Many students feel intimidated by the thought of applying to selective Ivy League schools like Yale. But, the application process doesn’t have to be scary! As long as you know what to expect and start preparing early, you can develop a stellar application that catches the eye of the admissions committee.

In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Yale admissions process, including what they look for in prospective students and what you need to include in your application. Let’s get started!

What Does Yale Look For?

According the Yale University website, admissions officers review all applications to Yale with two main questions in mind:

• Who is likely to make the most of Yale’s resources?
• Who will contribute most significantly to the Yale community?

Many students will have the qualifications and talents needed to do well at Yale. However, the admissions committee specifically looks for those who stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, students don’t always stand out for one specific reason. It’s more likely to be a combination of small qualities in their applications that lead to them being chosen.

This type of policy may seem disheartening because it makes it somewhat difficult to tailor your application to exactly what the Yale admissions committee looks for. But, in reality, it should alleviate a little bit of your stress throughout the application process. 

As long as you put your best possible application forward, your combination of little attributes and talents could stand out as a future Yale student. In other words, it’s best to focus on your comprehensive application rather than spending time fretting over the one quality the admissions officers look for in a Yale student because there is no one quality.

Yale Admission Requirements

There are several different pieces that come together to make your complete Yale application. Putting it all together can get a bit confusing, so we’ve laid out everything you need to know about the Yale admission requirements for first-year applicants.

Application Requirements

To apply to Yale, you must complete one of the following three applications:

• The Coalition Application
• The Common Application
• The QuestBridge Application

Each one will include various Yale-specific questions that you must also answer and submit prior to the application deadline. Make sure you only submit one, as Yale will only consider one application per student for each application cycle. There is no preference given by the admissions committee to one type of application over another, so feel free to choose the one that works best for you.

Pay attention to the various deadlines as you put your application together. If you decide to apply for Single-Choice Early Action, you will have an earlier deadline than those applying through Regular Decision. The Single-Choice Early Action deadline falls November 1, while the Regular Decision deadline is January 1. 

Keep in mind that, though the Yale Early Action program allows you the choice of accepting or waiving your admission, it is restrictive, so you may not be able to apply to other early action programs. However, you can still apply to other schools’ Regular Decision programs.

The QuestBridge National College Match deadline also falls on November 1. To be eligible for QuestBridge, students must complete the free National College Match application by the September deadline. QuestBridge is a great option for students interested in selective schools like Yale who also come from low-income backgrounds.

There is a one-time application for first-year applicants of $80. Students who qualify may be able to request a fee waiver if paying the fee presents a hardship for them or their families. You can indicate that you meet the threshold of financial need for a waiver on either the Common Application or the Coalition Application, but you cannot do so directly through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Recommendations

You will also need to submit letters of recommendation with your application. Yale asks students to send recommendations from two teachers and one counselor. Choose teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects like Math, English, Science, Foreign Language, or Social Studies and who have seen you at your best. It’s important that they know you well so that they can paint an accurate and compelling picture of you and your academic abilities.

You can choose to submit one additional letter of recommendation, but you should only do so if the recommendation presents new information that cannot already be found in the ones already submitted. Though it is not required, Yale also prefers that students choose teachers who taught them during their junior or senior years.

Recommendations should be submitted online through your application site of choice.

School Report and Transcript

Your counselor or another school official must submit a school report on your behalf that also includes a transcript. The transcript must cover all your high school courses, including any courses completed at a previous high school or at a college. You may send in additional transcripts from these other institutions, if necessary.

All first-year applicants who have not yet graduated from high school must also provide a mid-year report. Like the school report, this report must be submitted by a counselor or school official, but this time it will include grades from the first marking period of the current academic year. It is wise to ask your counselor to submit your mid-year report as soon as your grades become available to avoid unnecessary delays in the application process.

Transcripts and school reports should be submitted online through your application site of choice.

Standardized Test Scores

Yale embraces a test-flexible policy when it comes to standardized test scores. This means that prospective students have a choice of which standardized test scores they would like to submit so they can put their best foot forward in the application process.

Students may choose to submit scores from the following four test options:

• ACT
• Advanced Placement (AP) 
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• SAT

Since Yale’s admissions officers do not prefer one type of standardized test over another, students can be free to select the scores that best demonstrate their academic abilities.

Supplementary Materials

The Yale admissions committee recommends that students focus the majority of their efforts on the required application materials, as these materials usually paint a comprehensive picture of the applicant. However, if you feel that you have talents that cannot be conveyed through the traditional application materials, you can submit supplementary materials as well.

Examples of supplementary materials include audio recordings, musical scores, art or film samples, dance videos, scientific research, creative writing, and other forms of art or academic work. Students who submit work involving the arts will be asked to complete an additional Arts Supplement Questionnaire that must be returned no later than November 8 for Single-Choice Early Action applicants and January 9 for Regular Decision applicants.

Improve Your Chances of Admission with Prep Expert

If you feel overwhelmed by the many pieces that go into building a solid Yale application, Prep Expert is here to help! With SAT and ACT courses designed to meet the needs of every student, one-on-one tutoring sessions hosted by expert instructors, and dedicated college consulting for students and their families, Prep Expert offers all the tools you need to set yourself up for success both in college and in your professional life beyond.

I’ve spent over 10,000 hours researching and developing the best test prep materials over the past decade, and I’m proud to share those findings with thousands of students every year in hopes of helping them reach their dreams. Check out our course catalog today to learn more about what Prep Expert can do for you!