The Inevitable Why were you ____?

wagsthedog
Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:51:17 +0000

overachiever92-- I agree with the main point of your rant. Yale is looking for people with true passion, not just a laundry list of activities done for the point of it, and people need to realize that. Also, the notion that one person is significantly more qualified than another because of a couple hundred point difference on the SATs are absurd. SATs can be studied for, and alot of it has to do with chance. On a given day, you might do 50 to 100 points better on each section.

However, I think you are being a little harsh (especially with communistwhatever). You can still be totally passionate about something while still hoping it will lead to bigger and better things (which allow you to continue your passions). Also, I think a deferral can seem to the applicants like a judgement of quality (as though Yale is saying their passions are not good enough, which definitely hurts), and even though it most certainly isn’t, it can definitely feel like that immediately after receiving the decision.

But I agree with the main point of your rant, that people need to stop valuing perfection (especially with SAT scores) over passion and drive.