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Will Yale be impressed?

Long story short, I am taking a gap year (grades permitting), and I have decided to apply to Yale for Single-Choice Early Action, meaning they will tell me whether I have got in or not by mid-December (I'll still be able to apply to Columbia and others for Regular Decision). I am not going to go into my extracurriculars etc, but I have decided to take an unusual number of SAT Subject Tests. As I will hold over two A levels, I don't need to take any, but will Yale be impressed if I take some anyway? I am planning on doing World History, Biology - Ecology and Biology - Molecular. I might also take Chemistry. Advice from previous applicants? Also, I have a question about the SAT I - can you retake different sections without retaking the whole thing? My maths may be a little rusty!
Reply 1
Hey!
I'm an American student just recently finished with the college application/admission process, so this is all fresh in my mind.
From what I've heard at various information sessions across the country, colleges don't really care if you do both Bio E and Bio M (Bio M is considered more impressive anyways, so you ought to just take that one). And yeah, if you wanna retake SAT I, you have to retake the whole thing. I took mine in January '11 and then again in October '11 and it worked out just fine for me!
Most good schools require that you take 2 SAT IIs, though some do require 3 (they are few and far between, I can't even think of any off the top of my head). Make sure to check Yale's website for all this kinda info!
Reply 2
Original post by peaaches
Most good schools require that you take 2 SAT IIs, though some do require 3 (they are few and far between, I can't even think of any off the top of my head). Make sure to check Yale's website for all this kinda info!


Thanks for your reply! Yale say that British students with two A levels can substitute them for the SAT subject tests. Columbia say I need two. The only one I've seen that wants 3 so far is Harvard, but I'm in love with Yale and Columbia!

What if I took Bio-E, Bio-M, World History AND Chemistry?
Reply 3
The thing with bio is that the first 2/3 of the E and M exams are exactly the same. The final 1/3 or so (I can't remember the exact amount, it's been a year since I took M) is when you choose between taking the Ecology portion or the Molecular portion. The only way you'd be able to do it would be in two separate sittings, because you'd be really pressed for time if you tried to squeeze both the E portion and the M portion into one exam period (only 1 hr). Anyway, even if you did manage to do both, the collegeboard would only score one of them (I think!)

World History and Chem are good, but I'd recommend just choosing Bio-M (it's more impressive) and then maybe Math or something (Math II being the more impressive one).
But first and foremost, make sure your grades are great! And extra-curriculars and essays and recommendations and such are important---SATs aren't the be all end all. :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by peaaches
and then maybe Math or something (Math II being the more impressive one)


The idea of sitting Math or Math II chills me to the bone! I'm not terrible at maths, it's just that I've never really liked it. I suppose I could brush up on my French and do that as another extra, along with Chemistry. Thanks. I think I'll do World History, Biology-M, Chemistry and French.

P.S. - just out of interest, where did you apply? And which offers did you get?
Reply 5
Hehe I got into Amherst College early decision :smile: it's a liberal arts school in Massachusetts.
I also got into Rutgers and Northeastern, but they were my safety schools (schools I knew for sure I'd be accepted to).

I was planning on applying to most Ivy Leagues + Swarthmore and Vassar...very glad I didn't have to bother writing out all those applications! I very much recommend looking at some liberal arts schools (Amherst for example is need-blind and meets full financial need of all its students!)
Reply 6
Original post by s.a.u
x.


Do you need financial aid? It's a pretty important question.

Original post by peaaches
Hehe I got into Amherst College early decision :smile: it's a liberal arts school in Massachusetts.

Congrats! That is such an amazing college! I'm going to a liberal arts college too.
Reply 7
Original post by peaaches
I very much recommend looking at some liberal arts schools (Amherst for example is need-blind and meets full financial need of all its students!)


thank you for your help and information. i think i'm only going to apply to yale and columbia though (and maybe a third ivy). i visited columbia and fell in love with it. although i've never been to yale, i desperately want to.

to be honest, i will only consider going to the US for university if i get into an ivy (and get rejected from lse and cambridge), as i just don't know how cost effective in terms of future career it will be otherwise, and i'm not willing to risk it.

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