<p>Those of you who find this stupid- why would it be stupid to sacrifice one year of my life (and I’m not really sacrificing it; I would take AP Physics C, AP Economics, and AP Chemistry which I inevitably must take in order to take the MCAT’s because I want a dual MD/Master’s in Public Health) in order to greatly improve my chances of attending the best university in the world?</p>
<p>All I am asking is if students who make this decision are still accepted by schools like Yale.</p>
<p>You need to get over to the Pre-Med topics forum and read the sticky thread about premed coursework. Economics is not a premed course, and few Med schools will accept AP credits for their year of Physics and two years of Chemistry requirements. The APs will bump you up to higher level classes (not always desirable) but will usually not count towards your BCMP coursework.</p>
<p>too many gambles… unless you’re pretty darn good at track and actually need the year to mature (i.e. you haven’t reached your potential and it’s obvious) then i wouldn’t recommend it. with your scores as they are you would be a competetive applicant for yale anyways, and is it really worth being trapped for another year of your life just for the possibility of increasing your 2280 SAT to like a 2360? i dont see the difference between a 2280 and a 2360, or one extra AP class, being worth the loss of an entire year of what would have been your mid 20s</p>
<p>Yale is not going to take you because you take another year of high school to take 3 more APs, up your SAT score 50 or 60 points, and start a business which will very obviously be for college admissions (not many people who aren’t thinking about college suddenly decide to start a business their senior year). Your odds are not going to be better with a 5th year of high school, and you will hate yourself for forcing yourself through one. There is no way to gurantee a Yale acceptance.</p>
<p>If you really can’t stomach the idea of not going to Yale along with the other 93% of their applicants who don’t get in, take a gap year. Stop being a grade-grubber for 12 months and do something in the real world - get a job, look into gap year programs, try a service year with something like Americorps. That’s more impressive than being able to say you stayed in high school for another year for a few more APs and 50 points on the SAT.</p>
<p>biology91, why would you take AP courses in a 5th year of high school to get into Yale? Why do you think this would improve your odds? Seriously, why? Your stats are good and you might get in now. Granted you might not since so few are accepted. </p>
<p>If you don’t get into Yale, and if your heart is set on a Yale degree, and you are looking to get in pre-med requirements, then go to another quality college (worthy of your stats) for your freshman year and transfer into Yale. Take actual pre-med college science courses, since the AP courses won’t count anyway.</p>
<p>I am amazed by two things in this thread. First, that so many have found HS to be such a miserable place to be that they think “enduring” a fifth year is crazy. And second is the numbers telling the OP what a bad idea this is and how unheard of the concept is.</p>
<p>The fact is, wealthy kids have done this for generations at some of the best high schools in the Country. One more year to strengthen their qualifications was a no brainer in many families if little Rutherford III wasn’t ready for Yale. The OP is not crazy though his timing is off.</p>