Anonymous
02/16/2026 09:59
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC would love to just be accepted. What does it take to get a likely letter?
Not be good enough for Harvard/MIT. I watched an interview where a former Yale AO said they care about yield so question whether a kid will accept if they are admitted.
My kid got a Yale likely (not attending) Also accepted to Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Sounds like an amazing kid! What would you say was his / her exceptional factor?
Trophy hunting
My kid was deferred in REA (accepted in RD) so applied widely. Received Yale likely and then admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and others in RD. If they had been accepted REA, would not have applied to so many schools. Definitely was not trophy hunting.
Congratulations! Which school did your child choose, and what were some of the reasons?
Kid ended up choosing Harvard which was not even one of their top 3 choices initially. Applied REA to one of Stanford/MIT/Princeton. Attending admitted student days helped them make their decision to choose Harvard. Kid is STEM major, but has many interests and wanted to have classmates that weren’t all into STEM so Harvard was a better fit than MIT (can still cross-register at MIT). Can’t double major at Princeton, Yale isn’t as strong in STEM and the appeal of Boston also contributed to their decision. Stanford felt like too much of a bubble (similar to Princeton) and New Haven was depressing and more of a negative.
Kid loves Harvard and has no regrets.
This should be required reading for all the striver parents. These schools are also just … schools! With positives and negatives!!
Congrats to your kid.
Anonymous
02/15/2026 19:40
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC would love to just be accepted. What does it take to get a likely letter?
Not be good enough for Harvard/MIT. I watched an interview where a former Yale AO said they care about yield so question whether a kid will accept if they are admitted.
My kid got a Yale likely (not attending) Also accepted to Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Sounds like an amazing kid! What would you say was his / her exceptional factor?
Trophy hunting
My kid was deferred in REA (accepted in RD) so applied widely. Received Yale likely and then admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and others in RD. If they had been accepted REA, would not have applied to so many schools. Definitely was not trophy hunting.
Congratulations! Which school did your child choose, and what were some of the reasons?
Kid ended up choosing Harvard which was not even one of their top 3 choices initially. Applied REA to one of Stanford/MIT/Princeton. Attending admitted student days helped them make their decision to choose Harvard. Kid is STEM major, but has many interests and wanted to have classmates that weren’t all into STEM so Harvard was a better fit than MIT (can still cross-register at MIT). Can’t double major at Princeton, Yale isn’t as strong in STEM and the appeal of Boston also contributed to their decision. Stanford felt like too much of a bubble (similar to Princeton) and New Haven was depressing and more of a negative.
Kid loves Harvard and has no regrets.
No regrets yet….lol
Anonymous
01/22/2026 19:03
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Does Yale give likely letters without interviewing the student?
DC got a Yale likely after an interview. At least one classmate who also got a likely letter had an interview as well. However, they know of at least 2 likely letter kids (different geographic area) that didn't have an interview and were surprised with the likely.
Anonymous
01/22/2026 19:00
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Does Yale give likely letters without interviewing the student?
No, never.
Anonymous
01/22/2026 18:19
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC would love to just be accepted. What does it take to get a likely letter?
Not be good enough for Harvard/MIT. I watched an interview where a former Yale AO said they care about yield so question whether a kid will accept if they are admitted.
My kid got a Yale likely (not attending) Also accepted to Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Sounds like an amazing kid! What would you say was his / her exceptional factor?
Trophy hunting
My kid was deferred in REA (accepted in RD) so applied widely. Received Yale likely and then admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and others in RD. If they had been accepted REA, would not have applied to so many schools. Definitely was not trophy hunting.
Congratulations! Which school did your child choose, and what were some of the reasons?
Kid ended up choosing Harvard which was not even one of their top 3 choices initially. Applied REA to one of Stanford/MIT/Princeton. Attending admitted student days helped them make their decision to choose Harvard. Kid is STEM major, but has many interests and wanted to have classmates that weren’t all into STEM so Harvard was a better fit than MIT (can still cross-register at MIT). Can’t double major at Princeton, Yale isn’t as strong in STEM and the appeal of Boston also contributed to their decision. Stanford felt like too much of a bubble (similar to Princeton) and New Haven was depressing and more of a negative.
Kid loves Harvard and has no regrets.
What type of STEM extracurriculars? Or what stood out?
Anonymous
01/22/2026 10:39
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC would love to just be accepted. What does it take to get a likely letter?
