<p>Ok, so I've heard that if nothing stands out about you, you will not be admitted; there are simply too many "normal" applicants. What did you guys do to try to make yourself stand out, even if it's just a small thing? On the other hand, was there something in your application that makes you cringe to think about it, something that could get you deferred/rejected?</p>
<p>I think two things that could tip the decision in my favor are my essay and the amount of community service I did with children. However, I think that one of my teacher recommendations might not be the type they are looking for.</p>
<p>Why I should get in: speak Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (I'm white). Have had internships every year of high school with various magazines/newspapers - 1 especially cool one with the New York Times in junior year. Captain of state-ranked volleyball team. </p>
<p>Why I shouldn't get in: because of scheduling conflicts with my language classes, I didn't get Calculus this year :(. Also, there are just too many amazing applicants for me to stand out.</p>
<p>Why I should get in: I've absolutely thrown myself into the Spanish language. I run Spanish Club, I'm in Spanish Honors Society, I study Spanish on my own time, and I've worked for a local community college in a program to teach Spanish to first, second, and third graders for two years.</p>
<p>Why I won't get in: It's impossible to express my love for Spanish in an application. Also? I look like everyone else. I suspect I'll get deferred.</p>
<p>Why I should get in: I've co-founded a profitable fence-building company and have shown strong dedication to my 3 EC's: I was MVP/Co-Captain of Track and Cross Country, and was elected Editor in Chief of the school newspaper which is nationally recognized. </p>
<p>Why I may not get in: I decided to have my math teacher (who is also my XC coach) write one of my teacher recs. Unfortunately, math was my worst class junior year and I got terrible grades (as did the entire class) because we werent used to the rigor of the IB program. Fortunately, this year I have gotten straight 7's...but his recommendation may not be as glowing as, say, my English teacher's.</p>
<p>Admit: Yale can't be full of extracurricular giants/academic geniuses right? I mean, some of us normal people must be admitted :P</p>
<p>Defer: My state-run exam results come out on the 13th, so they will not be able to see it before they make the EA decision. Why would they choose to admit a student without even looking at their final exam score?</p>
<p>Reject: I'm too much of a "normal" applicant.</p>
<p>Admit: Well, agree with y17k, plus i'm in a playwriting class, can't be too many of those, right? <em>crosses fingers</em></p>
<p>Defer: I'm pretty boring. Plus, my school isn't that highly thought of. plus i didn't take AP French (because i'd be guaranteed to fail the test!) Geez, okay, so i'm more likely to get rejected, i guess.</p>
<p>Reject: There are a lot of people who are better than me, simple as that.</p>
<p>Admit: From a relatively under-represented state and school; fluent in German; gymnast for 10 years (emailed coach several times); violinist for 8? years; writing an internship paper that will be published in a science journal</p>
<p>Defer: I'm not an awesome gymnast; not an awesome violinist; good test scores, but nothing noteworthy</p>
<p>Reject: I'm not "special" in any area... good in many, but not nationally-recognized in any; grade drop in junior year (explained in cover letter, but still hurts); Yale has only accepted one applicant/year from my school the past three years and there are two others applying</p>
<p>Admit: They see that I am an extremely passionate person about whatever I pursue, especially distance running. No one from my school has ever gone to Yale, or even applied according to my guidance counselor's knowledge.</p>
<p>Defer: They like above, but I have very very mediocre SAT II's and don't have straight A's on my transcript. There is one very ugly C+ on my report card because of certain circumstances with the teacher that year. But my guidance counselor said he would write a short letter explaining what happened.</p>
<p>Rejected: Mediocre SAT II's, imperfect transcript, mediocre rank... nothing that makes me jump out of the applicant pool. I'm accomplished, but not nationally or even regionally. White, middle class, from the suburbs... BORING.</p>
<p>Admit: Passionate about community service, French, and science. They're looking for engineers. Started a club at my school to perform plays for a children's hospital.</p>
<p>Defer: Too average - relatively low SAT IIs. Average SAT</p>
<p>Reject: Same reason as above + i'm in the top portion of my class, but the low of the top (like 5/36, even though we dont rank because its wicked comptetitive)</p>
<p>ummmm ok...this sorta analysis will make me feel like a fool once i get deferred, but i guess i can write a little</p>
<p>admit: HUGE film freak. one of my essays is an analysis of the physical reaction my body undergoes when watching a movie, i founded a film festival at my school, i took the only film-related class in my school, one of my recs is my teacher of that course, both recs mention my love for filmmaking and my use of film in projects, and i sent in a dvd supplement of some of my work, i listed it as my major of choice and i talked about movies a lot in my itnerview....phew. good scores and stuff too i guess. oh, and my school has a good history with yale i think, and it seems im the best candidate from my class, and the only trying EA.</p>
<p>defer: ummm not really stellar GPA, i mean its fine, but the last kid to get into Yale frmo my school had a 4.3 GPA on a 4.0 Scale. i also sent in the common app without signing it, so i had to send in another copy of it saying "sorry i forgot to sign it the first time," which makes me look like a fool. oh, and i dont have any national recognition of anything beyond like National Merit Scholarship</p>
<p>Admit: Some miracle on the order of loaves and fishes. hah
(Errr, actually, I am an internationally published poet, speak 5 different languages, taught myself to read/write Egyptian hieroglyphics, have a couple physics internships and programs, teach classes at the Science Museum, and some other bizarro stuff.)</p>
<p>Defer: Maybe the Yale AdCom is just feeling tricksy that day.</p>
<p>Reject: If I knew the answer to that, I would be way more prepared for the admissions process. Sigh.</p>
<p>Oh, and my school is in love with me. So no pressure. Right...</p>
<p>accept: i am the ruler of a small city state in the amazon.
defer: it is a small city state.
reject: we have ritualistic sacrifices once a week.</p>
<p>admit: random luck; rubbing Buddha's belly really did work
defer: boring person, solid student, Asian
reject: though my class is not competitive compared to the east coast people, it is the most competitive class ever at my school...and the only person I was really worried about is applying to Yale SCEA :(</p>