<p>It doesn't surprise me that Yale issued several likelies to applicants with major awards/accomplishments in the sciences, since the university recently launched a $1 billion initiative aimed at expanding and improving its science and engineering programs. They want students who can take advantage of those programs. </p>
<p>Anyway, likelies are just not worth agonizing over. Not getting one does NOT mean you will not be accepted! FWIW, my kid got zero likelies last year. He was accepted to HYP.</p>