Guys, I need the scoop on Yale's GPA 'requirements'. I get that holistic admissions mean GPA isn't everything, but surely they have some sort of benchmark, right? If anyone’s been admitted or knows someone who has, what kind of GPA were they rocking?
The notion of a GPA 'requirement' at Yale is a bit of a misnomer. Yale, like many of its peer institutions, doesn't publish a minimum GPA, as GPA is context-dependent, since schools report and weigh them differently – some schools weight AP classes more heavily, for example. Yale's admissions committee looks at your GPA within the context of your school and its grading system. For example, a 4.0 at one high school might not be equivalent to a 4.0 at another due to varying levels of grade inflation or course rigor.
That said, the academic caliber of admitted students is exceptionally high, with the vast majority of admitted students being in the top 10% of their high school class. Strong performance in challenging courses is also usually more impressive than a slightly higher GPA in easier classes. In some cases, applicants admitted to Yale may have GPAs lower than the near-perfect range, but these students have likely demonstrated exceptional qualities or achievements in other areas.
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