Hello 2023 applicants!! I would definitely say don't be afraid to apply if your stats aren't quite at the average. I had a 1490 SAT and 770 Physics, 760 Math II subject tests and was just accepted into the class of 2022! I honestly never thought I had a chance! If you think Yale would be a perfect school for you, apply!!
I was just accepted to Yale's class of 2022 for regular. Some tips:
Understand that a highly selective college like Yale's choice to accept/deny you is not reflective of your hard work/personality/intellectual capacity. If you haven't heard already, these colleges are run like businesses. They have their internal institutional agendas to fill. One year it may be for more students who care about diversity and inclusion, another year it may be more STEM students, who knows. You can apply one year and get rejected, but if you were to apply with the same exact stats, essays, and everything the next year, you could get in.
That being said, I also don't want to discourage anyone from applying to wherever their heart desires. I actually was not even going to apply to Yale until my ED school rejected me. I had always liked Yale but considered it impossible for me to get in/a waste of my energy to write another app, so it wasn't on my college list. After my ED school rejection, I said what the hell I'm going to apply to Yale-what do I have to lose besides a couple hours of writing apps/a lil extra stress? I ended up applying to three ivy's all of which I honestly convinced myself I wasn't going to get into (sat 1490, asian, low-income, have not won any amazing awards or anything, so I wasn't amazing in terms of being a "winner" or high scorer) BUT i ended up getting accepted into all three ivy's. I tell myself maybe if I applied another year, the results would have been much different, but heck, I gave it a go and admittedly, with some luck I got in. That's why don't waste your time with college confidential chance me's, don't think, oh, my SAT is too low, or oh, I'm not amazing enough. College admissions have so many weird reasons for why they might want a candidate, and you could potentially be what they are looking for.
I am planning on applying to Yale SCEA. My stats are SUPER low (due to my educational background. Won't go into detail due to privacy reasons). My GPA nowhere close to the average and I haven't taken the ACT yet, but I am aiming for at least a 33. I am an international student looking for a full ride. I already I will get rejected but I am going to give it a try because you never know.
I'm jumping on this thread too. DS will apply to Yale, but probably not SCEA. It's definitely in his top 3 for now, but he's also focusing a lot on his safeties, after what we've seen this year!
Joining this thread! I'm currently thinking about applying SCEA to Yale... my dream school so far! (college is all I can think about these days.... so hyped already lol)
ninakatarinaRegistered UserPosts: 1,611Senior Member
edited April 2018
@valjor It's tough to describe strengths and weaknesses unless you tell us more about what you're looking for in a school. My kid is interested in applying to Yale because they have excellent programs in the areas he is excited about, because he loves the small city vibe, because he loves the architecture and the residential college system, because he wants something academically challenging that emphasizes collaboration over competition.
But you may be interested in a major that Yale isn't top 3 in the country for, you might want a big city or a rural campus, you might hate collegiate gothic buildings, you might thrive on competition and need it to reach your peak. Something that is a strength to my kid may be a weakness to you.
Niche dot com has a lot of rankings for colleges, if you are rankings obsessed. I like to go to the reviews at the bottom of their page and look at the one star reviews. People will complain about the most perfect place. If people are complaining about things that I know my kid doesn't care much about, I know I've found somewhere that is potentially a good match.
Applying for Yale, maybe EA (between that and Brown).
Not taking SAT, ACT was 32 (first attempt, 35 E, 34 R, 26 M, 32 S, 12 writing) and I have a 4.0 UW Gpa and 4.86 weighted. I am also attending their university this summer for the Young Ivy Scholars on a full-ride scholarship and currently have an admissions counselor there alongside already receiving interest mail. I am my school's speech and debate captain, have competed at the national speech and debate tournament for two years, have developed and run my own independent student journal, and am currently working on organizing for the Beto for Senate campaign. If I am to get my ACT to a 33/34 (fixing the math primarily) what do you think my chances are? I also will be taking SAT II USH and Bio M (I expect 770+ on both). I am a first-gen college student, I am from a poor economic background, and have also received scholarships and hope to be accepted as a Questbridge Scholar. What do y'all think? (Btw, I'm from Texas).
Since all of you have some time before you apply, you have time to give a couple of things some thought. Exactly why is Yale your "dream school". What does Yale have that you cannot find at any other school? You need to find those qualities of Yale you like (rigorous academics, a diverse/generally liberal student body, generally happy student body, large urban school, killer academic departments, lackluster sports programs as in not Auburn, Duke, etc., cold weather most of the school year, and on and on). Once you have identified those qualities that make Yale your "dream" school, find other schools that have the same qualities but don't carry the mystique of the Yale name. These schools need to be what we call matches and safeties. These are generally bad words, but if the school has the qualities you are looking for, then no school is "bad". I am NOT saying this to discourage you from applying to Yale. Everyone deserves to apply to one tippy top reach school. But Yale is like buying a Mega Million Lottery ticket - a long shot by far. Go back through the 2018, 2017, 2016 or any other thread of students who did not get into Yale and you will see the cream of the crop of American youth. I wish you all luck and enjoy your senior year.
Hey everyone. While we all start applying to colleges, I believe it is best to AVOID these threads. It saddens me to see posts with nothing other than "I'm applying. My SAT score is a 1291921". While threads like this may provide a sense of community, but they also fester competition, and cause self-doubt.
