Hello everyone,
I am applying for YYGS 2018, maybe PLE or IAS. Could anyone with past experience describe what the two weeks was really like?
Plus, is there any tips for essays and making your application stand out?
Thanks in advance!!!
I didn’t participate in either of those programs. However, I did participate in ASE which was during the same time as IAS, and I also had some friends who were in IAS at the same time. During the two weeks, you’ll primarily be going to seminars and listening to people speak (keep in mind I’m only speaking on behalf of IAS, but most of the programs run on a similar template). You’ll also have a have sessions when you are in smaller groups discussing the topic you just hear about before. You also have another small group, called you family, where you’ll spend time with other students. One thing I heard constantly from my friends at IAS is that there is a lot of debating. You’ll be discussing a lot of controversial topics and ideas from–I hope–both sides. There will be some students who agree with you and others who don’t. So, again there is a lot of debating, both in and outside of lectures and other academic settings.
For you essays and other parts of your application, there is not much I can tell you. Hopefully, I am only repeating what others have told you because they are right. When it comes to essays, there is NO SPECIAL FORMULA that will guarantee your acceptance. On top of that, I can’t tell you how to make your essays stand out because that is something you need to do on your own. For help on your essays, all I can tell you is this: 1) if you write about a generic topic such as leadership or friendship (something they will have read before); write about it in such a way that no one has written about it before and 2) write about something no one has written about before, so that it in itself stands out.
Lastly, I know you didn’t ask for this, but it is something I want to tell you. IT. IS. NOT. WORTH. IT. Unless you get a scholarship, don’t go. Truthfully, it was a complete waste of my time, and I hate that my parents wasted the money on it. There are other summers programs that are cheaper or free that offer far more than YYGS. It was a fun program and I did meet and still talk to a lot of the kids there. However, I didn’t learn anything. You’d be better off taking courses at a local community college or finding other programs at other universities or local colleges. Just don’t go to this simply because the work “Yale” is in it. Some people will tell you it’s worth it, others (like me) will tell you it is not. But, it is still your decision on whether or not you want to go.
Is 26 act score too low but high psat 1280 and high scademic course record
@xManWolves
Thanks for your advice though!
I was thinking a lot about the cost (which has reached 6k this year). But again, I’m from outside the US and YYGS seems like the only program that offers some financial aid to international students (or so they say). Maybe I’d be better off without participating in this program. We’ll just have to wait and see :))
Just started on my essays. . .I only have a 1410 PSAT not sure if I should submit it
I attended the YYGS SDSE program last year and I absolutely loved it. I can confidently say that those were the happiest two weeks of my life. The program for us consisted of lectures in the morning. Then we would have to opportunity to discuss those lectures in seminar discussion groups directly after. In the afternoon, we had small lesson groups around specific topics that you were able to select before attending camp. In the evenings, we had Capstone which is basically a simplified thesis that you present at the end of camp.
I’ll admit that I didn’t learn as much as I might have been able to at a different program, but these summer camps are about the experience. YYGS changed the way I view the world and has changed me for the better. The price is quite high, but with a scholarship, the people you meet, friendships you form, and memories you make are all worth it.
For your essays, it sounds cliché, but BE YOURSELF. YYGS admits people from all walks of life and that diversity is what makes it such a wonderful program. Write about something you feel strongly about, or an event that impacted you significantly. When it asks you why you want to attend, be sincere about your love for the program your applying for.
I’m not too sure how much test scores factored into the application process, but you should definitely still apply!
Feel free to pm me if you have any questions about the program as a whole.
hey guys how. much aid is offered for 90-100k income bracket
anyone got accepted to bbs
@Albert1116 if you don’t mind me asking, did you go on a scholarship or FA?
is a 26 act score too low
hey guys any bbs alumni
@anonymous522083 i know that the app is already due, but you dont have to submit test scores 
Hi guys. Any BBS alumni here?
Hello .Anyone for ATC or FST?
Hey everyone. Results due soon. Please share results here.
Hey everyone. Please share your results here whenever u receive them
Does anyone know when around the results will be emailed?
I think around a week or two?!!No one’s sure.Expect them anytime.Last year they were out around today.
Btw which program have you applied to?
Hi @Akshita11 Are you from India?
woke up this morning and the YYGS account on instagram posted a pic with the caption "The YYGS Team is nearing the end of application review. While we don’t have a specific date set yet, we hope to send admissions decisions very, very soon. Our new mascot, Atlas, wishes everyone the best of luck! "
Be on the look out for THE email guys! Best of lucks to everyone!