<p>The title is pretty self-explanatory, but do you have any advice/insight for aspiring Yalies for the class of 2015? Thanks!</p>
<p>Great extracurriculurs (consistency and/or achievement), rock solid SAT scores, stellar grades in challenging classes, and a passion for learning that is conveyed through your essays. Nail all these things and you have as good a chance as any applicant to be competitive. </p>
<p>Best of luck 2015 (from a 2014’er)</p>
<p>bump. I am curious about this as well.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/741285-class-2014-lessons-learned.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/741285-class-2014-lessons-learned.html</a></p>
<p>For me it was DEFINITELY the fact I was a recruited athlete… and then my ECs for sure combined with my school marks (didnt do the best on the SAT, but held my own as an international student)</p>
<p>Sexiness, no doubt.</p>
<p>Or your sense of humor, or both ;)</p>
<p>for being such a witty individual</p>
<p>It’d be funnier (and just as helpful) to ask the rejected would-be-students why they think they got rejected.</p>
<p>christiansoldier, why were you rejected? your stats were really impressive…</p>
<p>Strong ECs, awesome recommendations, good essays (probably a little above the average, but not too much). SATs were OK but nothing spectacular. Interview went very smooth.</p>
<p>I think the ECs and my awards & honors did the whole thing</p>
<p>pkm2232: I would posit that admitted students aren’t the best source of your information. Yes, they can tell you about themselves but you can discover this in the following threads as well.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/894258-official-yale-class-2014-rd-results-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/894258-official-yale-class-2014-rd-results-thread.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/894261-official-yale-class-2014-rd-discussion-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/894261-official-yale-class-2014-rd-discussion-thread.html</a></p>
<p>I’m an alumni volunteer, coming up on my 20th year assisting Yale admissions. Here are constants that I see:</p>
<p>1) academic excellence – goes without question. However, does this mean 2380 has tons of advantages over a 2300? Nope. I see that once a threshold is met, it goes to the intangibles quickly (admissions is an art, not a science)
2) academic intagibles: presented in essays and teacher recs. Are you really and outstanding scholar? How really curious or creative or independent in thinking or collaborative or enthusiastic are you? Really? In the context of the country’s top graduating seniors (not just your HS or even your HS district)? I tell students and families that if you are considered one of the tippy top students in your school by your teachers and administrators (yes, even the pricipal knows the top students): then you’re viable – and only viable. Have you demonstrated that you’re academically hungry?
3) community intangibles (again thru essays and LORs): Yale wants to see how you will fit in to the Yale community at large. How engaged are you with fellow students, teachers and staff? Fellow workers at the job? What have you done with your opportunities at leadership or encouragement of peers? Frankly, do you even care about others and their success? I can tell you that lots of top students don’t and it shows in many ways. I say this both as a warning and an encouragement. Frankly, many of you may be a person who doesn’t care. Well, there’s no changing it now – you’ll have a much harder road to follow in order to get into Yale. For those of you who enjoy collaboration or leading others to success (not just achieving positions for postions’ sake), then take this as an encouragement – it’s recognized and hopefully you’ll be rewarded.
4) Finally, there’s a lot of serendipity involved. You may stand out in one year’s pool or you may be the one of ten seemingly identical athlete/premed wannabee/artist/academics/tennis players/violinist from Virginia next year. I’ve seen Yale pass on seemingly FANTASTIC matches for Yale. I’ve seen Yale admit kids who struck me less so. However, I’m also 100% certain that most every kid who seriously considers applying to Yale is also going to have a very very very successful collegiate career – regardless of who confers a diploma in 4-5 years later.</p>
<p>Good luck to you all.</p>
<p>I think the applicant pool is normally so competitive stats-wise, that it really comes down to your essays, where Yale determines if you’re the right fit, as T26E4 suggests. Yale could fill its classes with 2400/36 applicants, but it doesn’t. The adcom is looking for kids who will contribute meaningfully to the Yale community through demonstrated academic and extracurricular passions. Although applicants with perfect test scores are perfectly capable of doing so, ultimately the person, and not the test score, is admitted.</p>
<p>I really do believe my essays got me in. I had very standard ECs, but I conveyed my passion for writing effectively and demonstrated my leadership qualities. I’m an above average swimmer, but I’m no potential Olympian. I’ve talked to the coach, but I still don’t know if I want to pursue swimming in college or not. </p>
<p>So I believe my well-written essays got me in.</p>
<p>T26E4,</p>
<p>Does all of your comments apply to Eli Whitney applicants as well? Clearly those applicants are measured using slightly different metrics, but how different? </p>
<p>TIA</p>
<p>Sorry Eye: I’m not familiar with the details for the EW applicants.</p>