<p>I'm not talking about all those with "only 4.19's" compared to all the "4.5-5.0"s.</p>
<p>Im talking about AVERAGE.
like 3.0-3.5
& im not talking about AVERAGE football players either.</p>
<p>Just curious.</p>
<p>Not in recent memory. Why should this be surprising? Wouldn't it be insane to propel a less qualified person over the many well qualified ones?</p>
<p>George W. Bush</p>
<p>^^He would be below average. ;)</p>
<p>But the fact is, as a member of a prominent political family, GWB had a potent admissions hook. Questions of legacy and big donations aside, applicant GWB had a grandfather who was a former U.S. Senator and a father who was a congressman.</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>Has anyone AVERAGE ever gotten into Yale?<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>Probably not with average stats alone, but very likely with average stats (maybe even below average) and, say, exceptional athletic talent.</p>
<p>"Average" is very subjective.</p>
<p>Students with average stats have definitely gotten in, but there's probably something that made them attractive, if their grades didn't pop out.</p>
<p>It depends on what you mean by "average". While not probable, Yale could very well accept students with average statistics, like the ones you are describing, but outstanding extracurricular activities. However, if the term "average" as you are using it encompasses their entire resume, I would say it would be nearly impossible to get accepted at any Ivy League school.</p>
<p>I agree with Post #6. Of course, it depends on the definition of "average". In the narrow context of a GPA from 3.0 to 3.5, many "average" students have been admitted to Yale. I disagree with the last sentence of Post #7 since I know too many exceptions to that assertion.</p>
<p>I wonder if an "average" student would be happy at Yale. I'm an average ice skater, and I would be miserable working for the Ice Capades.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In the narrow context of a GPA from 3.0 to 3.5, many "average" students have been admitted to Yale.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>According to Yale's 2007-08 Common Data Set, 97% of the members of the freshman class were in the top 10% of their high school classes, and 100% were in the top 25%. Even taking into account high schools that practice extreme grade deflation, it's unlikely that Yale accepts "many" students with GPAs between 3.0 and 3.5. Those it does accept probably have major hooks -- they're recruited athletes, promising URMs, developmental admits, or, like GWB, members of political dynasties.</p>
<p>wjb: I do not know how Yale admissions recalculates applicant GPAs, but I know what I wrote above is accurate depending upon one's definition of "many". Your last sentence is accurate in several instances with which I am familiar. Also, the figures you cited regarding Top 10% & Top 25% class rankings need to be further refined by adding the caveat "of those schools which rank students" since several prep schools do not rank. Additionally, many prep schools do not grade using a 4.0 scale, or even a letter grade scale, so guestimating GPAs for Yale admittees for these schools is probably inaccurate or not done.</p>
<p>ColdWInd -- You are correct that many schools don't rank. But most of those schools include in their high school profiles a distribution of grade averages (and standardized test scores) for the entire senior class. That information lets colleges put applicants' GPAs in context, and formulate a pretty good idea of rank. </p>
<p>Yale has thousands of applicants from which to choose. That they accept "many' with GPAs below 3.5 just doesn't pass the reasonableness test, for me anyway.</p>
<p>Depends upon the definition of "many". And, as you wrote above, "most", not "all", schools include grade distribution. wsb: Unfortunately, we need to agree to disagree because I know too many actual cases to be convinced otherwise.</p>
<p>Prep schools are a whole separate universe for purposes of this discussion. I don't know whether the feeder boarding schools have been subject to grade inflation in recent years, but in my day in my school, even a flat B average placed you in the upper 20-25%. Since that much of the class went to HYP, it was mathematically inevitable that there were lots of 3.0 (and some lower) students who got into those schools. The numbers of such kids have presumably gone down a bit as the Exeters of this world are sending 35 kids a year to Harvard any more. Even today, though, I suspect the feeders don't need to rank or even to send profiles because the admissions offices know what a B+ average means there without being told.</p>
<p>That being said, these were by no means "average" kids in any meaningful sense of that term.</p>
<p>No. Nobody average has ever gotten into yale. Ever. </p>
<p>90%+ of undergrads are academically exceptional. An unknown other percentage are exceptional in some other way... whether they be very wealthy, have some non-academic talent, come from a powerful family, etc. </p>
<p>But nobody is average.</p>
<p>You have to standout for some reason like the above have said. Can you be average in terms of grades and test scores and still get in? yes, but you must be exceptional in some other way. Or bribe them, that works.</p>
<p>If you mean by national average, that's pretty low... 50th percentile on the SAT is just 1500 to 1550. </p>
<p>and 3.0 to 3.5 is definitely not average. In schools like mine, those grades would guarantee admission to Cal States and certain UC schools... so I guess your standard of "average" is pretty high. </p>
<p>I agree with what everyone above has said...</p>
<p>I am basicallly asking the same question in my post, </p>
<p>No, Yale admits people who are all-around exceptional or exceptional in certain areas, i.e. scores, athletics, academics, etc.</p>
<p>A lot of people with 'amazing' stats and 'amazing' E.C.'s turn out to be pretty "average" in the long run. So yeah, Yale admits average people. They just don't seem average when they are admitted. Does this even make sense to anyone?</p>