Hello! So I applied RD for Yale’s 2022 class and I just want to ask the importance of grades to Yale.
The reason I am asking this is because my sophomore year I received a C and a few Bs in classes after taking a super difficult schedule, however, there was only an upward trend after and I got 4.0s (also got a 4.0 freshman year). I have really unique EC’s and am a leader in my community etc., but I understand Yale is very academically focused.
I just want to know if anybody on here as some insight on how bad this will hurt my changes. Some people say they have a benchmark and something like this will go directly into the “NO” pile, while others say they are super holistic in their process. Im wondering if anyone on here maybe got accepted with a C, heard about what admissions officers say about these circumstances, or if they got in because of their unique EC’s. Thanks!
In short - Yale is primarily an academic institution, and poor academic achievement can’t be compensated for by extracurriculars unless in truly exceptional cases (like elite musicians and athletes).
The question is, however, is whether the admissions office will consider your academic accomplishments as substandard. The process is holistic, but many students take the hardest classes offered and obtain straight As and A-s.
Not every accepted candidate has a perfect 4.0, and I am sure there are many with a few B’s, maybe even a C scattered on their transcript. The AO looks at your HS record as a whole, including rigor and trends and not just grades. However, too many candidates think that some great EC’s (which are not really all that special when compared to other top candidates) will make up for a mediocre high school record and/or test scores. There are too many candidates with the complete package. Do you know your current rank? If you are not in the top 10%, you have little to no chance unless you are an athletic recruit, have some super hook like child of major donor/famous person or are nationally/internationally recognized with some special talent or accomplishment. What is your weighted and unweight gpa? At some level applicants with substandard high school achievement get quickly thrown in the reject pile. I am fairly certain there is no “hard” number, but the threshold will be a product of the rigor of the courses taken and how the AO “handicaps” the overall rigor/grade inflation/deflation of the particular high school.
@exyalie15 well that sucks haha, thanks for the input though.
@BKSquared I think I make the Top 10% mark. 3.77UW/4.22W. And your right, the AOs can think my EC’s are not valuable to Yale haha. Not expecting an acceptance, just trying to see how I could stand. Thanks for the information!