Rejected from Yale early....any chance at the other ivies?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>So I applied to Yale early and was flat-out rejected. I wasn't too shocked, but I did expect to be deferred. I got over it fairly quickly, realizing Yale probably wasn't the place for me.</p>

<p>BUT THEN I found out that they only reject like 15% of early admits and started to freakk out about my chances RD at my other selective schools like Penn, UChicago, Columbia, and Northwestern.</p>

<p>Does anyone know of cases where people were flat-out rejected early at a place like Yale and managed to make it into another top-tier school? Is there any hope of me getting into another very selective school?</p>

<p>Quick stats:</p>

<p>SAT I: 2310
SAT II: Biology E - 770; US History - 730
GPA (uw): 4.0
Major extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Envirothon(Competitive Environmental Club): Secretary, Aquatics section captain
Literary Magazine: Editor-in-Chief
Girl Scouts: Patrol Leader; Community Service (200 hrs)
Horseback Riding: lessons & team in 10th grade. Work as stable hand.
Camp Counselor at Smithsonian Environmental Research Center</p>

<p>Studied Wildlife Management in Kenya summer 2011: Research; college-junior level classes.</p>

<p>Thanks for any input.</p>

2

<p>Student about 5 yrs ago denied Y EA, accepted at Swat RD.</p>

<p>Your numbers were competitive and ECs w/in range, did you take a second look at your essays before applying to the others?</p>

3

<p>I think you’re confused about their early admittance rate. I’m pretty sure it’s more like they only ACCEPT 15% of their early applicants.</p>

4

<p>@entomom: Yes, I did. I fixed some things, but It’s hard to be objective about those things,you know?</p>

<p>@pianoman: yes, the acceptance rate is low, too, but they defer about 60% of applicants.</p>

5

<p>pianoman is Correct, 15+% admitted, 55+% deferred, 27+% denied:</p>

<p>[Early</a> admit rate increases slightly | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/dec/17/early-admit-rate-increases-slightly/]Early”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/dec/17/early-admit-rate-increases-slightly/)</p>

<p>I understand that essays are subjective, but it’s the first place I’d look and it’s about the only thing you can change at this stage.</p>

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<p>[Early</a> admit rate increases slightly | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/dec/17/early-admit-rate-increases-slightly/]Early”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/dec/17/early-admit-rate-increases-slightly/)</p>

<p>Denied close to 28%.</p>

<p>Your academic profile looks competitive. The unknowns are essays, LORs and how well your ECs are perceived.</p>

7

<p>Is it possible one of your recommenders killed you? From what I have seen, even people with bad extracurriculars usually get deferred, so long as they are statistically competitive. Though you can’t change things now, your letter writers or essays would be the probable problem points.</p>

8

<p>If you wrote a brilliant essay, I think you will look good to UoC.</p>

9

<p>I really think my essays were quite god. Which leads me to think that even though I picked my recommenders carefully, it may have been that. Which makes me pretty nervous because the same three went to all my schools. Super.</p>

<p>Ohwell. Guess I can’t really change anything now. Thank you guys for the feedback, though.</p>

10

<p>How did others do from your school? Sometimes the strength of the rest of the pool from your school as well as whether they have historically accepted people from your school can contribute to an individual decision.</p>

11

<p>Your stats look competitive. So the most likely reason for rejection is incomplete application. Did you check that they received all required pieces of info (LOC, transcript)? Second likely reason is a REALLY offensive essay or REALLY bad LOC. Based on the stats, you would seem competitive at all of the other schools, but double check that they have received all pieces of the app.</p>

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<p>^ Generally schools will defer an incomplete app, rather then rejecting the student outright.</p>

13

<p>If MIT is to be believed, students there are most often rejected because of lackluster teacher recommendations. I imagine it’s the same at most other selective colleges. See: [Writing</a> Recommendations | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/writingrecs]Writing”>How to write good letters of recommendation | MIT Admissions) Have you talked to the teachers who wrote your recommendations?</p>

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<p>^ Even if that were the problem it is too late to worry about that now. In all likelihood you will be admitted to a very selective school despite the early Yale disappointment.</p>

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<p>I agree with other posters. Were your essays and recommendations really good?</p>

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<p>It’s entirely possible to get in another top school and with single digit acceptance rates overall being rejected by one doesn’t mean you can’t get in others. My son was rejected by Harvard but got into Yale (apparently Adcom’s know where he belonged ;)). Keep your head up and stay positive as you will end up at a great school. I would echo other posters and work very hard on your essays though.</p>

17

<p>Alright, thanks everyone. What you’re saying makes sense. I didn’t read my teacher recommendations, as I waived my right, but maybe that was the culprit. I don’t see how, since I carefully thought over who to ask, but that seems to be the consensus. </p>

<p>It’s gonna be a long wait till April. :)</p>

18

<p>SRHS - Did anyone get into Yale or waitlisted by Yale from your school? How many do they normally admit from your school?</p>

<p>The strength of the applicant pool and track record of your school with a specific school can also play a role before you get too concerned about bad recommendations.</p>

<p>OTOH - The words your teachers use to describe you (they may mean well) can play a major role with specific schools. So if yours said hardworking vs creative, the schools that like creative may take the creative kid ahead of the hardworking one.</p>

19

<p>This story is getting a little old now to serve as much current solace, but I know a young woman who six years ago was rejected outright ED at an Ivy college where she would have been a third-generation legacy, and which one of her siblings currently attended, and then accepted RD at Harvard, where she had no ties at all.</p>

<p>That said, it is a lot more common for the hyperselective colleges to evaluate candidates similarly. I don’t think the OP should give up hope or withdraw any of her applications, but if she doesn’t have a solid safety yet maybe she should try to find one with a January 15 application deadline.</p>

20

<p>my other selective schools like Penn, UChicago, Columbia, and Northwestern.</p>

<p>You are asking what your chances are for reach schools?</p>

<p>If you have data (Naviance, etc) indicating that you are a match for one of these schools you can relax a bit.</p>

<p>If not, the answer to your question is that you are still a reach for reach schools.</p>

<p>What are your safeties?</p>