What's the story with Yale's admission standards?

Been dreaming about Yale for ages. Anyone clued in on what they look at for admissions? I'm talking GPA, extracurriculars, leadership roles, volunteer work- the whole shebang. I know they're Ivy League so must be pretty stringent, but just curious how much of everything they want.

Yale University, as you probably know, is indeed highly selective with a low acceptance rate. In terms of GPA, a very high GPA is expected - most successful applicants have a GPA close to 4.0 in an unweighted scale, indicating that they're at the top of their class. However, Yale doesn’t just consider the raw number, but also the rigor of your classes. A student with a slightly lower GPA that's taking the hardest possible courses (AP, IB, Honors, etc.) might be more competitive than a student with a perfect GPA taking less challenging courses.

Yale, like many other Ivy Leagues, practices a holistic review process. This means that they're not just interested in your grades and test scores but also in who you are as a person. This is where essays, recommendations, and your extracurricular activities come into play.

Extracurricular activities are crucial and successful applicants typically have 8-10 activities on their application, though many are often seasonal. These activities should ideally reflect a “spike”, or a deeply-developed interest or specialty, to show that the applicant is passionate and dedicated. Leadership roles and substantive contributions are valued.

For example, being the president of a club where you've led significant initiatives would be considered a higher tier activity in contrast to a general membership in a club. Achievements at the state, national, or international level–such as winning a prestigious competition or leading a well-recognized initiative–are considered particularly impressive.

In terms of volunteer work, what makes the difference is not the sheer number of hours but the impact and commitment. Volunteering should ideally be tied into your overall profile and ‘spike’ - a student interested in medicine might volunteer at a hospital or start a public health initiative, for instance.

Letters of recommendation are also taken into account. Teachers and counselors can speak to your work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and contributions to the classroom and wider school community.

However, it’s worth remembering that every applicant’s case is unique. These are general trends and don’t determine admission. Put your best foot forward in each component of the application, show them who you are, and articulate why you want to be at Yale.

It's also important to note that demonstrated interest is not factored into Yale's admissions decisions, so don't worry about making campus visits or attending every single one of their virtual events (unless you want to for your own information).

Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of what Yale looks for in applications!