If you’re familiar with our blog, you probably already know that the entire Ivy League is test-optional for the class of 2025. This might ~seem~ like good news to those aspiring Yale students who are yet to sit for a test. But it actually means that even more people will be applying to Yale this year, which will lower their acceptance rate. Spoiler alert: it’s still really hard to get into Yale. Your application will still be considered without test scores, but this means that all other components will matter more. Below you’ll find a few tips for applying to Yale:
Start Your Common App Essay Now:
The time to start your common app essay is yesterday. If you take one thing away from this blog post, it should be that your common app essay is the single most important aspect of your application this year. We have written countless blog posts that you should read for inspiration. We are encouraging our blog readers to start writing now because your common app essay is your best chance at standing out this year. Your essay should be told in the form of a story with a beginning, middle, and end – and it should speak to a personality trait that is not represented elsewhere in your application. Before you try to reinvent the wheel, start by figuring out which characteristic you want to highlight. Next, decide which story is the best vehicle for your trait. Then and only then should you start playing with form and structure. It’s almost always possible to restructure your essay in a creative way, but you can’t fake the story and/or the personality trait. When you think you’re done, edit it one million times until it’s the strongest piece of writing you’ve ever produced.
Evaluate Yourself:
The way that you will be evaluated this year by Yale’s admissions team has changed, but Yale is still looking for students who fit their typical profile. This should go without saying, but stellar grades are a must. Due to our continued work with students over the years, and many acceptances at Yale, we have a pretty solid understanding of what Yale is looking for. We did a deep dive on it here, and while some of the information in this blog post does not apply to the age of the Coronavirus, we stand by our assessment of Yale material students. It’s impossible to generalize, but the students who have gotten into Yale in the past are naturally smart and deeply committed to their passions both inside and outside of school. They like to build on their accomplishments and push themselves to dig deeper into their passion projects. So, while the process of applying to Yale has one less requirement this year, you should still consider what it will be like to actually attend the school. Would you be in the right environment? Are the academic programs interesting to you, and do they meet your needs? If you’re serious about applying to Yale, we highly suggest that you read the blog post linked above.
Structure Your Summer:
Knowing what we know about Yale students, you need to make the most of the next few months. To put it more bluntly, you should already be deep in the throes of these pursuits. Look at your interests and find a way to continuously pursue them and build on your past experiences. Extensions of your interests can be found through online classes, books, passion projects, jobs, etc.
Get Prepared:
Ask for your letters of recommendation and start (or continue) researching the school. Start getting familiar with the course offerings, extracurricular activities, and special programs that are available. You shouldn’t start writing your supplements until it comes out in August, but you can look ahead and get ahead of some of the research.
If you want to get a head start, contact us here.