Not be good enough for Harvard/MIT. I watched an interview where a former Yale AO said they care about yield so question whether a kid will accept if they are admitted.
Not good enough for Harvard? Then why did my Yale classmate get accepted to Harvard but waitlisted (before ultimately admitted) to Yale?
Anonymous
01/22/2026 10:04
Subject: Yale likely letter
Does Yale give likely letters without interviewing the student?
Anonymous
01/22/2026 10:03
Subject: Re:Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:DD was admitted to Yale this past cycle (and is currently attending) without an interview or likely letter.
From the DMV?
Anonymous
01/22/2026 09:16
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC would love to just be accepted. What does it take to get a likely letter?
Not be good enough for Harvard/MIT. I watched an interview where a former Yale AO said they care about yield so question whether a kid will accept if they are admitted.
My kid got a Yale likely (not attending) Also accepted to Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Sounds like an amazing kid! What would you say was his / her exceptional factor?
Trophy hunting
My kid was deferred in REA (accepted in RD) so applied widely. Received Yale likely and then admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and others in RD. If they had been accepted REA, would not have applied to so many schools. Definitely was not trophy hunting.
Congratulations! Which school did your child choose, and what were some of the reasons?
Kid ended up choosing Harvard which was not even one of their top 3 choices initially. Applied REA to one of Stanford/MIT/Princeton. Attending admitted student days helped them make their decision to choose Harvard. Kid is STEM major, but has many interests and wanted to have classmates that weren’t all into STEM so Harvard was a better fit than MIT (can still cross-register at MIT). Can’t double major at Princeton, Yale isn’t as strong in STEM and the appeal of Boston also contributed to their decision. Stanford felt like too much of a bubble (similar to Princeton) and New Haven was depressing and more of a negative.
Kid loves Harvard and has no regrets.
Anonymous
01/22/2026 09:01
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Strange to me you would get a likely letter after deferral, but I am sure stranger things have happened!
Kid didn’t apply REA to Yale. Applied RD to Yale. Had an interview in mid-January and received the Yale likely at the beginning of February.
Anonymous
01/22/2026 08:47
Subject: Yale likely letter
Strange to me you would get a likely letter after deferral, but I am sure stranger things have happened!
Anonymous
01/22/2026 08:32
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC would love to just be accepted. What does it take to get a likely letter?
Not be good enough for Harvard/MIT. I watched an interview where a former Yale AO said they care about yield so question whether a kid will accept if they are admitted.
My kid got a Yale likely (not attending) Also accepted to Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Sounds like an amazing kid! What would you say was his / her exceptional factor?
Trophy hunting
My kid was deferred in REA (accepted in RD) so applied widely. Received Yale likely and then admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and others in RD. If they had been accepted REA, would not have applied to so many schools. Definitely was not trophy hunting.
Would you mind sharing your kid’s profile? Was s/he disappointed by getting deferred first? Any hooks? Thanks.
Anonymous
01/22/2026 08:22
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC would love to just be accepted. What does it take to get a likely letter?
Not be good enough for Harvard/MIT. I watched an interview where a former Yale AO said they care about yield so question whether a kid will accept if they are admitted.
My kid got a Yale likely (not attending) Also accepted to Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Sounds like an amazing kid! What would you say was his / her exceptional factor?
Trophy hunting
My kid was deferred in REA (accepted in RD) so applied widely. Received Yale likely and then admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and others in RD. If they had been accepted REA, would not have applied to so many schools. Definitely was not trophy hunting.
Congratulations! Which school did your child choose, and what were some of the reasons?
Anonymous
01/21/2026 23:42
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC would love to just be accepted. What does it take to get a likely letter?
Not be good enough for Harvard/MIT. I watched an interview where a former Yale AO said they care about yield so question whether a kid will accept if they are admitted.
My kid got a Yale likely (not attending) Also accepted to Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Sounds like an amazing kid! What would you say was his / her exceptional factor?
Trophy hunting
My kid was deferred in REA (accepted in RD) so applied widely. Received Yale likely and then admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and others in RD. If they had been accepted REA, would not have applied to so many schools. Definitely was not trophy hunting.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 22:11
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC would love to just be accepted. What does it take to get a likely letter?
Not be good enough for Harvard/MIT. I watched an interview where a former Yale AO said they care about yield so question whether a kid will accept if they are admitted.
My kid got a Yale likely (not attending) Also accepted to Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Sounds like an amazing kid! What would you say was his / her exceptional factor?
Trophy hunting