Would Yale take a flier on a kid?

penandink
Sat, 03 Nov 2018 02:54:22 +0000

@gibby
Excellent points. The specifics you mention are probably the crucial details here, insofar as any of this matters in this extreme reach. I am trying not to get too much more specific in the description of this student, except to say that the accolades would be primarily in-house (in-school). It’s also impossible to know exactly how lavish the teacher recs are, though they are presumed to be excellent.

Speaking of teacher recommendations, the importance given them in your quote does not seem universally shared. Of course the high school record is the most important part of any application, but I generally see teacher recs listed beside test scores and often other things in the second tier of considered factors (in common data sets and school mailings, web postings). The popular perception is certainly that standardized test scores matter far more than teacher recs, although that might be a false perception.

Thanks again for the useful advice.