Anita Said:

What do I need to get my Masters at Yale?

We Answered:

I don't know specifically about graduate programs at Yale, but being at a Ivy League institution would mean that they probably have very high standards. 3.5 is good, but don't let it slide down more than that. I would also think about extracurriculars and volunteering, anything to beef up your resume. I don't know how academically rigorous Michigan State is, so I would try to keep pushing that GPA, because for most grad schools GPA is everything.

Elsie Said:

What should I be doing to get into Yale?

We Answered:

A couple of things:

What year are you in high school?

Most importantly, what is your SAT score?

A 3.93 is certainly nothing to scoff at, but when you consider many of the incoming Yale freshman will have close to a 4.5, it puts you at a slight disadvantage. If your SAT score is considerably high, that will even things out. If it's low, then you'll need to compensate for your GPA by extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and leadership qualities. What you have described in your question seems fairly average for these kinds of things - you'll want to kick those up a bit if you have a low SAT (and are not planning on retaking it) and you maintain a 3.9.

Also, find out if your desired major is impacted, meaning is it a very popular major at Yale with a lot of students trying to get in it? If it is, you may want to consider entering under a different major and then switching once you are a student. Some universities have policies in place that don't allow you to do this - I'm not familiar with Yale's policies specifically, so you should check on that.

Remember, admissions into Yale is a competition. It's like running XC. Even though every runner is running the same course and has trained in similar ways, we assume those finishing up front are better runners. If you have a runner who finishes behind everyone but was fun to watch or seemed to overcome some kind of adversity, you root for them as well. Yale can be selective and they are. They look at high school students as they come across that finish line. Make sure you stand out - either by finishing first, or finishing with some kind of fanfare.

Eva Said:

Do I have a shot at Yale?

We Answered:

Check out http://www.yale.edu/admit/faq/applying.h…

The website gives some idea of what Yale looks at in making admission decisions.

For what it's worth, apply to Yale by all means, but don't set your heart on one school--apply to several that you'd be interested in attending and include a few that aren't quite as competitive to get into. And although Yale is a great school, take into account the surroundings--parts of New Haven are dodgy, depressing, or downright dangerous.