Viewing My Yale Admissions File || How I *Actually* Got Into Yale

In this video, I share what I learned from my Yale admissions file and discuss what my admissions officers & interviewer said about me. At the end of the video, I also share some bonus behind-the-scenes info about Yale admissions. Sprinkled throughout the video is advice based on patterns I noticed while looking through the file.

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:10 Preface
3:19 Admissions File Breakdown
4:18 Interview Report
10:25 Reader 1 Comments
17:14 Reader 2 Comments
19:09 Main Takeaways
25:46 Admissions Behind-the-Scenes (How an application moves through the review process)

✰ 𝐋𝐄𝐓'𝐒 𝐁𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 ✰
Instagram: @valnnguyen

Mic: SM57 (I used a mic because I wanted to use my long focal length lens, but I didn't want to have to speak louder for the camera to pick up sound since my housemates were home)

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Music credits: I do not own the rights to the music used in this video

You & I by Soyb & Amine Maxwell 0:00
Nature's Beauty by Tokyo Music Walker 2:22
You & I by Soyb & Amine Maxwell 4:42
Peacefully by E's Jammy Jams 7:10
Hicks - First Floor 9:57
moonboy - seconds 11:43
moonboy - stay with me 13:45
Tama - Vanilla Sky 15:31
moonboy - iced coffee 17:08
Hicks - Whiskey on Ice 19:08
moonboy - butter 21:00
Tama - Initium 22:13
ARISU - Digital Monsters 24:13
moonboy - tides 26:21
moonboy - candy 28:14
Tama - Sweet Morning 30:11

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
You & I by Soyb & Amine Maxwell

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0

Music promoted by Audio Library

• You & I – Soyb & Amine Maxwell (No Co...
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Title: You & I by Soyb & Amine Maxwell
Genre and Mood: R&B & Soul + Calm

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Amine Maxwell:

Soyb:

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Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0

Music promoted by Audio Library

• Nature's Beauty – Tokyo Music Walker ...
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🎵 Track Info:

Title: Nature's Beauty by Tokyo Music Walker
Genre and Mood: Jazz & Blues + Dramatic

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🎧 Available on:

YouTube:

• Tokyo Music Walker - Nature's Beauty

YouTube Music:

• Tokyo Music Walker - Nature's Beauty

Hicks - First Floor

moonboy - seconds

moonboy - stay with me
Stream/Download: coming soon

Tama - Vanilla Sky

moonboy - iced coffee

Hicks - Whiskey on Ice

moonboy - butter

Tama - Initium

ARISU - Digital Monsters

moonboy - tides

moonboy - candy

Tama - Sweet Morning

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:10 Preface
3:19 Admissions File Breakdown
4:18 Interview Report
10:25 Reader 1 Comments
17:14 Reader 2 Comments
19:09 Main Takeaways
25:46 Admissions Behind-the-Scenes (How an application moves through the review process)

How to get into Yale, How I got into the Ivy League, Stats, Grades, Teacher Recommendations, Interview

[mag]

On Yale podcast they said the scaling is out of 9. But they rarely give 8/9 those are reserved for like people who’ve won the Olympics or something crazy like that. So like most admitted applicants are rated 2+ but super impressive people are like 1+ to 1-

[Anne_rlene]

Thank you so much for sharing this detailed breakdown of your journey to Yale! Your insights into the application process, especially the importance of showcasing character, passion, and community involvement, are incredibly valuable. It's refreshing to hear about the real experiences behind the application and how the holistic review process works. Your honesty about mistakes and the emphasis on being genuine and unique in essays is really inspiring. Wishing you all the best in your senior year at Yale and beyond.

[hehemaybe]

Valerie! I came across your channel today and I have to say I am really glad I did! Thank you for sharing with such honesty and self-awareness this video. We can definitely tell why Yale has chosen you and they are very lucky for doing so S2

[shuijingg]

I don’t know why, but this video gives me so much comfort :) thank you!

[bookinit]

I appreciate this video so much! Your insights are incredibly valuable and you put things into perspective yet make acceptance seem possible. I would love to see more videos on your friends and their admissions files!

[GatorGirlMemeQueen]

thank you SO much- this was so comforting and helpful!

[sooshieee]

this is probably the most helpful college app video i’ve seen

[annamariamiru]

Thank you for your sincerity, Valerie, it is really refreshing to see young people present themselves from a place of accountability and self-reflection. Clearly, your teachers and college administrators appreciated these qualities in you. If I can be honest, I would love to see you re-record this video with one change: intentionality in your speech. As a first-generation refugee who had to learn English as a second language (while taking college courses and maintaining a high GPA to keep my scholarship), I value the power of words very much -- probably a little too much. I tried to stay the course for 30 minutes, but ended up tuning out, finding myself counting the times you said "like" used carelessly and abundantly throughout the video. That word appeared 90 times (or every 20 seconds, on average), with no more than 5 justifiable instances. I hope you agree that we owe it to the English language, to Yale (one of the finest places in academia) and to other high school seniors vying to get admission to Yale to project a polished-enough image that avoids using run-off sentences jampacked with filler words (e.g., this sentence at 10:42: "um...I just wrote everything verbatim…um…so I'll try to explain them as I go, so Reader One said that I had nice short answers…um…and unlike a lot of other applications, QuestBridge has a lot of other extra essays, and there are also a lot of short answer like 35 word responses that we had to come up with...um...so I think that that's what the first reader was commenting on…um…that my voice was coming through, so again like with…with sincerity, like genuineness, like your…your personality, your voice coming through your essays is really important to the admissions officers um…"). I hope you will consider re-recording this video, because your message is golden, but the caveat of making videos is that it memorializes not only our accomplishments, but our shortcomings as well, for perpetuity. All the while, these videos become a teaching tool for those learning this language. Since you are ready to matriculate Yale with a certificate in Education, I trust that you will agree with me (even if it stinks, even if it stings) when I say: "you got this! Let's do a re-record, " because--as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young said it so well--you ought to "teach your children well...and know they love you!"

[theo_oooo]

such a helpful video, thank you so much 🙏 can you do a video on your essays? or at least list them on application bee or admit yogi? yale is my dream school and i would buy them in a heartbeat, i need inspiration so bad 😭

[irenee]

Great video, You really got in for a reason, God knew you'd give this valuable insight💗Thank You

[ShoniJain]

why did they say your science teacher rec wasn’t a rec?

[meena]

hi! I was wondering what major you switched to and why you decided pre-med was not it for you as I'm scared to commit to such a long journey myself.

[alexaquintana]

Why didn't they count your letter of rec? Do you know anything about the specific requirements for letters of rec? Thanks! :)

[Gh-mhuf]

Does interview mean anything. Have they gone through application and then decided to interview?

[nicholaschang]

yoo wassup valerie this showed up on my youtube recommended lol

[emox]

From the sound of it, my son just had a 10/5 interview (different school)!

[Jazzinsaner]

your name sounds good, could you tell the nationality and family background of your parents?

[snowwww]

Heyyy Valerie! I really like your video. I am a senior who is about to apply for college, my I private message you for some college app questions please?

[mantashasiddiqui]

Hey can you help me with my common app essay? I am Internationa student. English is not me first language so I am not able to frame my essay. your help will be highly appreciated.

[A.isforAmara]

Love this! Keep blossoming where you’re planted. 🤍