Do Results & Extracurricular Activities Matter?

Today, I am going to share with you my views on the importance of results and extracurriculars in the application process, and my academic and extracurricular background at the time of my application.

If you are interested to know more about the other aspects of my YYGS application, Click Here.

If you want to save time, the video conclusion is that results and extra-curriculars are important, but they are not the sole factors that play a role in making the final decision. One may not have the best grades, or the strongest extracurriculars, but is still accepted. Likewise, one may have the perfect scores and strong extracurriculars and not get accepted. It is subjective to various factors.

Yale looks at your application as a whole, and every part, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is important. Hence, treat your application seriously. If you are interested to know more about my stats and perspective, keep reading.

Every applicant is different and everyone has their own story to tell. We all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences. Hence, if someone else did something and you did not, it does not mean that your chances of acceptance is slimmer. Yale considers every application carefully in a holistic way.

Do Results and Extracurricular Activities Matter?

Since YYGS is a competitive programme, with an acceptance rate of 15%, both results and extracurricular activities are important as it gives the Admissions Team an understanding of your academic and leadership strength.

YYGS is an academic and leadership program, and they are looking for students who are able to keep up with the rigor of the programme and to initiate and share their ideas. But are results and extracurriculars the most defining part of the application? It is all subjective. Remember, Yale looks at your application as a whole, not just at your results and extracurriculars.

There are also your essays, short essays, recommendation letters, etc. They all play a role in the final decision.

My Stats

I did not take any Standardized Test like the SAT, ACT, or English Fluency Test Scores, hence I left the optional “Standardized Tests Results” portion blank.

When I applied, my GPA was 4.0 and I also had several certificates for academic achievement, which I included in my application. I was ranked the 2nd in my school cohort.

I also was privileged to be under a full scholarship offered by my school which covers all tuition fees and other additional academic costs. I do not have any national or international academic awards.

My Extracurricular Activities

I do not participate in much extracurricular activities organized by my school, but I actively seek out opportunities that interests me outside of school.

For example, I was lucky enough to have 2 research opportunities at the local university, and I was excused from my school classes weekly to go to the university. I also mentioned about being a research assistant for a lab in my school.

I also volunteer weekly at the local animal shelter, and sang for the church choir weekly during mass.

Previously, I was also quite involved in my school’s Track-and-Field team and represented the school for Nationals and Inter-school competitions, and was lucky enough to be awarded a few medals for it.

I did a fundraiser for the World Wildlife Fund, or WWF for short, by selling second-hand items and raised quite a bit of money for them.

I also included the fact that I enjoy playing the piano in my free time and had performed at a prestigious performing arts centre.

In my application, I actually also included the activities that does not seem that important, such as the household chores that I do at home.

Conclusion

In a nut shell, I am definitely not a very stand-out student with extraordinary achievements. I am just a simple, regular student who do things that I enjoy. There are people who started their own business, or invented a new technology, but you do not have to do that.

Everyone’s background is different. Tell the Admissions Team your story through the various aspects of the admission profile. Everyone’s profile will be unique. Treat every portion of the application seriously. You can do it!

If you have any questions, or would like me to help you with the application process in any way, I am happy to help. You can leave a comment in the comment box down below.

Lastly, thank you very much for reading, I hope that you found it helpful, and if you want to see more contents like this, please leave your suggestions in the comment section down below, I would be very grateful for that!