Difference between revisions of "Get Into Yale"

Yale University, a private university located in New Haven, Connecticut, was founded in 1701 and is an elite Ivy League school. Its total enrollment is generally less than 12,000 students. Yale receives many more applicants than the school is able to accept each year: it accepts just 6.3% of these applicants.<ref name="rf1">http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/lowest-acceptance-rate</ref> This means the admissions process is very selective. You don't only need to make honor roll and show academic excellence but you need to find something that makes you stand out from the crowd in order to be accepted.

#Take AP or college prep courses if they are available. Challenge yourself with difficult college prep curriculum in high school. Because Yale is an Ivy League school, admissions officers look for students who have proven they can survive a heavy course load. Achieving high grades in easy courses will likely not be enough to get you into Yale, so load up on advanced placement and college prep courses to prove you stand out among your peers.<ref name="rf2">http://admissions.yale.edu/advice-selecting-high-school-courses</ref>

#* Don’t take “easy” or “blow off” electives. Getting a 4.0 in easy elective classes will not help you gain admission to Yale. So ditch the dodgeball class and take something a little more challenging.<ref name="rf3">http://admissions.yale.edu/what-yale-looks-for</ref>  

#[[Get Good Grades|Get good grades]]. The first thing Yale will look at is your academic performance throughout your high school tenure. Maintaining a consistently high grade point average throughout high school is a critical step in applying for Yale.<ref name="rf3" />

#* As an elite Ivy League school, Yale will examine your grade history from all four years of high school whereas less exclusive schools tend to weigh your performance in your junior and senior year more heavily.<ref name="rf3" />

#*However, you should make sure that your senior course load reflects a rigorous program of study. Do not indulge in "senioritis."<ref name="rf2" />

#Enroll in SAT or ACT prep courses. There are a number of programs and courses designed to help you prepare for the SAT and ACT. These courses can help you devise methods for studying and taking the exams that will help you achieve the highest score you possibly can.<ref name="rf4">http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-admissions-playbook/2013/07/29/how-to-select-the-right-sat-act-prep-course</ref>

#* SAT Subject Tests are recommended but not required for admissions to Yale. However, these tests are a great way to showcase your knowledge in a specific area and can help distinguish you from the rest of the pack.<ref name="rf5">http://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing</ref>

#*The application deadline for Single-Choice Early Action applications -- where you agree to accept an offer of admission if it is made -- is November 1. The regular application deadline is January 1. If you are applying for regular admission, Yale recommends you take the SAT or ACT no later than December.<ref name="rf6">http://admissions.yale.edu/application-deadlines</ref>

#Consider taking the SAT or ACT multiple times. If you are worried about your score, consider taking the SAT or ACT more than once. Your score on these exams is a major component of your application package.<ref name="rf7">https://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-score-choice</ref> However, Yale does suggest that you not retake the test if your score is already in the ballpark, since your time will be better spent strengthening other elements of your application.<ref name="rf8">http://admissions.yale.edu/advice-putting-together-your-application#academic</ref>

#* Yale does not have standardized test score cutoffs. However, the most recently enrolled freshman class had SAT scores ranging between 2130-2400 and ACT scores ranging between 32-36.<ref name="rf3" />

#* Yale does not participate in “Score Choice” reporting on the SAT and ACT general exams. This means that you must submit all of your SAT and ACT general exams scores to Yale.<ref name="rf9"> http://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing</ref>  

#* On the SAT subject test, Yale does allow “Score Choice” reporting, meaning you can choose which scores you want to submit to the university on the SAT subjects test.<ref name="rf5" />  

#* While you can take these tests multiple times, there is little evidence to support the idea that your score will rise drastically after the second or third time you take the exams. Save yourself the time, money and headache by focusing on exam preparation in the beginning rather than trying to maximize the number of times you take the test.<ref name="rf7" />  

