<p>Anyone ever get accepted to Yale over the valedictorian or even number 2 in class? Thanks</p>
<p>It is not about who is number one or who has the highest scores. It is about who is the most compelling candidate.</p>
<p>Well you can assume that, but in our school, only the valedictorian has ever been accepted by Yale.</p>
<p>There are some applicants who are number one in their class because they put themselves full force into their schoolwork, study all the time, are members of a few clubs, have all the academic awards that come with being a top student, but pretty much live a life that is mostly about studying and getting good grades.
There are other applicants who have top grades although not nearly number one, but who have demonstrated great passion, talent, interests ect that make them stand out in an applicant pool and make them truly compelling candidates. The elite colleges know that if these students did not engage in the very things that make them compelling they could probably be number one in their classes also. Schools like HYP do not review the two applicants and say that they will not take the second applicant because there is another one applying who is number one in the class in terms of their grade point average. There are scores of valevictorians who do not get accepted to HYP and there are those with perfect SAT scores who do not either.
I think it is more likely that where there are not that many compelling candidates who apply from a particular geographic region or a particular high school that elite colleges like HYP might occassionally take the student who is number one in their class with near perfect SAT scores.
When you look at these threads for HYP in terms of who was accepted who are not legacies, recruited athletes, ect, most seem pretty interesting</p>
<p>Last year our sal got in. This year we have two athletes being recruited by Yale, and neither is val.</p>
<p>We didn't have anyone get in OVER the val, but ranks 1, 2, and 5 all got in. Val got in regular decision.</p>
<p>thykingdomcome, your school had 3 students get accepted in the same year? what state are you in?</p>
<p>In our case, we are in NJ. I know we don't have geographical diversity going for us.</p>
<p>Massachusetts.</p>
<p>It happened in my school all the time. Generally, the val was only val because he/she gamed the system. Luckily, elite colleges see through.</p>
<p>Our val that year went to Princeton (while the sal got into Yale, though she also got into Princeton). I don't know if the val even applied to Yale. Three years ago our val went to Yale, as did someone else who wasn't sal (we don't rank except for val/sal). Oh and two years ago someone got into Yale who wasn't val/sal, but he was a legacy and his father was a very active Yale volunteer.</p>
<p>Mr_Sanguine, I agree. Our vals are noted for putting down on apps that they are on a varsity sports team, when in fact they only act as a "manager" who never shows up. Last year's val, who got into Harvard and Yale (went to Yale) did that and we have the val this year who claims to be a manager. She's applying to Yale EA but doesn't plan on attending. Apparently, she just wants to apply early somewhere that doesn't commit since so many other top ranked kids are doing it. Nice.</p>
<p>It is interesting because those who live in the northeast think that those who live in under represented states have better chances but that is not true. In some states there may be only 350 applicants for early and regular combined, but only 25 acceptances for both scea and regular combined.</p>
<p>Even admissions will admit that Northeast has no geographical diversity going for it and geographical diversity is a factor.</p>
<p>Cailg, it's really tough when you know someone is horribly dishonest. But there is really nothing one can do but focus on one's own application.</p>
<p>Another thing that poor northeasterners can do nothing about: geography! :(</p>
<p>You are right on both accounts, ThyKingdomcome!</p>
<p>A guy who just missed the top 10% of his class in my school got in. He had a lot of other compelling features...I don't think that rank is the be-all-end-all of admissions...it's just another factor.</p>
<p>mochamaven, did that student get in over the valedictorian, or didn't the valedictorian apply? Also, is your HS in the northeast?</p>
<p>Cailg - Let me guess. Your child is not the valedictorian, correct?</p>
<p>The admissions game is not based purely on numbers, rankings, and other objective stats. There is always an element of subjectivity. Therefore, the admissions game is never "fair" for some. </p>
<p>Please don't obsess about the numbers. Let your child's application shine with his/her passion for learning. Have your child select teachers who can write equally passionate letters on his/her behalf. Take satisfaction in knowing that your child has done his/her best.</p>
<p>Someone recently said (sorry, I can't remember who), "Instead of worrying which school your child will get in, focus on what your child get out of the school."</p>
<p>The val did not apply to Yale; however, in past years other students have gotten in OVER the val...my high school is not quite in the northeast (if by that you mean new england/mid-atlantic) but it's very close. It's a competetive area for colleges. From my experience seeing a lot of kids getting into selective colleges, it's not a numbers game. Colleges have seemed to value original research, excellence in sports, or just a student being all-around accomplished and well-liked. A huge percentage of valedictorians get rejected from Yale, so obviously they're taking a lot of kids who aren't! Like AnotherMom said, just be proud that your child is working hard! One thing that has helped me all along is that my parents have been super-supportive and have allowed me to make my own choices. I know that even if I don't get into my top-choice schools, I'll still end up somewhere that'll be great for me, and my parents will still be proud of me!!! The most important thing about high school is intellectual and educational development, not getting into the perfect school. My older friends, many of whom were rejected from "top" schools, have told me that where they ended up has been great -- somehow things turned out the way they were "supposed" to. And believe me, I know kids at schools like Yale or Princeton or Harvard who are unhappy there, because that school just isn't right for them!!! So just encourage your child to do his or her best, and let the chips fall where they may. There are so many amazing schools in the U.S., and your child will end up at one of them!!!</p>
<p>AnotherMom's advice is right. Actually, I can't think of a single time when the subject of class rank (or SAT scores, or the like) has come up since I've been here, but I doubt everyone here was a valedictorian. The grades you score in a class do surprisingly little to reflect your passion for learning. Hey, I was ranked 18th out of 330 in a public school, and I did fine getting in here. Don't worry about the numbers so much, just let the passion show :)</p>