts(working on eagle scout project right now), hospital volunteering, random stuff with NHS
• Summer Activities: church service thing, online classes, Boy Scout camp
• Essays: pretty good, one about childhood leading up to my current career goals, other about reconciling academia and my religion
• Teacher Recommendation: amazing "prodigal god of academia" by one (he has a real tongue in-cheek style
• Counselor Rec: it did what it had to do
• Additional Rec: nope
• Interview: he wouldn't stop blabbering. I tried to interject here and there but it was mainly a lesson in futility

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): OH
• Country (if international applicant):
• School Type: Biggest Public in the state
• Ethnicity: Caucasian (but oriental at heart)
• Gender: Male
• Income Bracket: 80k-90k
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): first generation, my parents are postal workers

Reflection

• Strengths: Near statistical perfection, very good recs, purposeful essays
• Weaknesses: EC's a bit, not being exposed to too much of the outside world here in Fairfield
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Academic Triple threat (course rigor, rank, scores), possess the intellectual vitality that Yale desires at the moment

General Comments: Good Luck!!

[Finrod97]

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

• Deferred EA? Accepted.....I still can't believe it
• SAT I (breakdown): M 740 CR 730 W 730
• SAT II: Biology M 800, US History 800
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 4 of 429
• AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Biology 5, AP US History 5
• Senior Year Course Load: AP Chem, AP English Literature, AP Spanish, AP Calc AB, Honors Physics
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Achievement Semifinalist, National Merit Commended Student, Cornell Book Award, High Honor Roll
• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Model UN, Unity Club, Class Council (Treasurer), Spanish Honor Society (Treasurer), Science National Honor Society (President), Math Honor Society, National Honor Society, Clarinet player
• Job/Work Experience: not during school...
• Volunteer/Community service: 172 hours of community service at a soup kitchen and thrift shop
• Summer Activities: Worked as a host at a diner
• Essays: Didn't really like the Common App essay but i really liked my Yale supplement essay; I talked about being torn between Africa and America and not really belonging to either.
• Teacher Recommendation: I only got to read one but it was really nice
• Counselor Rec: I dunno...
• Additional Rec: nope
• Interview: I was asked what books I read and I answered Crime and Pusishment. She just looked at me and asked what I read for fun. Ended up talking about Harry Potter, England, and Naruto for 15 minutes lol
  

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): NJ
• Country (if international applicant):
• School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Nigerian-American
• Gender: Male
• Income Bracket: Middle
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Sequenced the DNA of brine shrimp while in the Rutgers Waksman Student Scholars program...
  

Reflection

• Strengths: SAT II, grades, and the research thing I guess...
• Weaknesses: SAT I
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I like to think of it as a combination of my work and God's good grace.

General Comments: Good Luck!!

[Corbusi8]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but I was wondering...
Do schools ever communicate with one another? I mean... is there any way Yale could find out that I did not apply to Harvard or Princeton--that my SCEA bid honestly indicated that Yale was my first choice?
I guess I could just tell them in a letter or something like that.
(Forgive me: I was also deferred.)

Congrats to those accepted, though: your hard work has paid off. With a little luck, I might join you!

[ibtelling]

All Stanford, Harvard, and Princeton can sway me ha...

[joinmeindeath]

well o think its a matter of luck also

[imflying]

Decision: Deferred

Objective:
Deferred EA? Unfortunately.
SAT I (breakdown): 2310 (CR: 760, M: 800, W: 750/8 essay)
ACT: Did not submit
SAT II: Math2: 800, Biology: 780; Chemistry: 780
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2/410
AP (place score in parenthesis): Computer Science A (5); Calculus BC (5); English Language (5); Art History (5); Chemistry (5); US History (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Multivariable Calculus Hns. and Accelerated, AP Biology, AP European History, AP English Literature and Composition, AP French, Honors Physics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, some small piano awards, placed in some small math competitions, qualified for AIME (math contest) grades 9-12

