<p>This program sounds amazing. Having it available is a huge factor in my interest in Yale, so its selectivity concerns me.
How selective is it? Are admissions based mostly on the application to the program, or is the application to Yale weighted heavily?
I might send Yale a letter about my interest in the program in a few days, but I don't mention it in my application, so pre-admission is unlikely.
And anyone who says "get into Yale first" will make me very sad :-P</p>
<p>It would be a good idea to express interest before you're accepted to Yale (i.e. on your application or in a specific letter of interest). Lots of students are pre-admitted into the program this way. Otherwise, there is an application process in the summer. It's reasonably competitive, and if you don't get in, you'll be waitlisted. However, even if you're waitlisted, if you're persistent enough, they'll most likely take you.</p>
<p>Strangely enough I just discovered this program yesterday, and I'm definitely going to call and/or send a letter to ask for consideration. It looks amazing!</p>
<p>It is amazing. My son is currently in DS and absolutely loves it.</p>
<p>I'm really interested in DS. As someone interested in applied sciences, it seems like the ideal way to get a really solid foundation in the humanities. However, my parents don't believe it to have many benefits, as it would impede consideration of double majoring or studying abroad. Any ideas of how to convince them otherwise?</p>
<p>Well, they're right. Double majoring, or even significant depth in another subject besides your major, will be difficult at best. A study abroad semester would have to include a bunch of classes in your major, but there shouldn't be any problems making that happen.</p>
<p>There are other ways to get a solid foundation in humanities, but I understand what you're saying about the appeal of DS. Just understand that your electives decrease significantly from there if you aren't working toward a humanities-related major.</p>
<p>Actually, if you are a science major, DS will not make it any harder to double major because every DS class will help meet a distribution requirement that wouldn't be part of a science major. At the end of DS you'll have two humanities classes, two social science classes, and two writing classes, meeting the graduation requirement in all 3 of those areas. That means as a science major you would be essentially done with your distribution requirements with the exception of foreign language, since you're likely to finish quantitative reasoning (and certainly science) in the process of completing your major.</p>
<p>I understand that, but my second major would be English, it would kind of overlap some of the requirements. I'd also like to have some sort of electives as well :/ Other that intellectual development and self-fulfillment, is there any benefit I can mention to my parents that would supersede a second major?</p>
<p>Today's YDN had this letter about Directed Studies. Thought it might be of interest to some of you:</p>
<p>im interested in DS too, but i talked a lot about it in my interview (she was in DS). do i need to send in a letter to be considered for being pre-admitted (if i do get in <em>knock on wood</em>)?</p>
<p>yea; is it too late to say you're interested? i never knew you could be admitted pre-freshman, i thought you got there and applied, there was nothing else on the yale supplement but it was my fault for not searching further.</p>
<p>but does anyone have any idea what to do know if you want in? i'm straight if i have to wait if (please God) i get in as a freshman to apply since it's too late. but if it isn't too late, should i hit up an email to my admit. officer or what?</p>
<p>the prophet, everyone applies in the spring, and that's the only thing that's definite, apart from the likely class size of 125.</p>