#Join an athletic team at your school. The Ivy League schools do not give out athletic scholarships to students. Still, engaging in athletics will help you to show Yale that you are more than just a bookworm. Playing high school sports while maintaining high grades demonstrates that you are a well-rounded individual who can balance multiple responsibilities.<ref name="rf10">http://admissions.yale.edu/advice-putting-together-your-application#extracurriculars</ref>

#Engage in student politics at your school. Getting involved in student government in your high school is a great way to show Yale that you are engaged in your academic environment and are ready to take on leadership roles within that environment. So run for class president, vice-president or treasurer.<ref name="rf10" />

#Find a club or group at your school. While joining clubs and group activities in school are great extracurricular activities on a college application, nothing is more impressive than a young student taking the initiative to found a group or spearhead a student project. Identify areas where your school is lacking extracurricular activities and lobby your school’s administration to allow you to begin a new group.<ref name="rf10" />

#* When taking this step, be sure you identify other students that will participate and a faculty member who can oversee the group. This will make “pitching” the idea to your school’s administration much easier.<ref name="rf10" />   

#Engage in activities that help your community. Get involved in community service, charity, and public outreach programs. Yale is looking for intelligent individuals who will use their intelligence and ambition to improve their community and those around them. Helping to improve your community during high school will demonstrate that you are exactly the type of outward-thinking person Yale wants at their school.<ref name="rf10" />

#Build a strong record of employment. Working a part-time job during your high school tenure will demonstrate your work ethic and personal drive to the admissions board at Yale. Working at a local restaurant, carwash or retail store will prove that you can juggle multiple responsibilities while excelling in many areas.<ref name="rf10" />

#Visit Yale’s admissions website. Prior to applying, carefully and closely read over Yale’s admissions guidelines and application requirements. You will want to know what you need before you begin to put the application together.<ref name="rf3" />

#Identify your status to the school. Be sure that you mention anyone in your family who has attended Yale in the past. It is well known that Yale gives preference to “legacy” students; in the past, they have admitted that about 20-25% of legacy applicants are admitted, compared to the around 6-7% of overall applicants.<ref name="rf11">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/education/edlife/being-a-legacy-has-its-burden.html?_r=2&ref=edlife</ref>

#* Also, inform the school if you are a racial, ethnic, religious minority or a first generation college student somewhere in your application package. Yale has diversity quotas that they try to achieve and may give preference to those who have broken the mold to become the first person in their family to attend a four year university.<ref name="rf12">http://admissions.yale.edu/advice-first-generation-college-applicants</ref>  

#Draft stellar essays. Test scores, high school grade point averages and letters of recommendation will reflect what others think of you and your performance to the Yale admissions office. The application essay is your chance to represent yourself to the university. Personal essays are a major component of Yale’s admissions package and are often the element of an individual’s application that will set them apart.<ref name="rf13">http://admissions.yale.edu/advice-putting-together-your-application#essay</ref> A strong application essay should address the following questions:

#* Who are you?<ref name="rf13" />

#* What experiences have shaped your life and your outlook to date?<ref name="rf13" />

#* What have you achieved during your time in high school?<ref name="rf13" />

#* What do you hope to achieve in the future?<ref name="rf13" />  

#* How can attending Yale help you achieve future goals?<ref name="rf13" />

#* What can you bring to Yale to enhance, improve or benefit the student community?<ref name="rf13" />

#* Remember, all strong essays contain a clear and creative introduction that will “hook” the reader, a well-organized body that provides concrete examples as reinforcement for the claims in your introduction, and a poignant and meaningful conclusion that ties the rest of your essay together concisely.<ref name="rf13" /><ref name="rf14">http://admissions.yale.edu/faq/applying-yale-college#t179n1368</ref>  

#* Always proofread your essay, looking for grammatical, syntactical, and typographical errors. Also, have someone else, such as a parent or respected teacher, read your essay and provide feedback before submitting. A fresh pair of eyes can do wonders for improving the clarity of your writing.<ref name="rf13" />   