Subjective:
Extracurriculars:
Cross Country 9-12, (varsity 11th-12th grade)
Outdoor track 9-12
Math Club (Secretary)
Piano (won high honors at a state competition)

Job/Work Experience: Library Circulation desk, 4 hrs/wk
Volunteer/Community service: worked at a warehouse for a charity organization freshman yr.
Summer Activities: worked at library
Essays: OK, but not stellar
Teacher Recommendations: don't know, probably very good
Counselor Rec: don't know, prob. pretty good
Additional Rec: None
Interview: OK

Other
State (if domestic applicant): NJ
School Type: good public, usu. 1-3 people go to Yale each yr. including athletes
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: M
Income Bracket: Middle
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection
Strengths: 5's on every AP taken, good academics+varsity cross country
Weaknesses: no leadership positions besides secretary of math club; fewer clubs because running and schoolwork takes up most of my time
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: essays did not stand out, very few leadership positions?
General Comments: Congrats to everyone who was accepted! And, what do you think of my chances at Regular Decision? (Chance me please!)

[asinine]

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

• SAT I (breakdown): 2280; 800 M, 770 CR, 710 Wr
• SAT II: 800 Math IIC, 790 Bio-M, 740 Chem
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%?
• AP (place score in parenthesis): Calculus AB (5), Calculus BC (5), Bio (5), English Language (5), Physics B (3), World (5), Statistics (5)
• IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
• Senior Year Course Load: Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra, AP English Literature, AP Chem, AP Government and Politics, Engineering Drawing, Java
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AIME: 6, National Merit Commended, NJ Music Teacher Association Awards

Subjective:

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
  Piano performances at Carnegie Hall, NYC and Kimmel Hall, PA, etc.
  Painting (Sent on tour to Boston, NYC, Shanghai, etc.)
  Taekwondo (3rd Degree Black Belt)
  NHS, Mu Alpha Theta, Latin Honor Society, JSA, NJ Science League
• Job/Work Experience:
  Instructor and tournament judge for the ATA (American Taekwondo Academy)
  Self employed high school tutor.
• Volunteer/Community service:
  Leader of local Cancer Society chapter, recruits sophmores for monthly projects. Includes school wide and regional activities.
• Summer Activities:
  2 summers at CTY in Genomics and Genetics.
  Wrote review for the genomics behind Chronic Myeloid Luekemia.
• Essays:
  Common app: Dealt with a moment of self discovery through nature that I had which changed my perception of the world. I centered some of the essay around a quote by Thoreau from Walden and portrayed it as a period of self actualization.
  Supplement: This was a bit cliche since I talked about my interests in Molecular Biology and a meeting with a relatively famous Yale graduate.
• Teacher Recommendation: Waived, never read. One from my Bio teacher and another from my Comp Sci. teacher.
• Counselor Rec: Waived, never read.
• Additional Rec: Sent in a Music and Art supplement with average recs. Great portfolio though.
• Interview: My interviewer only went to Yale from grad school and was an international applicant so we had a bit of difficulty relating to each other, but it turned out pretty well. He was extremely knowledgeable about the sciences so we chatted a lot about my future goals.

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): NJ
• Country (if international applicant): USA
• School Type: Highly competitive school. Feeder school for Princeton, but not so much for others.
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: Male
• Income Bracket: Middle
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None I guess. Could double legacy at Columbia help me here too?

Reflection

• Strengths: Solid test scores?
• Weaknesses: Moved here in beginning of junior year. Counselor resigned halfway into my junior year as well.
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think I showed a lot of well roundedness. I'm not really amazing at one thing, but relatively proficient in a few (music, art, math and sciences). Maybe my essay was pretty creative, too?

General Comments: I turned in my app on 10/30 the day before it was due so I wouldn't worry about handing it in just on time. They look at everyone exactly the same way. Also, am I the only one who waived the right to read all my recs?

Good luck guys for RD.

[Kindredkid]

congrats everyone!