Hello everyone.
I’m living in one of the Middle East countries in which ACT,SAT,IB,AP are not offered.(IRAN)
I want to apply to Yale for SCEA. GPA :4.0 , 3 Letter of Rec,Student council president, head of several research groups ,founder of several science groups,etc.
Given that Yale follows “ACT w/W OR SAT+SAT Subject Tests ONLY” Policy,I decided to take ACT+Writing,so,I have to go to another country to take it.(Even if I decided to take SAT1 & SAT 2, I couldn’t go twice,because it’s very expensive.)
I’m preparing myself to get a 35 or 36 composite score.
Also,as you know there are many Int. Students who take SAT 1 & 2,ACT,and even AP due to their easy accessibility.
SAT Subject Tests are recommended but not required. Applicants who do not take SAT Subject Tests will not be disadvantaged in the application process. We will consider your application on the basis of the other testing, and all the other information, that we receive with your application. You may wish to consider whether there are particular areas of academic strength you would like to demonstrate to the Admissions Committee. Subject Tests can be one way to convey that strength.
Considering these circumstances:
Do you think that Yale follows this policy as the same for International Students?
If so,how do you see my chance? Does it decrease my chance in compared with other Intl. students?
Do you think they consider this fact which is not obviously under my authority?
Do you think ACT Score and going abroad to take the test demonstrate and show my passion to admission commitee?
Thank you.
@asd957 You can take the ACT and nothing else. The fact that there are no AP/IB opportunities won’t penalize you.
Yes, but a good ACT score can only go so far. Given that admission at prestigious universities is very competitive internationally, they will definitely look at other factors of your application, but a good ACT score will be one of them.
“Student council president, head of several research groups ,founder of several science groups,etc.”
For many of these schools, the specifics related to the research groups and the science groups would be critical. If you have published papers in peer reviewed journals, even as a minor (3rd, 4th, 5th) author or if your science group won a national competition, for example, that would help elevate your application. If you scored high in national math competitions or Olympiads, that would help. Excellent grades and scores will get you to the point where admissions counselors will look at the other aspects of your application. Then about 80% of those with outstanding grades and scores will be rejected-not because they lack anything but because 20% of those with outstanding grades and scores have other things that place them in a higher position in terms of likelihood of getting an offer. What those other things are differ by students and by school. Eventually that group will be reduced to about 7-15% if the original sample.
@asd957 I wouldn’t worry; I have not seen any hard evidence, but I believe that, given your limited testing access, Yale will understand the lack of SAT Subject Tests, as the policy suggests.
That said, Yale is incredibly selective, so while the lack of Subject Tests likely will not harm your application, you need to ensure that the remainder of your application shows an exceptional level of achievement and drive—which you would still have to do even if you had Subject Tests.