Hi, I am currently a junior, and really want to get into an Ivy, especially Yale. However, i ended off my freshman year in English Honors with an 83. Last year I took English 2 Honors, US History Honors, and Italian 2 Honors. This year I am taking AP English, AP Chemistry, AP European History, and AP Economics. Do I still have a chance?
If you get rejected, it will not be because of an 83.
It depends on so many factors. You need to stand out in one way or another…you need a hook.
A single 83, especially one as a freshman, will not kill your application
From the Yale website: https://admissions.yale.edu/what-yale-looks-for
Although I don’t see where Yale releases incoming GPAs of admitted students, the incoming class ranks are on BigFuture: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-university-search/yale-university (Select “Applying/Academics & GPA” and scroll down). 17% of admitted students are outside the top 10%. Obviously a large percentage of admitted students have received some Bs.
Those outside the top 10% likely have hooks, such as donor/ legacy or recruited athlete. Some are from top prep schools, which are extremely competitive, and those may also have hooks.
Practically speaking you probably need to be in the top 3% of your class or so in almost all AP or equivalent, but test scores and ECs are also real important, as well as intangible factors. One or two Bs won’t matter much.
I would aim at T30 or so. It is really hard to get into top Ivies.
i’m no expert but i believe freshman year grades are much, much less important than the other years, grades-wise. work hard in your other classes, esp in your current junior year! as for yale, grades are definitely not the “end all be all”, but more a preliminary measurement in the college admission process.
just my two cents!
one 83 won’t kill you. AOs know that students are human and make mistakes.
If you think it’s just stats and honors/AP that matter, you’re way behind. If you don’t get a better idea of what matters to Yale (outside the usual comments about hooks,) your chances go from 5% to lower.
OP probably isn’t going to Yale. Stats and honors/AP are a big part of what you need for T30.
I went to a T30, not Yale and stats and rigor were mostly what you needed. ECs were also important and hooks would get you in. For Yale, you probably need to have amazing ECs and be a future leader or something. I didn’t go there, so I don’t understand.
My point about hooks is I don’t know if you would find anyone without a hook from a regular public high school who got into a top Ivy not in the top 10% of the class.That 17% is pretty much all hooked. I know stats won’t get you into Yale, but try getting in without them.
You are currently a junior, but are concerned about a grade you got two years ago? No, the 83 won’t keep you out of Yale, but neither will perfect grades since then guarantee you get in.
Almost all As in the hardest classes is good. Then you need test scores and ECs. For top Ivies pretty much everyone unhooked has nearly perfect stats. I tutored someone who got into a top Ivy and was waitlisted by the other two and turned down by MIT. She had perfect ACTs, high 700 SAT subject tests, and all As. Then all sorts of leadership in activities, statewide honors schools, and was a really strong writer and public speaker.That’s sort of what you need for top Ivies. It could be different types of things, but really strong ECs, maybe national competition placings etc. However, the same stats with OK ECs will probably get you into a T20. In fact, if you aren’t obnoxious and/ot an ORM, you might get into a T20 with weakish ECs and good but not top grades and scores.
While hs performance is needed, what’s key is the app. You can be a great writer, eg, and not write a great college appl essay. You can fumble your Why Us despite strong stats. Maybe your leadership is in something with no challenge/stretch, easy stuff that just racks up hours.
Don’t need national awards. Do need to understand what represents best choices. Next to no one just rolls out of bed and lands a tippy top admit.
With the student I mentioned, the leadership positions, writing skills, etc. were all real.
For most students, and OP, if you have the grades and classes, then I would work on test scores and ECs. As you imply, I wouldn’t focus on top Ivies, but aim at T20.