@mavian @herewego2024
Hi guys!!! Welcome to the Yalie 2024 Support Group!!
Now @herewego2024 to answer your question(s): You never took AP scores due to financial problems. Does that include with the fee waiver? What I mean by that is, when the fee waiver was added and the original prices dropped you, could you and your family still not afford it?
If so, this is the kind of information that NEEDS, as in IT’S ESSENTIAL, that you put this into your additional information section. Many people underestimate the importance of the additional information section (which it shouldn’t be).
This kind of circumstance that you mentioned to us, and other situations like this, is what needs to be put in the additional information section in order for the admissions officers to see and understand. Because if you don’t send in your AP scores and you don’t mention why anywhere throughout your application, then the admissions officers will form their own conclusions: They’ll most likely assume that you didn’t pass.
However, if you did put this in the additional information section and the admissions officers saw this, then they would completely understand. They may be wondering the same thing that I am with the whole fee waiver thing (so make sure to elaborate on that too), but financial aid is a completely valid reason as to why you can’t take an exam. Some students are only able to retake the SAT/ACT a certain number of times (sometimes only once) because retaking it would put some serious financial strain on their families. In addition, schools like Yale, Princeton, Harvard, etc, take financial aid very seriously nor do they judge an applicant based on their financial situation (hence, their application process is need-blind). So if you were to inform the AO’s about this, then no it would not hurt your chances on admissions. If anything, this could further inform them that your family doesn’t have as much money as other applicants and their families and may give you more financial aid. Not that that’s certain. It’s just an assumption by the looks of it.
Furthermore, you (and everyone on this chat as well) have to take into account that these schools judge applicants based on the context of their school and situations, and this dilemma you mentioned is an example of that. People’s circumstances are different and not being able to take AP exams due to financial problems is something that won’t harm you when being compared to other applicants because unlike stats, and extracurriculars, that’s something you have no control over.
Not saying this to give you hope, I’m just saying this because, from how these schools present themselves, it’s true.
As for SAT II’s, SAT II’s aren’t required when applying to Yale. Some people actually take SAT II’s but because they don’t have the score that they want they don’t submit any of them. I’ll admit that, yes, taking SAT II’s can definitely help especially when applying to more STEM-based majors and can give you a little bit more of an edge. But, in the end, it won’t drastically hurt you. There are multiple people who don’t submit SAT II’s who still get into Yale. The same thing applies to AP exams. If anything, AP scores barely matter. Admittedly, it’s good to take AP exams to show the admissions officers that you knew the material in the class and it can help bump you up to more accelerated/higher-level courses of a certain subject (History, Math, etc) based on your scores; it can also give you a bit of an edge. But you won’t get credit for them.
Overall, not taking SAT II’s won’t hurt you that much (Depends on the major that you’re applying to though. For example, for more STEM-based majors it’s important to take the Math II SAT Subject test).
As for your SAT score. Dude, you’re fine. In fact, don’t even stress about your SAT score and god forbid do NOT retake it. I mentioned this before earlier in the form, but SAT/ACT scores only serve one purpose: As a benchmark. You’re clearly way past that benchmark. The average score is usually around a 1450+.
You don’t need a perfect score. If someone tells you that you do, they’re lying. Complete misconception.
Once you hit that benchmark, test scores are no longer important. The admission officer isn’t gonna look at a 36 or a 1600 and be like “WOW THAT’S AMAZING!! SO-AND-SO GOT A PERFECT ON THEIR TEST SCORE THEY SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED FOR ADMISSION!” Yeah no. That’s not how it works.
Focus more on the subjective things now like your recs, essays, and extracurriculars/passions, because in the end, other than your transcript, that’s what will set you apart from the thousands of applicants who also have 1580+'s.
Hopefully that helps answer your questions