Yale and humanities

<p>I have a friend who's going to Yale next year and she's head over heels in love with the school - won't stop gushing about it : ) Naturally, this has got me interested. I know she plans to major in something English/humanities related (which is what I'm interested in) and I was wondering; is Yale particularly strong in this suit? Of course, since it's YALE you can't really go wrong, but does it hold any particular attraction for students who really love writing (particularly journalism) or are interested in the social sciences? I've heard it frequently referred to as the "artsy Ivy."</p>

<p>Also, what are the pros and cons of applying early?</p>

<p>Thanks everyone!</p>

<p>I think Yale is stongest in the humanities. Isn't history like the strongest department?</p>

<p>History is the most popular major. Yale has quite strong (possibly the best in the country) humanities departments. Although there have been some articles in the YDN about how enrollment in the humanities has gone down... but this is probably more due to the recent efforts to expand the science departments and attract science oriented students than anything else.</p>

<p>yes, the humanities are really strong but then again almost every department is really strong. about applying early, it definately helps to apply early. the acceptance rate for EA was about 18% while for RD it was about 5%. i say not why not do it? unless you're an extreme procrastinator like me.</p>

<p>Does anyone know if submitting an art portfolio to Yale will help? I've literally been drawing/painting since I was 4 so my "portfolio" is huuuge, and I take professional painting lessons for a month every summer, but I've never won any awards/entered my art into any contest. </p>

<p>But yeah, art is definitely one of my top 3 interests, and something I'm truly passionate about and am actually pretty good at. Even though it won't correlate to what I plan on majoring in, is there any way to effectively convey this to Yale, and will they care?</p>

<p>The admissions office outsources supplemental materials like portfolios to the appropriate department, which will evaluate it and make comments on it for the admissions office to read. If you think they'd be impressed with your work, you should send it in. </p>

<p>Information about your interests could be included in your essays, or the additional comments section of the common app, or in a note/email to your admissions officer.</p>

<p>Should I list painting awards in my app as well? I've actually seriously considered studying studio art in college...at Yale, on what basis do they judge a candidate who <em>might</em> be interested in studio arts (considering everything else like GPA and SAT are in order, of course) if the applicant (aka me) isn't famous by any stretch of the imagination? Would the portfolio then be of critical importance?</p>

<p>Man, I am just full of questions today.</p>

<p>"yale is good for all these retarded majors like english, history....you can't get a job with these majors"
Perhaps you are unaware of the extremely high percentage of english, history etc. majors who go on to have extremely rewarding careers in law, business, entertainment, publishing, education, etc. Career is not only about one's first job out of college, nor is it only about the money</p>

<p>My son submitted a music CD as supplement to his Yale application. I think the general recommendation is the same for all fine art supplements. For musicians, the recommendation is that only very accomplished musicians who plan to continue playing at college should send supplements. (You don't have to plan to be a major, however.) When a student sends a supplement, the admissions officers do not evaluate it themselves. Assuming you get past the requisite threshold with respect to grades, curriculum, and ACT/SAT scores, the admissions committee will forward your supplement to the appropriate department for a ranking. They get some really outstanding supplements, and mediocre supplements don't help an applicant's cause. So if you're quite accomplished, send a supplement. If you're in doubt, maybe your teacher could help you decide whether to put together a supplement. If you're not going to send supplementary materials, it's definitely worthwhile to list your art activities and painting awards in your resume.</p>

<p>Hmm, so a really good supplement could actually help you get in even if you don't plan on majoring in that specific field (personally, interested in probably poli sci/linguistics/psychology)? I definitely do plan to continue painting wherever I go to college.</p>

<p>Sorry if my questions seem redundant, wjb, I'm a little slow on the uptake today :D</p>

<p>^^Absolutely. </p>

<p>Still, though, the most important components of an application are grades, rigor of curriculum, and standardized test scores. Assuming you get past the threshold with those elements, other components --including talent in the fine arts -- will come into play and can certainly help you.</p>

<p>Great, thanks for the input wjb!</p>

<p>(ha, it appears my original thread has taken three different turns in the past two pages...)</p>

<p>bump for a quick question, but I don't think this warrants a thread - Yale looks at all four years of high school for grades, right?</p>

<p>yes. your counselor sends in your transcript for all four years. since your gpa reflects your entire time in highschool, and since colleges want to see a progression of rigor in your schedule, it's the only way.</p>

<p>That's what I figured, except I just learned recently that colleges like Stanford and Princeton only look at the last 3 years.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>