Take a step back and look at the privilege you have: you are already in the minority of high-school students, as 46% percent of graduates pursue higher education. Weather permitting, you'll be at the top of the 46%, attending an amazing school, whether it be Yale or another wonderful institution. Be optimistic about your future, as even if you don't attend Yale, you can do wonderful things at another school!
Don't stress too much about test scores. Yes, they're important, and I'm not going to make the "mental health argument" (I stay up until 3 a.m. studying ap chem), but they will NOT be the core reason you are accepted or denied if you have a score in the range. You are a person, not a test score! For those only sharing test scores, do not be surprised when others with lower scores get accepted. Yale and all top universities want people who can use their knowledge (reflected in test scores) for the betterment of society.
To me, attending a college like Yale means I will be able to surround myself with creative thinkers who care about their education and want to make the most of it. During this college application time, think about what you most want out of college (other than a degree): Is it prestige? Connections? Friendship? Parties? Don't focus on the name or rank of a school, focus on what student life is like there. Think about what helps you thrive, whether it be family support or a competitive environment.
Sorry for this ramble but now I feel an obligation to post,
a Yale SCEA 2023 applicant
(Also, I have a 33 act but I'm getting it up a little more. This most definitely contradicts my prior statement but I just wanted to make it clear I'm not jealous of anyone my score is fine as it is)
Replies to: Yale 2023 Applicants Discussion
I was just accepted to Yale's class of 2022 for regular. Some tips:
Understand that a highly selective college like Yale's choice to accept/deny you is not reflective of your hard work/personality/intellectual capacity. If you haven't heard already, these colleges are run like businesses. They have their internal institutional agendas to fill. One year it may be for more students who care about diversity and inclusion, another year it may be more STEM students, who knows. You can apply one year and get rejected, but if you were to apply with the same exact stats, essays, and everything the next year, you could get in.
That being said, I also don't want to discourage anyone from applying to wherever their heart desires. I actually was not even going to apply to Yale until my ED school rejected me. I had always liked Yale but considered it impossible for me to get in/a waste of my energy to write another app, so it wasn't on my college list. After my ED school rejection, I said what the hell I'm going to apply to Yale-what do I have to lose besides a couple hours of writing apps/a lil extra stress? I ended up applying to three ivy's all of which I honestly convinced myself I wasn't going to get into (sat 1490, asian, low-income, have not won any amazing awards or anything, so I wasn't amazing in terms of being a "winner" or high scorer) BUT i ended up getting accepted into all three ivy's. I tell myself maybe if I applied another year, the results would have been much different, but heck, I gave it a go and admittedly, with some luck I got in. That's why don't waste your time with college confidential chance me's, don't think, oh, my SAT is too low, or oh, I'm not amazing enough. College admissions have so many weird reasons for why they might want a candidate, and you could potentially be what they are looking for.
Best of luck to future applicants!
Future fellow Yale 2023 applicant here!
But you may be interested in a major that Yale isn't top 3 in the country for, you might want a big city or a rural campus, you might hate collegiate gothic buildings, you might thrive on competition and need it to reach your peak. Something that is a strength to my kid may be a weakness to you.
Niche dot com has a lot of rankings for colleges, if you are rankings obsessed. I like to go to the reviews at the bottom of their page and look at the one star reviews. People will complain about the most perfect place. If people are complaining about things that I know my kid doesn't care much about, I know I've found somewhere that is potentially a good match.
Applying for Yale, maybe EA (between that and Brown).
Not taking SAT, ACT was 32 (first attempt, 35 E, 34 R, 26 M, 32 S, 12 writing) and I have a 4.0 UW Gpa and 4.86 weighted. I am also attending their university this summer for the Young Ivy Scholars on a full-ride scholarship and currently have an admissions counselor there alongside already receiving interest mail. I am my school's speech and debate captain, have competed at the national speech and debate tournament for two years, have developed and run my own independent student journal, and am currently working on organizing for the Beto for Senate campaign. If I am to get my ACT to a 33/34 (fixing the math primarily) what do you think my chances are? I also will be taking SAT II USH and Bio M (I expect 770+ on both). I am a first-gen college student, I am from a poor economic background, and have also received scholarships and hope to be accepted as a Questbridge Scholar. What do y'all think? (Btw, I'm from Texas).
Take a step back and look at the privilege you have: you are already in the minority of high-school students, as 46% percent of graduates pursue higher education. Weather permitting, you'll be at the top of the 46%, attending an amazing school, whether it be Yale or another wonderful institution. Be optimistic about your future, as even if you don't attend Yale, you can do wonderful things at another school!
Don't stress too much about test scores. Yes, they're important, and I'm not going to make the "mental health argument" (I stay up until 3 a.m. studying ap chem), but they will NOT be the core reason you are accepted or denied if you have a score in the range. You are a person, not a test score! For those only sharing test scores, do not be surprised when others with lower scores get accepted. Yale and all top universities want people who can use their knowledge (reflected in test scores) for the betterment of society.
To me, attending a college like Yale means I will be able to surround myself with creative thinkers who care about their education and want to make the most of it. During this college application time, think about what you most want out of college (other than a degree): Is it prestige? Connections? Friendship? Parties? Don't focus on the name or rank of a school, focus on what student life is like there. Think about what helps you thrive, whether it be family support or a competitive environment.
Sorry for this ramble but now I feel an obligation to post,
a Yale SCEA 2023 applicant
(Also, I have a 33 act but I'm getting it up a little more. This most definitely contradicts my prior statement but I just wanted to make it clear I'm not jealous of anyone my score is fine as it is)