i need to come clean. i have always been the type of student who goes above and beyond. and yale has always been my dream. so when i first started researching yale freshman year, i looked up my AO. it turns out she lived a couple of towns over. like most serious applicants, i knew what i had to do with this information. i convinced my parents that her town had a much stronger school district and only responded positively to houses near hers. long story short i moved in down the street for her.
after weeks of watching her, i began taking note of her comings and goings. every morning she would wake up at precisely 5:12 and brew a fresh pot of coffee. i can tell bc she always forgets to close the blinds in her kitchen. then, between 5:20 and 5:50, she will take her golden retriever on a morning walk. i had never wanted a pet before but i knew i could use one to my advantage. i convinced my parents that a dog would help me develop a sense of responsibility and adopted a golden retriever from the same litter after tracking down her dog breeder. i named him dan, after yale’s iconic mascot.
soon, i began acclimating to her schedule. i would take dan for his walk 5 mins after she left and follow a similar route. at 5:37 exactly our paths would cross. at 5:49 they would cross again as we returned to our homes. one morning, i decided it was time to enter her life once and for all. dan and i left at our usual time, but i made sure i was on the same side of the street as my AO. when we ran into each other at 5:37, dan recognized a fellow litter mate and excitedly greeted her dog. she was surprised but in a particularly good mood that morning because of the espresso shot i had slipped into her coffee before she had left. she really needs to replace that lock on her kitchen window.
as the dogs played, we began talking. i told her how i was now a sophomore at my high school and that my dog was named dan after the yale mascot. she did not reveal that she was an AO but i could tell she was impressed. as the weeks passed, she would now smile at me as we walked our dogs and chat with me. however, i knew i needed to speed things up to keep my plan on track. i began taking note of her evening routine. before she returned home, she would stop by the grocery store and pick out some fresh veggies for whatever she was cooking that night.
so, i knew what i had to do. i started wandering the grocery store during the window she would be there and she would always be surprised to see me there. i told her that i was making pasta primavera or broccoli lasagna and she always believed me. we bonded over our shared love of fresh vegetables. i was filled with joy when she invited me over to her house to try her latest recipe. soon it became our tradition. every thursday night, i would join her at the dinner table, and we would chat abt our days.
by now it is my senior year. my AO and i are super close, and i told her about my plans to apply REA to yale. when i broke the news, she tried not to seem too surprised and told me she was my admissions officer. i acted just as surprised. i feel guilty lying to her for all these years, but she told me that she will talk to the dean and her other connections there to get me. my strategy may have been unconventional but i have proven that i am exactly the type of student yale is looking for. i am excited to start yale in the fall!! go bulldogs!