@callmetoast the same as those in the RD pool, which was 4.7% last year. Maybe 0.5-1% higher because the SCEA pool is generally stronger.
@kuriosmind Really? Isn’t that even lower than the regular 6.7% acceptance rate?
@callmetoast the regular acceptance rate isn’t 6.7. That was the combine acceptance rate of SCEA and Rd. The RD acceptance rate is 4.7%. Yeah it’s lower but we still have a chance. Don’t give up!
@kuriosmind Oh wow, that’s so low. Still better than no chance!
For those of you who don’t get the decision you’ve hoped for, don’t sweat it. Last year, I was rejected flat-out by Yale SCEA. Then, I ended up getting into some neat schools, committing to Princeton and being accepted to the Bridge Year Program.
We never know what the future has in store. But know that whatever happens, things work out. Everything will be okay. College acceptances do not speak to your character. They don’t know you, so you can’t take them personally. <3 You are more than a decision. <3
A few things for you kids that were deferred to think about:
- You will never know why. Creating the class is like putting together a huge Tetris game. You don’t know how many pieces like you were submitted for the puzzle. A band can’t have 20 flutes and only one trumpet. Look at your statistics (even the amazing ones) and ask yourself how many amazing students submitted the same. This will be why you see special candidates that may not have as high scores as you that were accepted this round. They are the ones that have a unique place in the class and amazing students were held on to for RD to fill the gaps.
- Don't send things in yourself. You are of course your best advocate but your guidance dept has a stronger pull and more direct connection to admissions. Don't toot your own horn- have guidance do it for you. You want someone to say how impressed with you and not how you are impressed with yourself. Don't submit your book, submit solid reviews of it. Don't update everything in your file now. Wait a bit to gather all you want them to send and then have them send it along. That will give it a better chance of being seen. Don't send in a weekly update of small wins because that will be counter productive. If a small win is all you have to offer than it may make you look smaller and desperate (we were told this by a file reader).
- The percentage of accepted students is based on the amount and pool of who it is that applied so don't overthink the numbers. Its a big picture and not an equation.
- Take this chance to truly look into other schools. You may be surprised what you find. It is possible that you just don't belong at Yale. Not that you couldn't handle it or be OK there. It just means that you may be happier somewhere else and in a different environment. This also doesn't mean that you don't belong at other highly exclusive schools or ivy schools. It just means that there was a reason you didn't fit in based on the first batch of students. At the Harvard-Yale football game, there were many Harvard students that said that they wanted Yale but didn't get in. Like I said before, my kid was deferred from Harvard and only applied to Yale because she had to change focus. In hindsight she did not belong at Harvard and would have been miserable there. She is a social creature with a heart for the world and not focused on herself at all. Use this as an opportunity and chance to change your mind.
I know it hurts- My daughter cried, hid and didn’t want to go to school to face teachers and peers. She saw a deferral as a rejection. When she finally went back she heard,“Wow! That is awesome!” and “That means they didn’t want to let your application go” and “That is so impressive, what an honor to be truly considered”. Its not the end of the game. Its just a half time and a chance to regroup.
My son was accepted!!
No email.
My son was accepted but there was no email.
He checked his portal at 5:05pm.
17% accepted, 53% deferred, 29% rejected, 1% incomplete/withdrew:
http://news.yale.edu/2015/12/15/795-early-action-applicants-admitted-class-2020
2020 SCEA:
- Accepted: Harvard (14.8%), Yale (17%)
- Rejected: Harvard (7.5%), Yale (29%)
- Deferred: Harvard (75.5%), Yale (53%)
- Withdrawn/Incomplete: Harvard (1.9%), Yale (1%)
Stanford and Princeton?
^ Princeton obviously isn’t out yet. But Stanford admitted 9.5% and deferred another 9%, with over 80% of REA applicants rejected outright.
Is the number of questbridge scholars part of the 795 admitted students?
@renaissancedad - Thanks!
2020 SCEA:
Accepted: Harvard (14.8%), Yale (17%), Stanford (9.5%)
Rejected: Harvard (7.5%), Yale (29%), Stanford (~80%)
Deferred: Harvard (75.5%), Yale (53%), Stanford (9%)
Withdrawn/Incomplete: Harvard (1.9%), Yale (1%), Stanford (n/a)
Yes.
Why do these major schools defer so many with the intent on accepting such a small amount? I guess I fail to understand why a school can tell 75% of EA applicants that they have a chance, but only accept 2-3% of that pool. Seems twisted to me 
^ Stanford makes a policy of trying to review applicants’ files only once, given their incredibly high numbers of applicants. That’s what drives their 80% rejection rate - the ones that they defer were really close to getting admitted. With 35,000 RD files to review they don’t really want to be going back through another 5,000-6,000 files from deferred REA applicants.
The other schools seem to want to keep their options open and see what they get in the RD pool, but historically the deferred students have only done about as well as the RD average acceptance rate. I’m not sure that there is an “intent” aspect, but those who aren’t accepted outright probably aren’t stronger than the general RD applicant pool, so it probably comes down to finding those applicants who round out a class.
I know that for the class of 2018 the admit rate for deferred students was 5.8% while the overall RD admit rate was 4.1% for that year, which includes deferred students. I in fact was deferred for the class of 2020
Can anybody give me advice on how I can get my chance up for RD other than grades/test scores? For example maybe another letter of rec?
I would focus less on extra recs / good recs and put your effort into your own subjective materials. Make sure you have vetted your essays and make sure they’re not posh and unrepresentative of your true self. Take a lot of time to fill out they “Why Yale” question and do some soul searching on why you’re applying in the first place. One of my recs for SCEA was absolutely terrible, but I couldn’t fret about it. DO NOT send in supplementary stuff unless you feel that it could be the absolute difference between an accept and a deny.
@beabeth I am from the UK! thank the lord