Yale is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale is the third oldest university in the United States and was actually founded before George Washington was even born. Yale has excellent research opportunities, outstanding academics, and unique programs, such as its multidisciplinary academic programs and special divisional major. Plus, their aid meets 100%of demonstrated financial need (regardless of citizenship status), which we love.
There is a lot to love about Yale. BUT, it is hard to get in. Last year, they had around a 4.6% acceptance rate. This makes Yale one of the most competitive schools in America. So, if you hope to get into Yale, you need to make sure you are a top candidate. But how can you do that? We’re so glad you asked. Let’s break it down.
What does Yale want?
Yale has a blog on their website called “What Yale Looks For” In it, they say:
“We estimate that a large majority of the students who apply for admission to Yale are qualified to do the work here. The great majority of students who are admitted stand out from the rest because a lot of little things, when added up, tip the scale in their favor. So, what matters most in your application? Ultimately, everything matters.”
Honestly, it's a good place to start. However, we are going to use it as well as a document, the Common Data Set, to get a more complete picture.
While everything matters to Yale (well, except your religion and level of interest), some factors matter more than others. Yale asks themselves two questions while looking at applications, “Who is likely to make the most of Yale’s resources?” and “Who will contribute most significantly to the Yale community?” These are great questions because they align closely with the “very important” factors listed above.
Academic Ability
Yale calls your transcript “the single most important document in your application.” At Yale, academics come first; they look for your academic ability based on several factors. The first is rigor. They want to see advanced classes on your transcript. This could mean IB, AP, honors, or dual enrollment classes. You want to pack your transcript with as many challenging courses as possible while maintaining a high GPA.
If you google “average Yale applicant GPA,” you will most likely get “4.14.” That seems around correct to us. However, take this with a grain of salt. Yale doesn’t actually track average admitted GPA. The takeaway here is that you need a high GPA to get into Yale. There is no magic number, but they are looking for high GPAs.
Finally, there is class rank. Not all high schools have class ranks. If yours doesn’t, don’t worry. Only around 28% of applicants last year submitted their rank. However, this data shows that Yale is looking for top students.
Even if your school doesn’t rank, your transcript should show that you are gunning for a top spot.
No Score Cut-Offs…. But like….
Yale very proudly says they have “no score cut-offs,” but they recently reversed their covid test-optional policy. But that is not really the full picture. Last year, 88% of matriculated students sent test scores. And that was while they were still test optional! What this means for you is that you should submit test scores. And they should be very high.
Yale says, “Officers evaluate scores within each student’s unique context and use them to augment other academic indicators in the application.” In this same paragraph, they give the middle 80% of ACT and SAT scores, aka the 10th to the 90th percentiles:
ACT Composite: 31-36
SAT-Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 680-790
SAT-Math: 690-800
This range represents almost everyone who got into Yale. If you submit scores, they should be at the top or near the top of this range if you are an athlete who hasn’t spoken to a coach. You will notice that in some categories, the 90th percentile is a perfect score. That means over 10% of students submitted perfect scores on those tests. It is a lot to ask, but it helps to submit perfect or near-perfect numbers. If you are unsure about your scores, reach out; we would be happy to advise you.
Extracurriculars
Not everyone with excellent grades and scores gets into Yale. You need to showcase your interests outside of the classroom as well. We have a blog on how to craft an extracurricular resume that will impress Yale here, but if you need a crash course... Yale is looking for students who pursue their passions as far as possible. Ideally, one or more of these passions is related to what you want to study in college. For example, if you want to study Poli Sci, we want to see you interning on a local campaign, pushing legislation, being the head of the model UN, doing research with a professor, taking summer classes in political theory, and and and.
Not all your passions need to be academic. However, you need to show commitment, leadership, and follow through with your extracurriculars. Yale won’t be impressed with one-hour-a-week commitments. You want to really push yourself to see how far you can go.
Bringing Your Application to Life
Yale wants to get to know the person behind the application. They use several factors to “provide the sort of textured comments about you that would help your application come to life.”
The first factor is your recommendations. You can’t really control your recommendations, but try to ask teachers who know you well. You also want to take time to fill out any brag sheets that they may give you. We also recommend asking your teachers early. Not only will they appreciate you respecting their time, but also it will give them more time to write a great recommendation.
The second factor is your writing, which you can control. You need a great Common App Essay and Yale Supplement. Yale says, “We encourage you to take the writing of the essays seriously and to write openly and honestly about activities, interests, or experiences that have been meaningful to you. What is most important is that you write in your own voice. If an essay doesn’t sound like the person who writes it, it cannot serve very well as a personal statement. As with every document in the application, we read essays very carefully and try to get a full sense of the human being behind them.”
This is wonderful advice. You want all your writing to showcase your positive characteristics, tell a great story, and really feel like it came from a truly realized author. Again, it’s a lot to ask, but Yale can afford to be picky. If you don’t know where to start, we have a blog on how to write the Common App Essay and on the Yale supplement specifically. For both, you want to take your time to craft well written and polished essays. Be creative and let your voice shine. The best essays should feel like a look into your world and perspective.
Yale wants it all. They want students with excellent grades, scores, extracurricular activities, and essays. But even more than that, they want to see students who push themselves. We get multiple kids into Yale every year by following our own advice!
Yale President Kingman Brewster once wrote, “I am inclined to believe that the person who gives every ounce to do something superbly has an advantage over the person whose capacities may be great but who seems to have no desire to stretch them to their limit.” They want to see you challenge yourself. From your transcript to your resume to your essays, it should be obvious that you are pushing yourself if you hope to get into Yale.
Need help with applying to Yale? We got you. Reach out here!