<p>We just went to a Yale info session and I thought the way the speaker addressed admissions was interesting. (you probably all know this already) Keep in mind that I am only repeating what was said. It was also shared that last year they received 26,000 apps and the final admitted number was 1910 (my son thinks she said 1310) with only 2 coming off the "official" wait list.</p>
<p>She said that application and the supporting documents are weighted and scored in this order:</p>
<p>1-application
2-transcript
3-recommendations
4-EC's
5-essays
6-SAT/ACT (interesting that this one is last on the list)</p>
<p>Each are given a "score" number as they are reviewed. The committee meets once per week and the total "score" is given to them for a vote. They may or may not have any discussion for each application. Most discussions occur because an admissions director feels passionate about a given application packet.</p>
<p>Other changes coming up are that they will be requiring ALL ACT scores not just your best one - though only 1 has to be a official copy.</p>
<p>Their Single Choice (Early Decision) Action will begin to allow the applicant to apply to one other school - that being their own state school.</p>
<p>I do have one question. With that many applicants, why do they try to get additional kids interested by sending out invites to info sessions?</p>
<p>Well, the more kids they get to apply, the more they can reject, the lower their numbers get, the more selective they become, the more kids want to apply, the better pool they get…etc etc. Kind of sounds like a vicious cycle, huh? XP</p>
<p>Anyways, I find it interesting that recommendations is third on the list. 0.o Even above ECs! But I mean…your application, like the common app, covers your extracurriculars, so wouldn’t they see that first anyways?</p>
<p>Thanks for the information Kajon. There are a couple of things that I don’t understand. </p>
<p>First, what do they mean by “1. application”, since the application is composed of the next 5 items listed?</p>
<p>Second, the majority of state schools have rolling admissions, and as such are permissible under the current SCEA rules.</p>
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<p>The more applicants the better for ratings. USN & WR uses admissions rate as a factor, so since the number they can accept is relatively constant, increased applications reduces the admission rate:</p>
<p>Even the biggest boys have competitors, and no school, Yale included, is immune to trying to get as many applicants as possible in order to boost rankings (yield, selectivity, etc.) </p>
<p>But there is another, purer motive for all that outreach. Yale really does want the brightest, most talented, most interesting, and most diverse class possible. To find some outstanding candidates who might not otherwise have Yale on their radar screens (yes, those students do exist!) the university needs to develop ways to connect with them.
Info sessions are a way to make the connection.</p>
<p>I also don’t believe for a minute that standardized test scores are the last thing admissions officers look at. As a college dean once said, “At most institutions, standardized test scores count less than students think and more than colleges are willing to admit.”</p>
<p>When she was going through her list she said “oops, I mean the application is #1 on the list” The only thing I can think about is that the app includes race, legacy, state/country, etc.</p>
<p>My S2 one of those super bright kids and he walked away with zero interest in Yale. He said he doesn’t want to play their “game”.</p>
<p>While yield is no longer a factor in USN & WR rankings, class rank and SAT/ACT scores are. I too am surprised that Y says that test scores are the least important of the factors listed. </p>
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<p>That’s interesting, and maybe a bit disheartening, since a student really has no control over those factors.</p>
<p>Perhaps this mysterious reference to “application” is actually a mish mash of “transcript”. Having assisted with several by Yale officers and given dozens of info sessions myself, the application is only contact info and such. Evaluation starts foremost with the transcript.</p>
<p>Wow, I read this late last night. I didn’t notice the piece about “one other school – that being their state school.” As vp notes, that’s just flat out incorrect. For as long as Yale has used SCEA, applicants have been permitted to file concurrent applications to universities with rolling admissions, whether in-state or out-of-state. My kid had an acceptance to his safety, an out-of-state public, by mid-October of his senior year. </p>
<p>I think you can chalk this one up to a green admissions representative. I’ve read on CC that colleges sometimes send their least experienced reps to do the “road show.” It’s a poor way for the university to present itself, I agree, but I hope it won’t dissuade your son from considering Yale.</p>
I have to say that I think that any such questions, as well as the answers, are an exercise in futility. At Yale and other highly selective schools, all of the things on that list matter. I agree that it stretches credulity that they would look at all the other criteria, and then say, “Oops! This applicant doesnt’ have high enough SAT scores.” The reality is far more likely to be the opposite. I think you will NEVER get an accurate idea of what is most important. All you can do is make all the parts as good as possible.</p>
<p>There’s enough that sounds wrong about this presentation to warrant disregarding it. I don’t think SATs are the be-all and end-all for Yale, but I don’t think they are dead last, either, nor the essays second-last, unless “last” means “just as important as everything else”. I don’t think they have changed their SCEA policy. I am confused about what they are going to do about ACT scores.</p>
<p>For testing scores, Yale only requires ACT or SAT & SAT IIs. If you choose the ACT, you have to self-report all tests you’ve taken. However, because the ACT charges per testing date you send, you only have to send an official copy of one. This is simply to keep the applicant’s costs down.</p>
<p>okay, so from the info session that I went to this is the order of importance in the admissions process to adcoms. </p>
<p>Transcript
Essay
Recommendations
ECs
Interview (if you have one)
SATs/ACTs</p>
<p>also, about the the SCEA application policy, she said it was only a couple weeks old but basically you can only apply to another school (at the same time as Yale’s SCEA) if it is a public university with rolling admissions and if it is in your state. She also said that there are a couple of exceptions and named University of Michigan as one of them. </p>
<p>Interview more important than SAT/ACT’s??? I’m pretty sure that’s not true. In fact, I’d say it’s not really possible to make a list of application-parts ordered by importance, since it’s my impression that Yale takes kids with different strengths, and these different strengths are reflected in their applications. However, if there is any one part of the application that comes closest to being negligible for almost all applicants, it’s the interview. And if there’s any one part that’s closest to being a bottom line, it’s the test scores. OK, actually the test scores + the transcript. </p>
<p>Anyway, what’s the point of this agonizing? Obviously, applicants would like to know how likely admission to Yale is. The quick answer is: you have about an 8% chance. The more detailed answer is: if you are an excellent student, you probably have about a 25% chance. If you are an excellent student plus some national recognition, you probably have about a 70% chance. </p>
<p>Those who want to know the exact order of this list because they think that with this knowledge they can strengthen their application are almost certainly mistaken (unless they are starting out years ahead of time, and are now inspired to become passionate and talented musical theater performers plus academic powerhouses, for example). Although the process is not perfect, I think the application mostly reflects who you have become by your senior year in high school. Becoming someone else takes more time than you probably have.</p>
<p>It’s interesting to me that admissions officers even agree to provide such a list. Unless they think they are saying “all of these factors are very important to us” and students are hearing “here’s an ordered list, with meaningful differences in the importance of the various items”.</p>