174/3.94 from arkansas Forum

[arkansawyer]

boom

[im_blue]

Y/S out
H/C in

[arkansawyer]

Is that because of my undergrad? or just because my numbers aren't a little higher?

[kazu]

It's because Y/S is largely dependent on softs, and everybody is a crapshoot no matter what their numbers are. Unless you have a Nobel prize or wrote a bestselling book.

Nothing to do w/ your UG. If I were you I'd still apply to them though, just in case. The 1% chance is worth the app fees.

[arkansawyer]

I appreciate the thoughts. Could you read my personal statement (link above). Ignore the problems (it's a rought draft), but let me know if you think the story is compelling enough to give me a shot at yale?

[AreJay711]

It's because Y/S is largely dependent on softs, and everybody is a crapshoot no matter what their numbers are. Unless you have a Nobel prize or wrote a bestselling book.

Nothing to do w/ your UG. If I were you I'd still apply to them though, just in case. The 1% chance is worth the app fees.

You probably have more than a 1% chance though.

[im_blue]

I appreciate the thoughts. Could you read my personal statement (link above). Ignore the problems (it's a rought draft), but let me know if you think the story is compelling enough to give me a shot at yale?

Didn't read it, but you won't get into Yale or Stanford based on numbers and PS alone. You need some impressive softs.

[kazu]

It's because Y/S is largely dependent on softs, and everybody is a crapshoot no matter what their numbers are. Unless you have a Nobel prize or wrote a bestselling book.

Nothing to do w/ your UG. If I were you I'd still apply to them though, just in case. The 1% chance is worth the app fees.

You probably have more than a 1% chance though.

Yes, my "1%" statement does not have an actual basis. I just meant that chances are slim, as they are for everybody.

OP, sorry but I'm taking a break from PS editing so I won't be able to look at it. What im_blue says is entirely credited though. Also, none of us are Y adcomms (unless Asha is lurking here somewhere) so we don't know what Y will find compelling - if we knew we'd all be doing it. Best way to know for sure is to apply and find out. You're not going to get a more concrete answer here.

[ResolutePear]

I appreciate the thoughts. Could you read my personal statement (link above). Ignore the problems (it's a rought draft), but let me know if you think the story is compelling enough to give me a shot at yale?

..Where are the softs?

[arkansawyer]

Thanks ya'll, I guess I'm looking for certainty where there is none. Seems like applying to Yale is a bit like life in that respect.

[birdlaw117]

I think an honors thesis on property rights in space has a chance to be a decent soft. Not saying that it is, just saying that if it was a knockout thesis paper and you are able to get that across (don't know how, but whatever), then it has a chance to be. FWIW

[arkansawyer]

boom

[ResolutePear]

Softs are:

Work experience throughtout college (3 years as an RA)
Director of a commission that lobbies state/fed legislatures for the student government
Election official (last federal election years, organize polling stations around a county)
Intern for Ark. Senator
Departmental award for outstanding senior
Honors college research grant for my thesis
Thesis director went to law school at columbia (badass LOR too)
Thesis compares current law of outer space with law of the sea and the antarctic treaty; finds useful parallels...
Won 1st place defending palestine at model arab league in georgetown in the spring

I think these are pretty good, but I don't know if they are yale good....

I suggest you go read how Yale determines if people are accepted. I won't ruin it for you. Go on, I'll be here when you get back.

[The Gentleman]

I think we're overlooking OP's most important soft: he is a 3.9/174 that grew up in extreme rural poverty. That's a pretty rare breed if you ask me.

Yale may not buy into your story, but I'll plunk down money that Harvard will.

[ResolutePear]

I think we're overlooking OP's most important soft: he is a 3.9/174 that grew up in extreme rural poverty. That's a pretty rare breed if you ask me.

Yale may not buy into your story, but I'll plunk down money that Harvard will.

HC is a given.

YS, not so much.

[arkansawyer]

boom

[The Gentleman]

HC is a given.

YS, not so much.

I'll give you that one.

[arkansawyer]

Do you guys have an opinion about how my softs should be laid out? I don't go into much detail in my PS about them; will a resume and the questions on the applications suffice?

[kazu]

Do you guys have an opinion about how my softs should be laid out? I don't go into much detail in my PS about them; will a resume and the questions on the applications suffice?

Yes.