^^Schools like Yale that believe in holistic admissions look beyond just grades, scores, etc. and try to craft a class of interesting and interested learners. For other schools, scores, grades and standing have more importance. Each school has its own way of filling its class and that is their right. The vast majority of a Yale education (or any other liberal arts school) occurs outside of the classroom. The growth that comes from being removed from their bubble - whether it is a bubble of privilege or disadvantage - and being exposed to different thoughts and ideas, is invaluable. My child is a perfect example of this. She spent 13 years in a very liberal independent school in DC. She found at Yale that everyone not comes from environments that are LGBTQ friendly (she has friends who are still not out at home but openly gay at school), schools where academics are important, and communities that have abject poverty and crime but where her classmates still managed to excel and get accepted. She’s met community activists and pacifists.
On this particular student, his essay may or may not have been his downfall. If he had an interview and he came across as pompous, along with an essay with that bent, that may have been the death knell. Or, it just may have been that 94% of great applicants don’t get accepted and he just fell into that pile.
It isn’t a hook. Yale is known as a gay friendly college. Debate, in college at least, is known as a gay friendly activity.
It isn’t clear from your post how good a debater you are. I just want to warn you that you have to be pretty darn good to make the Yale Debate Association. From the team’s website:
I tell you this, not to discourage you, but to make you aware of the situation. Every year, there are a number of students who had good high school careers who are stunned when they find out they have to try out for the team. Some of them fail to make it. In some cases, they find another activity they enjoy–some become involved in running the New Haven Urban Debate League for high school students; some in the Yale Political Union; some in Model UN or mock trial (though mock trial also limits the number of participants.)
Your post just says “debate.” You should also be aware that the YDA only does parli(amentary). So, if you are really into, e.g., policy, you can’t do this at Yale.
Again, you may well be so good a debater that you’re certain to make the team. I, obviously, don’t know. However, just be aware that you MAY not be able to continue in debate at Yale.
OP I don’t think you were humblebragging. It is hard to know how your GPA will be seen. At my child’s school that GPA would be highly unlikely to work. So I get it. But that is the point. It varies from school to school.