Intended Major(s): esp interested in MB&B and History of Science, Medicine and Public Health at Yale
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 3.92
Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): N/A at my school
Class Rank: N/A at my school but my GPA is in the 99th percentile, last year I ranked 1st (shared) in the class
SAT Scores: 1550
Coursework: Our school does not offer IB/AP classes, our curriculum is standard public school curriculum (13 standard subjects). However, as it’s a gifted high school, we have advanced/honors classes. I’ve achieved top grades in my honors classes. I consistently rank among the top 10 students in all other classes.
I also took an extra course on computational pharma chemistry in the summer
Awards: Honors Scholarship (every semester, offered to top 4 students in each class), National English prize (competed with seniors in my junior year), multiple first prizes in English and STEM entrepreneurship competitions (municipal level), 2 international prizes but the competitions are not too well-known.
Extracurriculars
President of a national org. on gender equality on STEM, organized multiple national events (hackathons, podcasts, webinars, bootcamps etc.)
Co-founder of webinar series (attracted ~100 participants/webinar) on STEM orientation for female-identifying students and their parents
Co-lead of Student Ambassador Program for a well-known intl. education website
Co-founder of a charity program, partnered with a reputable natl philanthropy organization and raised $1500 to provide ~2 years worth of nutritional meal supplements as well as 2 water heaters for children in underprivileged areas in my country.
Director of a municipal-level musical
Research assistant (Bioengineering, National Uni)
Polygence mentorship program - completing a review paper on nanoparticles-based targeted therapy
Co-authored paper on public health - soon to be published
NYAS JA and 1000 girls 1000 future
Other ECs: Short-term internships at some healthcare firms and orgs, leadership positions in school environment, community service and orientation program, past member in student council)
Essays/LORs/Other
Essays: I’m still in the process of finalizing these but I hope they will turn out to be at least 8/10
LORs: At least 8/10, may obtain LOR from my research mentor (highly reputable prof in his field) to supplement my app
Cost Constraints / Budget
Less than 40k/year, am applying for need-based financial aid.
Schools
I plan to apply to Yale REA and a few other public schools as well.
Financial aid: Need-based financial aid
Is Yale too much of a reach for my profile? What can I do to improve my chances?
Thank you for reading!
You have as good a chance as anyone - which isn’t very good. But you’re certainly worthy.
I assume since you need aid you are picking public schools that provide significant merit aid? How much can you afford - and what schools are you looking at - because need based aid won’t be found at public schools. Example - UVA meets need but on their website says Student Financial Services does not award financial aid to international or foreign students and they are one of a handful of publics that meet need.
You are an excellent candidate that I think will be extremely competitive at any and all schools you apply to.
In terms of state schools please don’t make the mistake of looking past fit purely for finance. You mention you are international and south East Asian. Be cognizant that not all schools offer the diversity that you are seeking and or the academic fit someone who aspires to Yale desires.
As nothing more than an example, Alabama is a great option for cost sensitive or constrained students who have high stats and aren’t prestige sensitive (or those that like college football). Given your background you should be aware that less than 600 kids at Bama self describe themselves as Asian amongst a community of more than 38,000.
I dare say you have an above-average chance. But where Yale has an overall acceptance rate of about 5%, it’s a long long shot for almost everyone. So “above average chance” is still under 10%.
So if it’s your dream school, go ahead and apply REA. You have a shot.
Just have a very realistic backup plan. Make sure you have some RD “likely schools” on your list that you love.
Improving your chances? Focus on the few things that you can control. Get that essay up to 10/10. Yale says they don’t consider demonstrated interest, but it still can’t hurt – Going to an information session, at a minimum, can help you formulate your essays in a way that show you’re a fit for the school.
So put together the best application you can, effective summaries of your extracurriculars, the best essay. Take as much rigor as possible as a Senior.
My local school is a ultra competitive public school – Last year, we got 3 into Yale (out of graduating class of 300). But prior to that, we hadn’t gotten anyone into Yale for a few years.
