Yale University Admission
Yale University Undergraduate Program
Yale University Application

The Facts

Yale might just be the most exclusive and competitive university in the country. There are over 17,000 applicants and less than 2,000 admitted, with 99% of those admitted in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. The average SAT score ranges from 1380-1560, and the average ACT score ranges from 30-34. Impressive, no? With these statistics, getting in is really a status statement. The workload is heavy and intense, and the pressure both from above and from peers is constant. However, with over 2000 courses in approximately 70 majors, chances are, those admitted will find their intellectual niche. Some of the most popular majors include history, political science and economics. You won’t find any pre-professional majors at Yale like advertising or pre-law, as they believe in preparing a fully rounded mind, not a career. Another unique aspect is they require a rigorous 36 courses to graduate, rather than the usual 32. The first year required courses are quite large, but as the years progress, the student to faculty ratio reaches an intimate 7:1.

80% of students live on campus, as the town of New Haven, unlike the affluent campus, is a tough place. It is urban, but there aren’t many safe activities for students to engage in off-campus.

The Social Scene

Students live in one of twelve “residential colleges” that house 375-475 undergraduates each. They all have their own master and dean, as well as a dining hall, gym and computer facility. The food is usually quoted as being “incredible,” so you definitely won’t have to stomach any mystery meat. The luxurious campus has drawn a lot of famous students that include Claire Danes and President George W. Bush. The tuition is high, but the payoff, most say, is well worth it.

The off-campus social life is pretty non-existent, but there are a couple of local bars andn pizzerias just off campus that have become popular with students. Most social activities happen on campus, such as the weekly themed parties that the various residential colleges throw. There aren’t many fraternities and sororities and they really have no influence on social life to speak of, but there are several rather infamous and mysterious secret societies such as Skull and Bones, which are rumored to have secret but massive parties in the nude.

Yale is world-renowned for their performance groups such as the Yale Rep and the Yale Whiffenpoofs. As a result, there are constantly engaging and entertaining performances to attend. Additionally, there are 33 intercollegiate sports teams, and over 70% of the students at Yale participate in athletics in some way. One of the biggest events of the year is the Yale vs. Harvard football game, where lack of skill is made up for by abundance of school spirit.

There are apparently a lot of cute theater guys who also happen to have brains, as well as plenty of cute and preppy girls who happen to be extremely intelligent (and usually wealthy). Sound pleasant?

What’s Good

“The school really has an intellectual and social mystique, that makes every day interesting, even when the pressure is on.”

“There is no early decision program, only early action, so it takes the pressure off potential students and levels the financial playing field.”

“Yale tries to work on the whole person rather than just focusing on the end result and ultimate career. It makes you less stressed when the going gets rough.”

What’s Bad

“New Haven is the kind of town you never walk alone in. And why would you want to?”

“There isn’t a lot of socializing. It tends to be very cliquey and people are always just studying on weekends.”

“There is a lot of political bias that exists. Students are sort of divided into liberals and conservatives, and both sides tend to be way too politically correct for my tastes.”

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