<p>
[quote]
I saw a report on the stats of the class of '12 and someone got in with a 540ish on the math section.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Please don't take too much comfort in stats like this one. A 540 in math is an anomaly for Yale. According to the US News website, the percentage of first-year students enrolled at Yale in 2006 who had SAT Math subscores between 500 and 599 was only 2.0%. That's fewer than 30 students. Chances are the student in question had a hook; he/she was a recruited athlete, a development case, or the child of a celebrity.</p>
<p>A development case is a student whose parents are expected to give money -- big money -- to the college in the event their child is admitted. Development cases are not admitted on the merits, but for their potential to bring money into the school.</p>
<p>Sorry, wjb, I didn't mean that I thought anyone can get into Yale with a 540 math. I just meant that test scores, while important, are not the be all end all of one's application. People with 540s on math get accepted over people with 2400s at many top schools. Sure, it's definitely not encouraged to get that kind of score, but hooks can usually outweigh poor test scores if impressive enough.</p>
<p>That's a negative about CC: it's hard to tell what others mean sometimes when all we have is text without inflection and body language. Or maybe I'm just really bad at explaining myself. :-P</p>
<p>^^Yep, embeezy, you are right that hooks can override poor test scores, but to do that they have to be uber impressive. I think they really have to be one of the recognized biggies -- talented URM, development case, child of a celebrity, or a recruited athlete. I get worried when posters (not you) say "I know a kid who got in to HYP with a really low SAT score, so that gives me hope, since that's my score and I know I'm going to have great recs and essays, and I have great ECs." It's virtually a sure thing that the kid who got into HYP with that super low SAT had one of the big hooks, because without it, his/her application wouldn't have gotten past the first hurdle. The common wisdom is that, for the vast majority of applicants at the most selective schools, if you don't make the cut on grades, rigor of curriculum, and test scores, you're toast, and the admissions committee will never take the opportunity to review your great recs, essays, and ECs.</p>
<p>As a junior at Yale, I'd say don't be too worried about your SATs/SAT IIs as I've seen many people at Yale with similar and some with lower scores. Focus on your EC list. Anyway, applying to college and getting in is a crapshoot sometimes so relax and just hope for the best.</p>
<p>Kyledavid80 - If I am reading your post correctly, you are interpreting the data set as stating that 2% of those that applied in the 500-590 range were accepted and that 80% of those that applied that were in the 700-800 range were accepted. If so you are misreading it. What it is saying is that of those students accepted, only 2% of all of them had an SAT between 500-590 and 80% (77% to be precise) of all those accepted were between 700-800.</p>
<p>^^ no, you're not reading my post correctly.</p>
<p>
[quote]
What it is saying is that of those students accepted, only 2% of all of them had an SAT between 500-590 and 80% (77% to be precise) of all those accepted were between 700-800.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Er, no, it's saying that 2% of the enrolled freshmen<a href="not%20of%20the%20accepted%20students">/I</a> got in the sub-600 range and 77% *of enrolled freshmen got in the 700-800 range. Notice that at the beginning of that section, it says:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Provide percentages for ALL enrolled, degree-seeking, full-time and part-time, first-time, first-year (freshman) students
enrolled in fall 2007, including students who began studies during summer, international students/nonresident aliens, and
students admitted under special arrangements.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>(80% acceptance rate for those in the 700-800 range? Ha!)</p>
<p>Um OP got into Yale and now is a proud student who loves defending his/her school.</p>
<p>Edit: Didn't see rd31 bumped up his/her chance thread. Er well, rd31 had really strong ECs and it wasn't like the SAT scores were significantly under Yale's median so it wasn't a surprise (moreso than for other applicants at least) that rd31 got admitted.</p>