Agreed, only advice is to think about your post graduate plans. Is it Graduate school for MB&B or an MPH? Then look at some combinations of Public/Private, Private/Private, Private/Public.
If money is no object, going Yale (BS) / JHU (MPH) would be fantastic.
But I would rather go State U (BS) / Yale (MPH) than Yale BS / State U (MPH)
You are competitive for Yale REA, but realize the long odds and have affordable backups. To a great extent as an international, your home country will be a major factor as you will be compared against others in your country. It may be easier to stand out with your record as someone coming from say Cambodia vs India.
What is the track record of students applying from your school to US schools, including competitive ones like Yale?
At this point, what is left under your control are maintaining grades, accomplishing definable goals/deliverables in a few key EC’s and writing essays that demonstrate how you will contribute to the Yale community (academic and social) and what you hope to gain from Yale. To the extent that you can guide your LoR writers, give them lists of accomplishments that they are aware of that they can use as a factual basis to support the qualities they see in you.
You have a good record but your academics won’t get you in unless you have a hook. You must persuade the admissions committee that your ECs are exceptional.
UMass Amherst, UMinnesota and UNC Honors are on my list. A few ppl from my country has gotten in with aid in past years so I hope it’ll be okay. I know public US univs don’t offer aid to intl students so I’m trying for honors scholarships as well
It’s definitely a long shot for everyone My school has a class size of about 500 and each year we only have from 1-2 ppl getting into Yale (there has only been one class in which 2 ppl get into Yale). I’ll work on my application until the due date so I hope I can get it in the best shape possible. Thank you for replying!
I haven’t planned that far away yet. I was thinking about maybe doing a BS/MS if I get in but it’s all open to change. I’ll keep your suggestion in mind!
This, to me, is a mistake. It’s ok to apply to those schools (the 3 publics mentioned) if they can get you to $40k. Not sure they can. You should check with admissions/aid to see what can of scholarship and for how large they are before wasting your time. Don’t forget, as an international you have other expenses - travel, health insurance, etc so perhaps you don’t have a true $40k.
There are schools where you are assured under $40k. Now, they may not be as diverse as you’d like - so you can check common data set to see. In other words they may be 5% or less Asian, 5% or less international.
Mizzou $10k off. Alabama - at $28k off you’d be at half budget. And they have the MCCullough Medical Scholars. Arizona is aggressive but I can’t tell if the merit includes international. You can write and ask.
There are so many fine schools that you will know up front will meet and even be much lower than budget that if you absolutely want to study in the US you should include. Too many schools to mention here. You can apply to the three publics you mentioned but if they don’t provide assurance. I’m simply saying to add one or two that will assure. There are also other privates, like Dartmouth and others, that meet need for international.
I will restate that your accomplishments and credentials make you an excellent candidate for Yale. Make sure you integrate your awards and ECs into a narrative of interests that is supported by your essays and LORs. To the extent you can customize your responses to the school and it’s unique offerings the better.
If my recollection serves Yale typically asks for a relatively short response to a prompt of “what inspires you”. I would make sure that whatever motivator you answer that prompt with , is “shown” vs stated throughout your application to the extent possible. The answer to that question however is a great start point.
Where you also looking for financial advice (Yale is generous with FA so should be within your constraints) and alternative schools? Sorry if I missed that.
I stand by my earlier comments that fit across criteria matters. Given your achievements you will likely have a fair bit of flexibility as to the types of schools you choose in spite of financial constraints. If prestige, geography, diversity, etc matters there is a world of space between Yale and large often referenced southern schools.
If and when you seek advice on what alternative schools might check “all” of those boxes (plus meets financial needs) please say so and provide details as to what you are looking for as there is no one size fits all default answer. In the interim good luck!
My school has a class size of about 500 and each year we only have from 1-2 ppl getting into Yale (there has only been one class in which 2 ppl get into Yale). I’ll work on my application until the due date so I hope I can get it in the best shape possible. Thank you for replying!