Can I get into Yale?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

I’m a high school senior and I think I may have come to the realization that Yale is my dream school way too late.

I never really cared much about college until recently. I was just passing most of my classes and before last semester, I had a 3.0 unweighted GPA. Last semester, I got straight A’s (six classes, two of which were AP classes), so I don’t know where that puts me now. I took the SATs last semester and got 1132, but I plan to take it again in November. My extracurriculars are decent. I’m in a charity auxillary group that helps out in my community, I volunteered to work at the polls, I’ve done a lot of other volunteer work as well. I’m also very involved in plays and other performing arts shows at my school (well, I was until COVID) and I was in ASB last semester (although, I’m applying again next semester).

Not too long ago, I got a postcard in the mail from UChicago urging me to register and attend a Zoom meeting for further instructions. I was very flattered considering I had never even approached UChicago prior to this because I just assumed that I would be rejected. Apparently, UChicago has a joint admissions program of some sort with UComm and Yale because the early application admissions officers for those colleges were present in the Zoom as well.

Anyway, what I’m trying to get to is that I began to look into Yale and I realized it was my dream school and for the first time ever, I felt really motivated to try to get into college. I’ve been looking over a lot of colleges recently–mostly UCs and CSUs–and although I was impressed by many of them, none of them ever felt like a match. I settled on NYU being my dream school, but in reality, I have many issues with living in a city that I just can’t shake off.

Yale is the only university I can actually picture myself at. I can visualize walking through New Haven or studying in the library. I can see myself in the museum with friends. I can actually see myself living and growing at Yale.

So, what can I do to get in?

2

Congratulations on improving your grades last semester. Upward trends are always a good thing. In the event that your post is legitimate, I will proceed…

First off, your GPA is going to be the primary and most significant stumbling block to admission to any very selective college. You will be competing against kids who have received straight A’s for four years of high school, who still will not be accepted to any elite college. GPA is, by and large, the single most important component of your application.

U Chicago sent you very clever advertising. They are notorious for it. Personally, I think given your GPA, it’s disgraceful that they are trying to con you into paying good money for an application that has virtually no chance of succeeding. They want people to apply because it drives up their application numbers and thus gives them a lower acceptance rate, which helps their ranking.

Please do not latch on to the idea of a dream school. To be blunt, your dream is very unlikely to come true. Is there something you haven’t told us? Are you first generation to college, from a low socioeconomic background, an underrepresented minority, or is there some very compelling story behind your low grades?

Even if all those boxes were ticked, admission to Yale, for you, is such a high reach that I think it’s never going to be reachable. There will be kids applying who might fit all the criteria I just mentioned, with four years of great grades, who still might not get in. The competition is just that fierce. Should you decide to apply anyway, do not submit your test score. As a senior, there is almost no point retaking the SAT, as hardly any colleges require it this year. Your are going to have a tough time getting the score up to a number that makes it worth submitting. Currently, your score is not an asset to your application.

Colleges want to admit students who can succeed in their studies. Yale is very rigorous (U Chicago even more so) and I am not sure one semester of A grades will convince them that you can succeed.

I suggest you start a thread in the College Search and Selection Forum. Post your courses, your actual grades unweighted, your test scores, your activities, your desired major, geographic locations, size of college (university or LAC, or mid sized) and the kind of student vibe you are interested in. Also state if you need financial aid. If you do that, we can help you come up with a list of colleges that are reasonable for you, including safety and match schools.

2 Likes
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Thank you for being straightforward with me.

No, my reasons for my grades are purely my own. I was (and still am) severely depressed, but I was given medication for my disorder Sophmore year. Granted, I didn’t start actually taking it until recently. I don’t think this is a very sturdy excuse though.

I knew it was a stretch for me to be able to get into any good school, but I figured it was worth asking. Thanks for the advice! I will try to look for match colleges!

4

Only if you define a good school as those that accept fewer than 10% of applicants. There are lots of good schools that would be very happy to have you- and there are plenty of good schools that will give you the visuals you are imagining. Look at Hobart-William Smith, Juniata, Lawrence, Muhlenberg, College of Wooster, Allegheny, and Ithaca College as examples.

Of course, there is also the question of paying for college: you have to figure out what your family can and will pay v what the colleges will expect you to pay! You have great options in CA.

You have fallen in love with the Lamborghini catalog- but you really don’t know much about living with a Lamborghini, and it’s not in your budget. Still, you can think hard about what the elements are that really appeal to you (including the prestige part- it is important to be honest with yourself on that front!) and then find places where you can get most of the same things.

ps, @Lindagaf is 100% right about UChicago.

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Unless you have an extraordinary and compelling talent or situation (escaped refugee or world class talent), expect a rejection. You need to investigate what you want to study or the type of environment you would love. Visit campuses, engage with students and professors online. Fall in love with a place. And once you find your passion, and you thrive at it, if Yale is still haunting you, get a professor to endorse you, contact the department at Yale and see if it’s a god fit, and apply as a transfer student. I know three people who transferred in - from places like York and Marist - so it’s quite possible.

6

how did you get an 1132? I thought the scores only ended in 0’s…?