I was once a frantic and stressed student applying to prestigious colleges, and I just wanted to give my take on applying to colleges like Yale.
Over 30,000 students across the world are applying for about 1500 spots, and all of them believe to some degree that they have a chance. Some of them will be incredible athletes, music prodigies, and/or walking computers. Most students will be involved in 3+ activities such as student government, Model UN, Math Olympiad, National Honors Society, Yearbook, and so on. Some of those who are applying will have the resources to hire expensive counselors, and some will be writing applications after working an 8 hour shift. My whole point of this spiel is that there is a staggering amount of highly qualified applicants going after a relatively miniscule amount of spots. There is a very good chance that anyone applying will be rejected. However, that does not mean that one has no chance of getting into Yale. Also, just because you were involved in x, and you were y, and you accomplished z, you are not entitled to anything.
My advice to upcoming applicants:
- Apply to schools that you want to go to. Broaden your horizon. Yale is not the only school in the world for you, and it is dangerous for your mental well being if you believe that.
*Start writing your essays early. With over 30,000 applicants with very similar credential applying, write something that sets you apart from everyone. Don’t BS your essays.
*Do your research. Google and the internet are your friends. Stop asking the same questions over and over again on CC when you can easily find the answer yourself. I question those who lack the initiative to find simple questions yet still believe they are capable of applying to the nation’s best schools.
*Have fun during senior year.
*You don’t need a perfect transcript to apply. I was not the valedictorian. I did not earn straight As (I even had a C in one class, believe it or not!). I did not get a 36 on the ACT. I did not go to a prestigious high school. However, I did tremendous things for my community that offsetted by less-than-perfect grades and ACT score.
*The wait list is not the end of the world. I got off the waitlist despite giving up hope, and here I am!
I hope this spiel helps someone