What does it take to get into yale?

What does it take to get into Yale University? I know I am still young but next year I will be entering high school and I know high school grades count, so are there any tips or specific classes/activities I should take or do to help me get into Yale University?

Keep your grade ponit average to at least a 3.5 to 4.0, most Universities like Yale won't even bother with you unless you do. Also take debate classes, civic classes and get involved in your community. But most important, keep your grades up.

4.0? I would think you need at least 4.5 these days, the competition is getting that crazy. Take a lot of AP classes, score really high on SAT, get only 4 hours of sleep per day, and basically sacrifice four years of your life to get into a highly overrated university.

Very high grade point average. Involvement in student activities. Involvement in community activities.

GPA, class rank, and SAT scores...If you can maintain at least a 3.85+ GPA, a class rank in the top 5% of your class, and an SAT above the 96th percentile (>2100 total) you should be (AT BEST) on your way to consideration for acceptance to Yale. In order to really give yourself an advantage, you need to show that you are a multi-faceted and more than capable student. I.e. you need to show that you are not only smart but can also be president of your class AND the National Honor Society, yet can also be a dedicated volunteer to a charitable organization and a star athlete. I'm not saying that that is the prescription to an Ivy education but I hope that it gives you an inkling of thought as to what will make you a remarkable student. Keep in mind that only 9% of Yale applicants are accepted so try to think of what you can do to make yourself stand out...also keep in mind the $35,000+ yearly tuition. How special are you among that 9% to deserve scholarships/grants? It takes the average graduate student almost 10 years to gross the same salary as a straight-to-work high school student, due to financial aid repayment. (There's nothing wrong with an in-state priced state school education)

Good luck in whatever you do.

First, I'm thrilled you're so interested in Yale. I can tell you it is truly a wonderful place to study, meet people, find what you love to do in and out of the classroom, and create a home you will come back to visit for the rest of your life.

But. You have a long ways to go. I fully believe that I could have had just as incredible an education and overall experience at other colleges. How can you ever know? Don't close yourself off so early - there are a multitude of great schools of all types and sizes out there. How do you know that, by the time you apply, you won't have a specific interest that Yale's programs can't satisfy? Give yourself time to decide what you value - maybe you'd want a smaller school, not the ~5,300 undergrad at Yale; maybe you'd want a more career-oriented program (Yale's broadly defined liberal arts ed is notorious for leaving graduates with a bit of vertigo).

That said, I've sat in on a session with people who work for Yale admissions on a mock evaluation of two applicants. We reviewed their applications, discussed, and voted - then found out what the result had been. First of all, the person with the lower GPA was admitted while the other wasn't. Secondly, grades were a pretty small part of the discussion. DO work hard. DO try to maintain above a 3.6. Definitely shoot for above 1300 on your combined SATs. But: the essays matter more. You need to be compelling and original. If there's a skill I can recommend honing throughout high school, it is the art of communication - no need for flowery language, just make it your goal to write interesting, concise essays.

I don't have my original application essays, but they were about things that mattered to me, things that I could really talk about. I didn't write about how great I was or how I devoted time to community service or about some book that changed my life: I wrote about my mom, and I wrote about biking through France. And hey, it worked.

Hope this helps. Do what makes you happy, do it well, and tell 'em why you want Yale so much.