race64

Any pointers on how to succeed at yale?

cavalierpup3

At my school most kids have the belief that if you get a B in a class, you won't get into Yale or most of the other Ivies. Clearly course rigor and EC's etc play a factor, but is getting a B in a class really that detrimental?

Anthony Clark

I am currently a high school freshmen with his eye on Yale, I go to a small mid-atlantic private school not known for its legacy of Ivy league students and I am wondering if any one can give me advise for the next 3 years so as to best condition my self for applying to Yale.

RedLion

I have just finished my freshman year at Yale (2012) and I feel I can help out on a few of these. I hope you other Yalies don't mind^

@ Anthony Clark- it's good you are looking so early, as that can only be a benefit. 1)get good grades, 2) do some form of "giving back to the community", it doesn't have to be draining old people's bedpans. 3) pursue whatever it is you are passionate about and become excellent at it. If it's violin, be one of the best that your resources can allow. If it's building indonesian toothpick hut models, then take part in the state championship or whatever. Colleges are more impressed if you excel in one or two particular ECs than if you join every club under the sun (although that can work too). 4) be likable in class so you can get good reference letters 5) start studying for your SAT test by buying BARONS study books, and just doing the practice tests over and over and over again. 6) do not wait for someone to get you there, you must keep order of everything required for the application, tests needed, rec letters, etc.

@ cavalierpup3 - It sure can't help, but it seems to me anyway that they are more concerned with your ranking in the school. Also if you get a B in gym class it probably wont matter too much. Just dont get more than 1 B or else you might start moving towards the auto-reject pile

@ race64 - Don't expect the classes to be easy like highschool. Don't take 6 credits of intense sciences and maths, as you will probably die. Your dean and upperclassmen will instruct you well, but one of the main things is to branch out and take classes on whatever you're interested in.

@ Transfer Accepted - No your age wont matter. I know a few transfer students in my college that did the same thing

@ badgerpoker - Take the most difficult courses your school offers. Try to take Calculus of some sort.

@ tek09 - The journalism program is new and I haven't heard whether it's good or not. It probably is. Even if not, there are tons of student run newspapers you can write for. The YDN is the longest running student newspaper, with daily publications, and if you start out freshman year, you can work your way up to be an editor of some sort, which are apparently tapped for secret societies a lot :P

@ Purpilicious - It has an art department, and needs students to take classes there. I know a handful of people taking art courses who all seem to enjoy it.

JM-x

hey i live in england and im planning on applying to yale after completing my a-levels which im goin to start this september. im just wondering if you've got any tips on anything I can do during the next two years that will increase my chances on getting in. And I just wanna ask if there are other foreign students studying over there.
Thanks

smileeLv

Wow, even reading several posts in the beginning makes me want to go to Yale !!
Sounds like a great place to spend 4 of my college years.
I just hope that I can get in

Is getting big, traditional leadership positions like being in Student Council, NHS president etc really big factor in getting into Yale?

I think that leadership is gonna set me back in admission process I do have several leadership positions, but for now that includes only being president of two clubs and being layout editor in my school newspaper. I ran for elections and all, but I'm not good at "popularity contests" which is basically what Student Council is about in my school and being Asian and international just makes me harder to do that in almost-all-white school. I may be helping my friend start a new charity organization in my town, which I hope could cover up my lack of leadership positions...

BlueHouseMom

My D just got room assignment in Durfee (she is in Morse and is really pleased) Any way, almost all the assignments are for groups of 5-6, which I understand. (a double with 3-4 singles.) However, her assignment is for a straight double. There are only two of these arrangements on the entire rooming list....does this mean she does not have a common room? Really doesn't matter, just curious if anyone can shed light.

BlueHouseMom

No need to answer the above post. My D got the info she needed. Thanks

alexcuad

Hey Jules (or any other Yalie),
I am going to be a sophmore at a fairly small public high school in a small Colorado ski resort community next year. I have been looking at Yale since I was like 7 or something and I was just wondering what my chances of getting in:
-All A's and that doesn't look like it will change at all.
-2nd in class rank
-Working toward IB MYP Certificate
-I took all IB Honors classes last year.
-Here is a look at next year's schedule:
IB MYP English Year 5 (Honors Sophmore English)
IB MYP Humanities Year 5 (Honors Sophmore World History and Geography)
IB MYP Science Year 5 (Honors Sophmore Biology)
IB MYP French IV (Honors French IV) {I will be the only Sophmore with all Jrs. & Srs.}
IB DP Mathematics SL Year 1 (Honors Calculus AB) {Please note this is a Jr. class}
Spanish IV (not Honors because it was scheduled at the same time as French)
CMC Geography (College-level course usually offered to higher-level Seniors through the local Community College)
-Haven't taken SAT or ACT yet but I am an excellent test-taker.
-I play football, basketball, and am thinking about baseball next year (but not good enough to play in college)
-Vice-President (de facto President) of Interact club and am projecting to be President next year as well as later on the President of National, Spanish, and French Honors Societies
-I am considering going on Rotary Youth Exchange to somewhere in Europe as a Junior
-Teachers love me so I can get great Recommendations
-I was born in Mexico, so I guess I could say I am Hispanic although I am actually pretty darn white.
-Grandfather attended Yale Public Health and is on the application review committee or something like that and probably knows many good people.
-Have many Community Service Hours

So if anybody could either tell me what my chances of getting in are or what I should try to do differently, please let me know.

USA1992

Hi,

I am from Germany and want to apply to Yale next year.The deadline for the Single-Choice Early Action is on Novenmber and the last possible test date for the SAT test is in november too. Does that mean that I have to do the test in the same year as I apply to university or do I have to pass the test already one year before I apply to University?

musicfencer

does yale have a jv fencing team?