I’ve heard that Yale actively recruits applicants strong in computer science and engineering. Are they also seeking applicants strong in mathematics? Is Yale in need of math people as well?
Second Question: If I am a math-oriented applicant (courses, scores, awards, ECs, summer activities) equally interested in Princeton and Yale, could there be a small edge applying to Yale, since not as many math/stem people apply early to Yale?
Bump
There was no reason to bump – it’s not as if slews of other posts pushed your original post down many rungs.
Being a potential mathematics major, you’ll see that the slight statistical advantage is of no practical difference. You should frankly, apply to both, given the vagaries of admissions for qualified applicants at schools with admit rates as low as Yale and Princeton.
Why wouldn’t you?
^^ Not sure where you came to that conclusion. Although the SCEA applicant pool is smaller than the RD pool, I would imagine the percentage of STEM interested students is GREATER in the early round than the regular round: http://admissions.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/counselornewsletter_fall_2015_0.pdf
^^^ In other words, that 40% is NOT just coming from the RD round.
MODERATOR’S NOTE
No need to bump. You posted in the middle of the night, so it’s unrealistic to expect responses when you awake. The advice you have received so far is valid.
@Iamnotreal Yale’s STEM recruiting/and preferential admits through the issuance of “likely letters” is primarily conducted through their YES-W program which only applies to RD applicants. Search for Yale YES-W here on CC or on the web for more info.
The Yale math department is generally considered to not be that good. The Princeton math department is considered to be one of the best in the world. I would apply early to Princeton
Yale actively looks for applicants in all STEM fields (including mathematics). However, I’d wager that the advantage of applying as a math major to Yale vs Princeton is negligible at best. Firstly, both schools don’t specifically admit students by major, and they know that undergrads often pursue a different major from what they indicated in their application. Hence, in the unlikely scenario that Yale feels it hasn’t received sufficient brilliant apps from math majors in the early round, it can always admit more RD, or choose to admit more History/Art/Physics majors instead. Secondly, the difference in the Math major applicant pools of both schools at undergrad level is marginal; most people apply to both Y&P as well as Harvard/Stanford/MIT/Caltech.
With regards to Yale’s math department, while it may not be top-5 like Princeton/Harvard, it is definitely a top-10 department on par with Caltech/Columbia/Chicago, etc. The department has its fair share of Fields/Abel/Wolf/Polya prize winners, including Grigory Margulis, Dan Spielman, Vladimir Rokhlin, Yair Minsky and Van Vu among others, not to mention famous professors in the past such as Mandelbrot, Shizuo Kakutani and Serge Lang. The best part about the department is its small undergrad population, which means you get to interact very closely with star faculty and pretty much have your pick of research opportunities.
Difference between Princeton and Yale at the undergrad level won’t be felt, unless you do the MS at Yale.
Yale isn’t starved for elite math talent. In recent years an IMO first place winner graduated from Yale, and there are numerous IMO/IPhO/IChO/IOI prizewinners who matriculate each year.