How much does work/sports count?

Colleges & Universities Yale University
1

<p>So here’s my question, I applied SCEA but I’ve never had a job and/or played sports so those entire sections were blank, will that be a big negative if I have strong academics or no? Here’s my other qualifications</p>

<p>SAT: 2370
SAT II:
Chemistry: 800
Math II: 800
US Hist: 800</p>

<p>AP:
US History: 5
Calc AB: 5
Physics Newtonian: 5
Chem: 5
English Language: 5</p>

<p>Rank: 1 in class of 580
GPA: Cumulative 4.4</p>

<p>President NHS
President Science Olympiad
VP Class '09
VP Student Council</p>

<p>Background: Chinese</p>

2

<p>That is going to make you look bad, but then again, you’re stats are pretty impressive. Don’t count yourself out just yet!</p>

3

<p>Sports and work experience just show commitment. If you demonstrate that through other EC’s, it shouldn’t matter.</p>

4

<p>There was a section specifically devoted to sports? I don’t remember that…</p>

5

<p>Sorry I was thinking another application, but again same concern</p>

6

<p>I heard Yale accept about 200 students annually only based on their academics. I’m not sure you can be in that 200 only with high SAT and GPA, but if you do your lack of sports shouldn’t matter</p>

7

<p>It’s not a lack of sports, but a lack of serious involvement in some extracurricular activity. You have fabulous SATs, a good AP record, and great class rank. The question is whether they will jump for a pure academic kid EA, and whether there are kids with those academic credentials that also have involvement or talent in other areas. Hope for the best with recs and essays, and I don’t doubt ccsshh14’s assertion that they take a couple hundred pure academic kids every year.</p>

8

<p>They do accept approximately 200 (PP was right) pure academically rigorous candidates. Not to make you feel depressed but my friend who applied EA to yale last year with very similar stats to you (2380 SAT I, 2400 SAT II’s, 3/450 in class) was deferred and then declined because he also had very little EC/sports/work. I think you still have a chance though just like everyone. I hope you have a strong hook.</p>

9

<p>“he also had very little EC/sports/work”</p>

<p>Can you elaborate? There doesn’t seem to be a ton of Yale admissions anecdotes on CC. Did he get in anywhere else? Was he a good writer? Was he confident with recs?</p>

10

<p>I can elaborate. He was a good friend of mine. He applied to Harvard (declined), Cornell (accepted), Dartmouth (Accepted/Attending), Williams (Accepted), and a couple of schools in my home state VA. It shows that high scores alone can get you into some Ivy’s but probably not the highest tier ones.</p>

11

<p>Your threads are very nice and thoughtful. Your stats are excellent. Your ECs are not shining. Give me one reason that put you in Yale.</p>