Hey guys, I’m just having a little freakout right now (y’all get it) and honestly I would just like a reality check about my EA application to Yale. If someone could give me your opinion on my chances it would be really appreciated. Here is my info:
white male from AL, prospective theater/english double major
STATS:
ACT: 35
AP’s: 5’s on Lang and Spanish (AP Scholar with distinction)
Probably National Merit semifinalist
4.4 GPA on a 4.6 Scale
EC’S:
Theatre (lead roles in 10 plays/musicals, went to a theatre program at Northwestern last summer)
Student government: (student body president this year-- student government is bigger at my school than most other schools and is very involved in student life, and this is in the school info that admissions will receive)
Choir: president of my school’s choir, tenor soloist and section leader
Mock trial: 3 years on mock trial as a witness, 2 on the top team
GSA: Vice pres of GSA (gender & sexuality alliance), but we meet infrequently
I totally get that the chances of getting into Yale are not good for anyone and that I can’t predict it, but getting a little feedback from strangers makes me a little calmer than not knowing anything at all about how my application will be perceived.
I can’t comment on the theater side of things, but you seem like a strong applicant. Adcoms do like to see evidence that you care about people other than yourself. Volunteering is one way to do it, but not the only way. Your GSA work might very well cover it, but it doesn’t seem very primary among your ECs, so it is difficult to say. If anything - just my opinion here - I’d say that is the weakest part of your application. You have the stats, for sure.
Hi! I agree with @Groundwork2022. Your stats are very strong. I don’t see any subject tests on your list, though. Do you plan on taking any? Of course, Yale doesn’t require them but it can give you a slight boost if you fulfill the subject test recommendation. If you choose not to, don’t stress out about it because overall the subject tests don’t really weigh much and there have been plenty of people who’ve gotten in without submitting any. In your case, I think that’s plausible especially since your ACT and GPA are well above the benchmark.
As for your extracurriculars, I can tell you have a passion for theatre/the arts and for helping others since you’ve evidently taken a lot of leadership positions. This, as @Groundwork2022 mentions, is a good sign because it shows you look outside yourself and for a school like Yale they seem to especially value that (not that there’s anything wrong with occasionally being involved in things that fulfill you personally). If these are your spikes make sure to emphasize them in your essays because it’s just one thing naming these activities on your common app. The activities section is not only responsible for showing the AO’s what you’re interested/passionate about but they’re also important because they serve as a base for your essays. They serve as what the AO’s expect to see you mention or write about in your essays. It’s what helps make your application cohesive and put together and it’s what helps establish a theme to your application.
As for your recommendations, I’m glad to see that they’re rated so highly. :D.
I’m sure you know this already, but they’re extremely important and unfortunately are often overlooked in the application process. Third-party feedback on an applicants personality is extremely valued to AO’s and really helps reassure the kind of student you’ll be on their campus. Make sure to slip a thank you note to your teachers
Overall, I think you do have a relatively strong application that is capable of getting you into Yale. But take my feedback with a grain of salt.
Just a little unwarranted advice.
I talk very often on the official CC Yale 2024 chat and I give a lot of this kind of advice. So if you’re interested don’t be afraid to hop on there and ghost what I’ve told others or what others have also said. But this application process is pretty random and it’s hard to tell 100% who gets in and who doesn’t. I’ve stumbled upon people with extremely amazing applications who weren’t even deferred but rather rejected. And I’ve stumbled upon applications that were average but they were accepted early. My advice to you if you’re having the inevitable mental breakdown is to take a deep breath and to acknowledge that you’re just as capable of getting into a good school like everyone else even if it’s not Yale. Also, remember not to compare yourself to other people. Everyone is so different with their own unique circumstances and opportunities. Comparing yourself to others during this application process is like comparing apples to oranges. What you achieve may not seem impressive to you but may seem awe-dropping to others. This is why all you can really do at this point, now that your testing is done, for the most part, is to work on those essays and to be yourself because that’s all you really can be.
The stats are just there to show the AO’s if you can handle their rigor. But what can really help you are your essays even if your E.C.'s are average. The more genuine (sharing not only your perfections but your imperfections too), the more open you are and the more clear you are when showing your values/personality to the AO’s, the better you have at connecting with and moving the AO’s to accept you.
Hopefully, that helps! And good luck with your Yale application
I’m also applying to Yale so if we’re both lucky hopefully we run into each sometime during Bulldog days
ACT :35 (E36,M35,S35,R35)
GPA: 3.94 (UW)
SAT subject Test : Math -2 : 730 , Chem: 720 : Bio : 670
11 AP’s (Math AB-5 BC -4 ,Bio - 4 Chem - 3 and others Most 4’s)
State: Wisconsin
Major : Pre-Med track (Neuro mostly) : Most interested option is 8yrs BS/MD program)
Awards :
1.Outstanding Academic Achievement Award
2.AP Scholar with Distinction
3.The National Society of High School Scholars
4.Honor Roll
5.Rivalry Scholar Student-Athlete Scholarship Award with scholarship of $2000
6.Solo and Ensemble
7.National Federation festivals -Violin superior rating for 5 years in sequence
Many EC’s :
HOSA : Health Occupations Students of America Club - Communications director
National Honor Society (NHS)
Project Empower- Bringing underrepresented students to the STEM field
WASC Leadership camp past 4 years (Level 1-4)
Orchestra- Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra for 5 years
Private Violin Lessons for 8 years
Hospital Volunteer at SSM St. Mary’s
Math Team
Sports :
Varsity Football for 4 years
Rugby Team for 2 years
Weight Lifting
I’m also having a freak out session. Not sure if I should apply SCEA
GPA - 4.0 (UW) - school offers very few AP courses and is phasing them out
SAT 1560
1 AP
Class rank 1/100
ECs are strong - I have very few but have been many of them for 8 years now. (sports, music, volunteer work, peer tutoring (2 years).
Compared to most people, I think my stats look weak which is what is freaking me out.
“because overall the subject tests don’t really weigh much.” Sure they do. It’s a tippy top, every piece matters and the exceptions are few.
Nor are essays “meant” to be about ECs. And helping others is more than being active in X hs activity based on your own interests. . For tippy tops, it’s the quality of commuity service, getting outside your own box.
OP, your depth in theater may help. But make sure you aren’t inadvertently omitting other ECs, thinking they ‘have to be’ school based.
