Yale. The name speaks for itself. Yale is widely regarded as one of the best school in the nation (though these days, U.S. News & World Report ranks it at #5). And aspiring Yalies should take the application process extremely seriously. Recently accepted students had very impressive test scores. SATs were (on average) between 1500 and 1580, which ACT averages ranged from 33-35! And the acceptance rate for the most recent class reported was just 5%. So, if you aspire to attend Yale or any other Ivy for that matter, it’s critical you take advantage of every opportunity to stand out, including during summer vacation.
Nestled in New Haven, CT, Yale has a total undergraduate population of about 6,000. It’s programs are world-renowned. Yale is tied for #1 in the nation for Economics and #2 in Senior Capstone. It’s tied for #5 in Writing in the Disciplines and is #9 for Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects. Programs like Theater are also widely-regarded as being among the very best in the world.
The best strategy overall for applying to a school like Yale is to really establish an academic brand (more on that below) and show that you’re not afraid of hard work and achievement. Yale is a great school for those who want to excel academically while enjoying a social life. Yale offers a rich sports scene, a wide array of clubs, eating clubs, secret societies, and a close-knit on-campus living experience.
Interested in a personalized summer strategy? Call us. We love to help students match with the nation’s best schools.
Identify Your Interests
We always advise our students who want to get into top schools like Yale to establish an academic niche and pursue it rigorously throughout all four years of high school. This should be something super-specific. History is too broad. American Presidential History is better. An obsession with one President is best. Your classes and extracurriculars should reflect your niche. Schools don’t want to admit a bunch of generalists. They want students who are going to become experts in very specific fields of study, and ultimately go on to do great things in their professional lives. Your summer strategy should also focus on your specific academic area of interest.
Find an Internship
Internships are a great way to spend your summer. We recommend against applying to big internships at massive companies where you’ll likely be getting coffee and running errands. The goal is to show that you learned something and worked hard. Your internship should closely align with your academic area of expertise, as well. Small businesses, local institutions, nonprofits, and museums are a great place to look. You’ll likely have an opportunity to actually get your hands dirty somewhere that could truly use your help this summer. That’s really the goal.
Take a Class
Taking a class is a great way to spend your summer. Again, the strategy should be to take a course that fits in with your academic area of expertise. You should also take a course at a highly-regarding school to show that you worked hard. Yale offers pre-college courses for high schoolers. Summer offerings include Geographies of Freedom, Society and Politics of North Africa, Visual Approaches to Global Health, What Is Law?, Law and Legal History, Digital Platforms of Cultural Production, Global Health Ethnography, and many more across a wide array of disciplines. It’s a really good idea to take advantage of Yale’s robust summer program if you’re interested in applying. It’s not only a great way to get to know the campus, but it’s one approach to showing them you’re very interested in working hard at Yale itself.
Have Fun
We’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you that you should also spend your summers being a kid. We understand that school can be challenging. Friendships require nurturing. And kids deserve to be kids. You don’t need to work as hard as you do during the school year. The overall goal is just to show that you applied yourself within a particular focus. You should definitely make sure to relax and have fun. Hang out with your friends. Go on a family trip. Get pool time in (and wear sunscreen). It’s also important to reset and rejuvenate so you have energy to continue working hard and applying yourself next fall. Burning out by overdoing it and overextending in the summer isn’t going to do you any favors. It’s going to make it harder to actually apply yourself during the school year, and most importantly, you’ll miss out on a wonderful part of being a kid.
Don’t Overdo It
That said, it is possible to chill too much. You definitely want to make sure you apply yourself. Don’t spend the entire summer binging shows and eating candy on the couch. Set goals and accomplish something. While you don’t have to work your butt of, you should be doing something to further your college applications, especially if you’re trying to get into a school like Yale.
We also want to recognize that many students across the country need to spend their summers working. That’s great! Aside from being a necessity in many cases, having a job shows the admissions committee that you definitely spent your summer working hard and that you’re responsible. And guess what? The admissions committee folks all have jobs themselves. They’ll get it. If at all possible, try to have a job that’s somewhat in line with your academic niche. For example, if you’re interested in pursuing Entrepreneurship, work the cash register at a local business or become an assistant manager.
Need help coming up with a great summer plan? Call us. We’re experts at helping students get into their top choice colleges.