Hi everyone!
I’m a rising high school senior at a rural/semi-rural high school in the Midwest and I was wondering how much the high school I attend factors into admission decisions. I consider myself a pretty competitive applicant (high test scores and relatively strong ECs), but I’m also Asian so the pool I belong to is already very competitive. When Yale looks at my application next year, will they acknowledge that I did the best I could with the opportunities I was afforded, or will I just be another Asian applicant?
Thanks for the advice and insight!
Yes, they will factor the opportunities available to you into account. if your high school has a track record of admitting students to Yale and your qualifications are similar to or better than students that have historically been admitted, it is helpful. If you go to a smaller, rural high school you had better really stand out to have a chance at getting into Yale. You either need a very interesting application or you really have to be one of the top few students in your high school
Adcoms get a school profile (I think your GC sends it??) which includes information such as the average GPA, how many APs are offered, etc. Geographical diversity is a plus, so your location will absolutely not be held against you, in fact, could be the exact opposite.
I do recruiting for Yale as an alum. What I tell students is that there is a vast range of high schools throughout the country. Some have AP classes, some have none. Some don’t even have courses in Calculus and advanced foreign languages. So, how does Yale level the playing field - what they do is look for “rigor”. You need to take the most rigorous courseload available to you at your high school. You need your GC to check that box on your GC recommendation. I speak from experience. I attended Yale from 1978 -1982. I still continue to do admit work at my alma mater. There had not been a Yale student before me and has not been once since. If I had listened to others, I would never had applied. I must admit that things are so different today from then and I would say you need to be realistic in your desires. But, I wish you all the luck and success in the world!!