<p>I am a high school student trying to get into Yale. What does the acceptance letter require? What does Yale seek in a prospect regarding grades, extracurriculars, and community service?</p>
<p>Use this as a guideline, but no one here can give you the "correct" answers you are looking for. Just do well in school, get good "standardized" test scores, and enjoy your ECs (while showing passion)...just be yourself.</p>
<p>It remains a mystery. Honestly. Beyond good grades (more As than not), good test scores (700+ on each section of SAT), extracurricular involvement (could be anything) and good teacher recs (ie, NOT "Jimmy has had a productive semester and has learned not to be a complete ******* in class,") no one knows what Yale "looks for." There are literally thousands of students who are pretty much equally qualified to get in, but only about 1800 do. How they decide this, no one knows. The only "shoo-in" I ever knew was (not kidding) a legacy, URM, athlete with excellent grades/scores/recs from a top school who was also incredibly nice and modest. Whew. But yeah, short of that, it's up in the air.</p>
<p>Yeah, but how do people manage their time effectively? I mean, for me, balancing the grades and my ECs(martial arts & music) is tough enough. Not only that, but I'm volunteering more these days. Do they look for active community service, as in rack your hours up to who knows how many? And how good are the medical and music programs at Yale?</p>
<p>BTW, did you actually know this "shoo-in" and is it possible to get into Yale, while also having a life?</p>
<p>Hi zakkusu,</p>
<p>I'm a mom of a Yale 2012. The real issue isn't what you should do to get into Yale. My advice to you would be to continue to work hard, play hard, and pursue whatever things truly interest you. For example, community service matters, but not a set number of hours. It would be far better for you to choose a way to contribute in the world that uses your talents and interests best. Please don't spend the next two years trying to guess what Yale wants. Live your life. If, in the summer before your senior year, you still want Yale (given that you know what Yale is all about!) then apply and see what happens. </p>
<p>But also be on the lookout for schools that aren't Yale. If you keep your mind open, you may be surprised at the schools that catch your eye. Having watched this year's applicants to Yale, of course there were some very excited admits, but most students who apply are NOT admitted. This is obvious, but somehow hard to swallow. What this means is that the students who loved Yale, but also allowed themselves to fall in love with other good schools where they met or exceeded the stats of the average accepted student, ended up very happy at the end of the day. Be one of those, and you won't be staggering around with a dagger in your heart if Yale doesn't come through for you. </p>
<p>Best wishes and now it's time to go outside and play!</p>
<p>I understand this fully, ma'am. And I do enjoy life. It's just that balancing everything is just tough. With my interests it's quite difficult to homogeneously integrate work and play simultaneously. And I'm not focusing just on Yale. Yale interests me because of excellent music and medical programs. I appreciate your uplifting comments, and many thanks. But learning what the want couldn't hurt, could it? The same applies for every college.</p>
<p>I think Yale wants interesting, curious, compassionate people.</p>
<p>I understand your kindness, and appreciate it, but the same could be said for every college. I'm merely saying that it takes more than personality and grades. I'm just trying to figure out what.</p>
<p>BTW, experience has taught me to live life without a dagger in the heart. This would be no different.</p>
<p>If you called the admissions office, they will probably say, in a professional manner, "applications are evaluated holistically and every piece of information that you submit--everything from test scores to essays to supplement materials--is evaluated as a whole; we want to fully understand the person. Clearly, there is no way for us to explain to you 'what we look for.' Our accepted applicants are very talented and unique; just keep up the good work in school and let yourself shine in your application."</p>
<p>In other words, no one knows the answer to your question. There are no grade cut-offs (to an extent). There are no award requirements, no # of AP classes requirement, no community service requirement, no legacy requirement, no economic status requirement, no "hook" requirement, no "standardized" test score cut-off, and no specific EC requirement. Anything goes!</p>
<p>Just be yourself in your application. If it's meant to happen, it will happen. If not, just move on and focus your attention on another school that you wouldn't mind going to.</p>
<p>It seems like you think I'm obsessed. Let me correct you; I am not. I can live on with life even if I don't get in. I just don't like how college applications are too trivial.</p>
<p>I know you're not obsessed (I didn't think my post made it seem like you were obsessed...sorry if it did), but just understand that there is no "one perfect application." They admit people with all kinds of quirky qualities; you just don't know what they may find unique or interesting. All you can do is be yourself and present to them what you are made of. (I would suggest you start making a list of all of your ECs, hobbies, interests, desired majors, work/volunteering experience, etc. so that you can start formulating some interesting essays. I'm sure this will help you to organize your thoughts coherently and you'll probably feel a lot more at ease as you keep adding things that you enjoy to the list.)</p>
<p>I do know the "shoo-in".</p>
<p>I absolutely had a life in high school...I was very involved in ECs and took lots of APs, but still managed to hang out with friends every weekend. I didn't take up "partying" until college, but I spent many a Saturday night at small gatherings, movies, barbecues, etc. I actually had a great time in high school!</p>
<p>Don't make yourself unhappy just because you want to get into a particular college. Work hard, but also make SURE that you carve time out to enjoy yourself. As much as you may think that the college you go to will make or break your life, it sooo does not. Yale is great, I love it. However, in retrospect I realize that I could have gotten a fantastic education and had a good time at plenty of other schools as well. At the time it seemed that it was "ivy or bust" but it's not. Enjoy high school...it's a good time!</p>
<p>Hi OP,
I think some of us are responding to a tone of sadness in posts #4 and #7 about the burden of EC's and grades. This set off a little alarm bell in me that you may be spread too thin. Mocha, and the kids I know well who got in to Y this year, and several other peer schools, did not become automatons driven toward college acceptance. They studied hard when they needed to, devoted themselves to a couple of lifelong passions (actual activity not important, commitment very important) and still had many nights of Gossip Girls, salsa dancing, etc.</p>
<p>^^I completely agree with riverrunner...thanks for saying it concisely :)</p>
<p>Alright. But I do wish to go to an Ivy League. How are Yale's medical and music programs compared to other Ivy leagues?</p>