what is YALE looking for

esteece
Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:07:09 +0000

I would be the last person to really answer this question, but I live next to Yale and frequently meet students. My parents both teach at Yale and we all discuss our favorite students at the dinner table. From what I and my parents have seen recently, it seems that newer students that have elected to take my parents’ classes (which are admittedly perhaps a little off the beaten track) have more and more international experience and are more racially and culturally diverse. Many are of mixed backgrounds and they frequently know several languages. Their SATs are not always 800/800/800 excellent but they have varied interests and extracurriculars, great passion, and lots of initiative. There are unfortunately also a scattering of generally less intelligent freshmen who seem to have only been accepted for outstanding athletic abilities or personal experience, but by and large the students I have seen and heard about are motivated, quick-witted, and hard-working.

Of course, the students I hear about are usually the extremes - the ones my parents like the least or the most :)

I guess this doesn’t really answer your question but I hope it was in some way interesting nonetheless.

J