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<p>My two cents: This is an example of an outstanding candidate who did not take advantage of his/her hook. (It also exemplifies that there do exist amazing athletes who are also top scholars) Yale does not offer this applicant’s particular sport, but other top colleges, like Stanford, do. (I know the sport from OP’s PM). S/he probably should have pursued recruitment for his/her sport at one of these colleges, and would have been a shoe-in.</p>
<p>Descartez: “I see you”. It’s all good, I understand what you’re saying.</p>
<p>I’m only a 2014 candidate and am not an admissions expert but here is my two cents.</p>
<p>1) SATs ACTs well board scores in general do not mean all of that much to places like HYP etc. As at the top level they are a test of concertration and memorisation rather than bona fide intellegence. As an example a friend of mine who was an IMO alternate (for the UK) got a 770 on his SAT I math section because he wrote a minus sign instead of a plus sign somewhere in the final math section after all those hours and got the question wrong. On the other hand I know people with 800 who are nowhere near as talented as my friend is at math.</p>
<p>2) His accomplishment are numerous but spread out over many areas and without any name of awards et cetera my first thought was a “jack of all trades, master of none” which can not be good when an admissions officer is trying to look for how he will impact outside of the classroom.</p>
<p>3) With Harvard and Princeton scrapping their Early programs the Yale EA applicant pool is a collection of the strongest applicants in the country. Although that comment probably would ring motr true if he had been deferred instead of rejected.</p>