#* The questions that are to be addressed in Yale’s two application essays change from year to year, so be sure to read and consider the questions they are asking you carefully before attempting to draft your application essays. You can’t fit your life story into brief essays and Yale knows this, so don’t try to squeeze everything into your essays. Stay focused on a particular theme and treat that theme comprehensively.<ref name="rf13" />   

#Stay within the word count. The Common Application Essay must be between 250-650 words, and the Yale Writing Supplement essay must be 500 words or less.<ref name="rf15">http://admissions.yale.edu/faq/applying-yale-college#t179n1366</ref> You will not be able to submit your application if your essays exceed the word count.

#Acquire letters of recommendation. Ask two of your high school teachers to write a personalized letter of recommendation for you. Teachers can submit the letters online using a link you provide them from the Common Application website.<ref name="rf16">http://admissions.yale.edu/advice-putting-together-your-application#recommendations</ref> Yale strongly recommends that you ask your 11th and 12th grade teachers for recommendations, since those teachers have taught you most recently and in more rigorous courses.<ref name="rf17">http://admissions.yale.edu/faq/applying-yale-college#t179n1374</ref>

#* Yale is looking for recommendations that highlight your performance in class, as well as your energy, motivation, relationship with your classmates, intellectual curiosity and impact on your classroom environment.<ref name="rf16" />

#* These recommendations are confidential and you, as the student, should not have access to them. As such, be sure to select two teachers who know you well, think highly of your performance in the classroom and can outline your particular achievements. If you can, it is a good idea to ask for recommendations from teachers of different subjects.<ref name="rf17" />

#*If you have significant accomplishments in another field, such as music or research, you can solicit an additional letter of recommendation from a person who is very familiar with your accomplishments and can speak about them in detail. However, Yale recommends that you only do this if it will substantially add to your application. It should be labeled as a "Supplementary" letter of recommendation.<ref name="rf18">http://admissions.yale.edu/faq/applying-yale-college#t179n1375</ref>

#Seek assistance from your guidance counselor. Ask your high school guidance counselor to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf and your official high school transcript. The recommendation should help Yale understand the difficulty of your classes in high school, as well as general information about your background, including any leadership roles you have assumed during your years in high school.<ref name="rf16" />

#Submit your SAT or ACT scores. Submit these scores through the Common Application website. Visit the Standardized Testing page on the Yale website to determine if the program you are applying for requires any other tests.<ref name="rf19">http://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing </ref>

#* You can also submit your scores by indicating that you want your scores to be sent to Yale. Do this by entering Yale’s school code in the correct section of the ACT or SAT exam. For the ACT, Yale’s school code is “0618”. For the SAT, Yale’s code is “3987”.<ref name="rf5" />

#* Looking at Yale’s standardized testing website can be useful before you take these exams as well. The website outlines how Yale views your performance on these tests and identifies the general criteria for performance on these tests.<ref name="rf5" />  

#Submit a mid-year report. Ask your high school guidance counselor to submit a mid-year report though the Common Application website as soon as your first semester senior grades are available. Yale wants to ensure that applicants are maintain a high level of academic success throughout their senior year.<ref name="rf8" />

#Monitor your application. Wait up to 3 weeks after you submitted your application for an email from Yale. This email will have instructions for setting up your “Eli” account. The email will be sent to the address you included on your application. You can use your Eli account to track which documents Yale has received and will allow you to check on the status of your application.<ref name="rf20">http://admissions.yale.edu/yale-admissions-status-portal</ref>

#*If you applied for Single-Choice Early Action admission, you will receive notification in mid-December. If you have applied for regular admission, you will be notified by April 1.<ref name="rf6" />

#*You may be offered an admissions interview. If you are offered one, you should accept. However, ''not'' being offered an interview does not mean you will not be admitted.<ref name="rf21">http://admissions.yale.edu/faq/interviews</ref>