Should I update Yale about new school records?

<p>Now that everything is over and I have done some more research about my school's golf history I have realized that I have at least four school records. When I submitted my common application I only listed one of the records, because that was the only confirmed record that I had. My question is, should I send some kind of message to Yale to tell them this?</p>

<p>Can someone please answer this for me.</p>

<p>You may be the best golfer in your high school’s history but unless you have a respectable record at the national or state level, I doubt that Yale will care.</p>

<p>By the way, this is generally true for everything- you may be the best violinist, chess player, artist, wrestler, mathematician, or writer in your high school’s history. What Yale will want to know is if your accomplishments are demonstrably respectable at the state or national level.</p>

<p>This is also my sense. There have been a number of posts along the lines of “XYZ has changed – should I send an update?” Someone even suggested that let’s say starting a new extracurricular activity halfway through senior year was something worth pointing out. </p>

<p>I think that the incremental benefit of updating what amounts to a small piece of your application is tempered by the reaction of the staff to getting all these little updates. Big new awards are worth mentioning, but few happen in the window between application and decision. Everything else is probably pretty incremental.</p>

<p>Disclosure: I do alumni interviews for Yale but I don’t speak for them – this is my opinion only, and what I would tell my child to do.</p>

<p>Ok thank you. Your logic is exactly what I was thinking but I thought it would be beneficial to ask. The records don’t really change much in my application but I think they solidify my spot as one of the best if not the best in school history. I have a feeling that they really wouldn’t change my rejection into an acceptance so I am just going to wait and see what happens on March 30.</p>

<p>My advice would be different: send a very short note to your regional admissions rep confirming your enthusiasm for Yale and saying that you just learned that you now hold 4 school records in golf. (Ideally, you’ve already had some contact with the regional rep at an admissions event, or via email.) Send the same note to the golf coach. Given the current reality of Ivy admissions, it’s better to stand out a little than to get lost in the crowd. </p>

<p>When you get conflicting advice, it’s tough to know what to do. The one thing I can say is that my suggestion is consistent with the strategy my son used last year. He was much more actively in contact with Harvard (both admissions officer and a coach) than anyplace else, because H was his first choice. He squeezed in there, but missed at Yale, where he was a legacy.</p>