Nothing says Ivy League like New Haven, CT. As one of the third oldest colleges in the United States with alumni like Sonia Sotomayor, Isha Ambani, and Anderson Cooper, it’s an impressive university. So you can imagine how tough it is to be part of the Yale acceptance rate. But don’t give up on your dreams of attending it just yet. Let’s take a closer look at Yale and what it takes to get in.

Yale Acceptance Rate

Of the 31,445 students who applied to Yale, only 6.3% were accepted.

‍Compared to the rest of the Ivy League schools, the Yale acceptance rate is one of the most competitive in the group. If you look at the Class of 2020, it’s also one of the most diverse.

Here’s just a few of the statistics from the latest class profile:

• 15% of freshmen are first-generation students, meaning they will be the first in their family to graduate from a four year university
• They have a 50:50 male to female ratio, meaning they have about as many men and women in their incoming class
• Only 13% have a legacy affiliation
• 64% of students are receiving financial assistance
• 60.4% are coming from U.S. public schools
• Nearly 43% of their freshmen come from minority groups and 15% self-reported as being multi-ethnic
• That includes 2.5% Native Americans, almost 13% Hispanic/Latino, 19% are Asian American, and close to 11% are African American
• Close to 12% are international students and come from the following countries:
• Australia
• Belarus

• Brazil

• Bulgaria

• Canada

• China

• Croatia

• Denmark

• Estonia

• Ethiopia

• France

• Germany

• Ghana

• Greece

• Guatemala

• Hong Kong

• India

• Indonesia

• Ireland

• Israel

• Italy

• Japan

• Kenya

• Lebanon

• Lithuania

• Malaysia

• Mauritius

• Mexico

• Morocco

• New Zealand

• Nigeria

• Pakistan

• Poland

• Romania

• Russia

• Rwanda

• Saudi Arabia

• Serbia

• Singapore

• Somalia

• South Africa

• South Korea

• Spain

• Syria

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Tunisia

• Turkey

• United Kingdom

• Vietnam

• Zimbabwe

But before you think about breezing your way through high school, these statistics do not mean Yale lets everyone in. Remember, the Yale acceptance rate is still 6.3% and while diversity is important, you still have to bring your A-game to their application. So here’s the flip side of their statistics:

• Less than 2,000 of Yale’s applicants were accepted
• 95% of their accepted students were in the top 10% of their class
• Of the students who submitted ACT scores, 78% were between 32 and 36
• Roughly 50% of students who submitted SAT scores were between 760 and 800

In order to be part of the Yale acceptance rate, you still need to be the best of the best. And while their diversity is still impressive, it’s still an Ivy League. So what does this mean for your chances of getting in?

How to Improve Your Chances

Obviously there are some things about yourself you can’t change like your ethnicity, legacy status, or what country you come from. But there are things you can change and improve on to increase your chances of being part of the Yale acceptance rate. Let’s take a look at those factors and how you can leverage them to your advantage

ACT or SAT Scores.

Standardized testing is one of the easiest ways you can make yourself more appealing to schools like Yale. Because they mostly accept students with the top scores, it’s important that you do well on the ACT or SAT. You can accomplish this by:

• Taking the practice exams. Probably the easiest way is to take the Pre-ACT and the PSAT. This allows you to see how well you perform these tests under pressure and see where your weaknesses are in a practical setting.
• Learning about the tests. It sounds silly, but if you know what types of questions are on the exams, what the test creators are looking for, and how scoring works, you’ll be more able to manage your time when you’re taking them. This also prevents you from being tripped up by trick questions or wording.
• Investing in tutoring. Working one-on-one with someone who has taken the ACT or SAT and taken home a top score is an important and often overlooked key to success. They can also teach you some of their tips and tricks for getting the kind of score that are part of the Yale acceptance rate.
• Taking them multiple times. Colleges understand that you want to submit your best scores possible. Yale accepts multiple test score submissions and looks at all of them, so you can’t pick and choose. You can submit between four to six scores without worrying. Just make sure you’re doing your best on each test.

Your GPA.

It’s very important not to slack on your grades and to get the best grades possible. Taking as many AP classes as you can and doing well in them will help boost your GPA into the range typical of the Yale acceptance rate. Since so much of the Class of 2020 was in the top 10% of their class, you should try your best to make it in there. Ask your teachers for help, do extra credit, study rigorously, and getting help online are all easy ways to keep your grades in the best shape possible.

Extra-curriculars Matter.

You’ll hear this a lot when you’re applying to college and it’s especially important if you’re trying to be part the competitive Yale acceptance rate. You need to be balanced and well-rounded. What you do when you’re not in class or doing homework is just as important as your grades and standardized test scores. This is your chance to have fun and wow the admissions committee with what you’re into. Yale is looking for students who are leaders and who understand that there’s more to life than just school. So show them that’s you!

The Essay

Yes, these things do matter. Given that Yale’s admissions committee will read thousands of essays, yours has to stand out in a very good way. Take a look at examples, read and write, edit, have someone else edit, and make sure to be yourself when you’re writing your essays. Your personality and how you will contribute to the Yale community are good things to keep in mind when you’re composing these essays.

Yale is a diverse and exclusive group and being part of the Yale acceptance rate is not something many people accomplish. But you can absolutely do things to improve your chances of getting in. From your standardized testing scores to the essays on your application, you have the power to stand out when you're applying.

So what do you think? Will you be applying to Yale? Are you alumni with some advice to offer? Leave your thoughts in comments below.