Hello! This thread is for people planning to apply to Yale for the class of 2023. I realize this is early to start the discussion, but I hope this will be a good outlet to start conversations and ask questions. Feel free to discuss anything Yale related!
Yale is my dream school. I can’t think about anything except college, and applications are coming up for us this year! I am very worried about what Yale will think of my GPA as it is not the highest GPA…
@SafalM I feel you! I am really looking forward to college. What other schools are you looking at? I toured UPenn a couple of days ago and loved it.
@Jt128b I looked at all ivy leagues, big reach schools of course. Specifically Columbia. I also looked at the University of Southern California. I have not toured UPenn yet though but online it seems very nice.
@SafalM oh cool, I am begging my parents to take me to tour more of the ivies. So far, I have seen Harvard and Upenn. And I have a trip to Yale planned for June! Which school was your favorite?
@Jt128b Yale of course was my favorite. However, if I was being realistic on a math school, USC is my reality first choice. What about you? What school outside of the ivy leagues have you been looking at?
@SafalM I have been looking at Georgetown, especially because they have a major that combines everything I am interested in (business, economics, and international relations). I also am looking at Rice University and the University of Notre Dame. But speaking realistically, these colleges are not much easier to get in to than the ivies.
My kid has had Yale as his first choice since he figured out what a college was. I’m nervous about it because he hasn’t gone through any standardized testing yet so I don’t know whether Yale is at all realistic to hope for. Kid is a theatre nerd, enthusiastic about Shakespeare and Sherlock, not at all a math person. Swarthmore is the current second choice, but again everything depends on those stupid standardized tests.
@Jt128b That’s true but they are also not impossible to get into. @ninakatarina Make sure that your kid doesn’t have his heart set on one school because Yale is not an easy school to get into… you don’t want him to be crushed if he doesn’t get in.
Oh, he’s clued in on that. We have visited a number of very fine schools and he’s got a list of 5 ‘definitely will apply and would be happy to attend’ already. Yale just tops the list.
One big advantage of theater as an extracurricular is that kiddo is used to auditions. You get used to not getting the part you want every time, but also he has gotten enough good parts to build up the confidence to keep trying. Yale is the lead romantic role in the big main stage production, but there are plenty of interesting character roles and fun comedy relief characters in this play that he could sink his teeth into if he doesn’t land the part.
Hey guys! I’m class of 2022, but I wanted to stop by and give you some advice that I wish someone had told me before I started the app process.
- It’s great that you have a dream school, but make sure not to fixate too much on Yale. Duh, everyone knows the acceptance rate is like 5%! But account for URM, athletes, and amazing shoo-ins, and that number drops to >3%. Please, I’m begging you for your own good, try your absolute best but maybe don’t come into this thinking that your valedictorian status will get you right in! (Not saying you guys do necessarily, but there are some people on here… yeesh.) Just brace yourself for a denial, and then in the awesome case you get in, it’ll be a wonderful surprise.
- Don’t just apply to HPYSM + the other Ivy Leagues!! They are all so extremely different in culture, atmosphere, etc. Don’t go for the name/prestige, go because you will be happy on campus. Same goes for the top 50 schools. Harvard =/= Brown, and Swathmore =/= Penn. Pick the ones you truly like and work really hard to make those apps really really amazing.
- Have good matches. This is so essential. Sure, if you’re in New Haven take a tour of Yale, but make sure you have a good list of not only safeties/financial safeties, but colleges that are realistic that you would love to go to and only be a little bit bitter about getting denied at Yale. There is just such a high chance that you’re going to end up there! For me, for example, one of those schools is Northeastern: it’s a match for me (I’m above the 50th percentile for SAT, etc.), and I made sure to fall in love with it just as much as I fell in love with Yale.
- When you’re building your application, step back and reevaluate it with fresh eyes. Pretend that you have no idea of who you are, what you do, and what you are. What do you see? Make sure you are highlighting the key things about you that make you tick. If you’re a STEM geek with a passion for animation, does that come across on your application? If your mom made you do math team and you really hate it, does it really add anything?
- If you are qualified enough to apply to Yale, you have probably worked very hard and have achieved many great things. Congratulations on all your hard work and accomplishments, and I wish you the best next fall during application season!
(disclaimer: I haven’t been accepted to Yale or anything, so this is just my 2 cents; experienced people like gibby and skieurope might think all above is trash, I wouldn’t really know. But if you have any questions or want more tips, feel free to ask/PM me! I would love to help you guys out, as I was in your shoes not so long ago.)
@anxiouswreck Thank you so much for all the advice! You are exactly right though, with the selectivity of schools such as Yale. We have to keep that in mind.
@anxiouswreck Actually, I think you said it very articulately. I agree with everything you wrote. Good luck.
I’d echo what @anxiouswreck had to say! I was admitted (and will likely be a member) of the Yale Class of 2022, and the hardest part of the application process to Yale was knowing that, in all likelihood, I wouldn’t be attending! I’m sure all of you are capable of succeeding at Yale, and whether you end up attending or not doesn’t function as an indicator of your success. I wrote about my undying love of ramen, the odd way in which my love of math is related to Grey’s Anatomy (the TV show), and my female role models. As corny and cliche as it sounds, just be yourself–you want a college that loves you for you, not some fake representation of yourself! Good luck prospective 2023 Yalies–I hope to see some of you on campus in New Haven. (Please ask or PM me if you have any questions)
Yale is also my dream school! I am currently debating whether or not I should apply early decision, but I think I’ll wait for my SAT/ACT scores first before I determine that.
Do you think you guys will apply SCEA?
@dreamthief001 I am not sure yet. How about you?
yes! i’m pretty certain i think
My S will apply SCEA. SAT is 1560.
Hello 2023 applicants!! I would definitely say don’t be afraid to apply if your stats aren’t quite at the average. I had a 1490 SAT and 770 Physics, 760 Math II subject tests and was just accepted into the class of 2022! I honestly never thought I had a chance! If you think Yale would be a perfect school for you, apply!!