I was wondering if Yale regularly interviews applicants who are located overseas?
Many of my friends have already done their interviews with other universities like Penn and Stanford… so I’m getting a bit concerned. I’ve checked with other friends who are also applying to Yale, and they have yet to hear anything from Yale too.
I’m from Singapore btw
@Ohpearl Unless it’s of a national level recognition – i.e. I can google you and your recent award pops right up – then it’s not worth it to update Yale, IMHO.
@firebrand I’ve heard repeatedly from int’l students located overseas that during the interview they were told that they were “shortlisted” somehow. This is, of course, only in countries where Yale has a limited number of available alumni interviewers. I doubt that this is the case for Canada, UK, etc.
I would totally update the application - if they’re the kind of thing you would have included on your app if they had occurred prior to submitting it, why wouldn’t you include them now, just because they happened to occur after November 1?
@ccstudent101 Hmm.
Not to be presumptuous but I’m fairly confident that if there was a shortlist either one of my friends or I would be on it. (Though of course our chances of getting in eventually are slim like everyone else’s) In Singapore, our school is top nationally, and we are also ranked near the top in our school so I think there’s a very low chance that there is a short list and that we are also excluded from it.
When is the latest I can expect to be interviewed and have the interview still constitute part of my assessment? I am going to have a month long break next month (post-graduation haha) so the information would be very helpful for my holiday schedule…
@firebrand you’ll be surprised by how cpmpetitive it is. Nobody can be sure of getting an interview, and even though you’re great academically, Yale wants a certain je ne sais quoi that maybe nobody in all of Singapore had this year. If your egotism is anything to go by, maybe you didn’t represent yourself well in your application. Usually, the rank of your school means nothing if you’re an international, it’s your own merit. Interviews usually stop at the end of November and are a good indicator of whether you’ve made it past the first few rounds of cuts or not.
My son just had his interview last night. Lovely woman who conducted the interview very informally. Other than the requisite “why Yale?”, the rest of the conversation ranged varied topics.
Good luck!
I have a question: I sent in all my tests from the SAT. I was wondering how they are going to evaluate the tests. Eventually, will they take the highest sections from the SAT(from different dates) and use that score as the evaluative score or will they take the highest score in one sitting?
@AmericaAbroad Thank you for the information you’ve provided at the end. Apologies if I came across as arrogant, but I was really just expressing my surprise at none of my friends being called up for the interview yet… (if it was me alone I would definitely know it’s my fault haha). It’s just this waiting that is killing me but at least I have you to thank to know when to wait until.
@Xboxgamergirl , from my understanding , they take a relatively generous view of the scores, and find the numbers that benefit you the most. It’s my guess, not knowing your scores, that even your worst scores probably would not knock you out of the running. IME, they’re truly holistic in their decisions, and will spend more time evaluating your recommendations, essays, etc. than trying to glean information from your scores.
More generally, short of a late arriving Nobel prize or such, you’ve done what you can do. Relax on Yale. Line up your Plan B schools and prepare for them, since you’re statistically very likely to need them.
@Xboxgamergirl I think they will superscore your tests as seen from what they have to say on the website.
“Superscoring: When assessing SAT results, we will focus on your highest individual SAT Critical Reading, Math and Writing scores from all test dates.”
Follow up question: So why take all the test scores in the first place?
Thank you for your responses, I must have missed it on the website. I apologize for that.
@Xboxgamergirl, a lot of people disagree with me, but I think in part it’s to tease out who’s test obsessed and should be interviewed to ferret out perfectionism that could be problematic once on campus.
DS, for example, got a 2360 on his one sitting. His take on that was, “great, let’s go on to the Subject tests.” A shocking number of classmates badgered him to retake the test to try to “get a 2400.” I guess they had spare space on their mantel for his trophy :)). There is no way to know, but I think him retaking the test would have been viewed as a warning flag; on the one hand, it’s just one Saturday, on the other hand, doesn’t the kid have anything better to do?
I think it adds to AOs holistic understanding of the applicant. There’s a reason recommendations and interview reports don’t just ask for a 1-10 rating and skip the writing.
Ah, got it! Makes sense. Thank you!
@IxnayBob has it right. If some test robot who sits seven times for SATs and ACTs submits his top scores (2300 and 34) – vs. the rural kid who sits once for the ACT and scores a 32 – I think Yale would see the kid who hits the 32 as equal or perhaps even more attractive than the testing fiend.
Can anyone describe how their interview went…what questions were asked, etc.? Have my interview in a couple of days!!
I had my interview a few days ago…there were some weird things…
First my interviewer started off by telling me that not everyone gets an interview, even if interviewers are available in the region. She said that the admissions committee must have liked my application so far.
Also, somehow she knew my test scores and several of the courses and grades I have received at my high school. I read that interviewers received name, high school, and prospective majors, but never grades or test scores. Anyone else experience this? Should I be concerned?
what you described is unusual. In 25+ years, I never had access to a student’s scores or GPA/transcript unless the student personally handed it to me in the form of a resume. if you’re concerned, you can verify the identity of this person. Check you PM inbox.
Hi I’m from Vietnam
Yale alumni (he is in Vietnam) emailed me a week ago and asked for an interview. But since i’m in USA right now, he told me that he would notify Yale about this and somebody would contact me shortly so I can have an interview in Florida. It’s been a week and I haven’t received any email from Yale yet. Do u think I email him again???