<p>On Yales website it says Between two and three hundred students in any year are so strong academically that their admission is scarcely ever in doubt. What kind of students are in this category? Can test scores (2400) and GPA (4.0 all honors) alone put you in there? or do you need to win some national awards? Remember that we are talking about 200 to 300 students here.</p>
<p>Could you post a link to where they say that?</p>
<p>I would assume it is definitely beyond test scores and GPA. Just think of what an average Yale looks like (high scores, perfect GPA, valedictorian), and what it’d mean to stand out in a pool of that caliber. So yes, outside activities that demonstrate your academic promise and excellence.</p>
<p>It’s on the FAQs page.</p>
<p>Are you saying that Yale admits more than 300 students every year who have perfect test scores AND perfect GPA? I thought there were not that many people who had perfect test scores nationwide.</p>
<p>What I’m trying to say is that you can’t expect to get into Yale with a perfect SAT and GPA. Someone who is only strong in those areas may come off as one dimensional and definitely not the type of engaging, intellectual, and unique that Yale usually looks for. Thus, it is probably safe to assume that those who excel in academia are the ones who go out of their way to do more than those standards. These are the people who have done research and participated in academic contests beyond what is expected of them.</p>
<p>it certainly has nothing to do with getting a 2400 and a 4.0. as asiantofu said, it relates mostly to the academic contests. the academic “hooks” for a math/science person would be the olympiads, siemens, intel, rsi, etc. (i don’t know the humanities equivalents, but there are definitely plenty out there). things along those lines are very prestigious, and doing well in one or more of them will give you a significant leg up, usually to the point where a college would say you are “so strong academically that [your] admission is scarcely ever in doubt.”</p>
<p>In one information session, I asked an admissions officer about this and he told me that perfect scores/GPA/stats/etc show obsession instead of passion. His words, not mine.</p>
<p>They don’t discriminate against 4.0, 2400s though, right? I haven’t had a chance to go to the info sessions, so I have a limited understanding of the presentations they give.</p>
<p>^^^The only reason I could see for discrimination is the type of people who look like they’ve been so wrapped up in getting those types of scores that they have few EC’s, no real passions, etc.</p>
<p>They just want to see a human being, not a machine who spits out GPA’s and SAT scores</p>
<p>yes, but academics aren’t all about GPA and SAT scores. “so academically strong” could refer to someone who’s done immense amounts of research, or who’s taken loads of college classes…</p>
<p>BUT remember: there are applicants that are academically soo strong and has amazing sets of activities as well. now those people, the yale cannot reject… or can they?!?</p>
<p>Yale admits 200-300 on a purely academic basis. I’m guessing it’s talking about those people.</p>
<p>so what’s the academic basis that yale speaks of?</p>
<p>^ My friend got a likely letter with an SAT in the mid 1400s/1600. He almost won his category at ISEF (got 2nd or 3rd in his category) and had several other prominent science awards from Siemens etc. That’s what they mean by ‘so strong’ academically, I believe.</p>
<p>^what’s a likely letter?</p>
<p>a likely letter is one that lets you know that you are “highly likely” to be admitted…basically telling you you’re in as long as you don’t fail or commit a crime, etc. </p>
<p>Would a student who wins Siemens (let’s say regionals not nationals) and several science competitions, but gets As and Bs and 1400s/1600 SAT be considered “soo strong academically?” That way they have good grades, SAT but reeaally good academic ECs?</p>
<p>out of curiosity, Geoffrey - was he an ORM?</p>