How to Get Into Yale University
Many of our students pine for admission to top schools, such as those in the Ivy League. Gaining admission is notoriously difficult, and every year, admission rates decline further. With that said, admission is not impossible. Read on to learn how you can separate yourself from the competition, and gain acceptance to schools like Yale.
Yale Overview
Yale, established in 1701, is known as the oldest university in the United States. It’s one of the highest ranked universities in the world, renowned for its academics and successful alumni. The school is located in New Haven, Connecticut.
Yale’s mission statement is to “[improve] the world today and for future generations through outstanding research and scholarship, education, preservation, and practice. Yale educates aspiring leaders worldwide who serve all sectors of society. We carry out this mission through the free exchange of ideas in an ethical, interdependent, and diverse community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni.”
“Yale aspires to be the most student-focused research university in the world. We will achieve that vision through a distinctive commitment among our faculty to teaching, close engagement with students, and by ensuring that all students are prepared and able to take full advantage of their educational programs and of the extraordinary strengths and assets of a preeminent university that is unified, innovative, and accessible.” — Yale University
How Difficult is it to Gain Admission to Yale?
It is extremely difficult to gain admission to Yale University. The average GPA of accepted students is 4.14, which requires nearly straight As. Meanwhile, the average SAT score of accepted students sits at 1515. The school could fill its class multiple times over with students that have perfect stats, as grades and test scores are only the bare minimum requirement.
While the school is extremely selective, chances of admission increase drastically for students that have completed a passion project, research, and that have compelling essays.
We recommend scheduling an initial consultation to discuss crafting a successful application.
What was Yale’s Acceptance Rate in 2022?
Yale’s acceptance rate dropped to a record-low 4.6%. The school received 50,015 applications, and only accepted 2234 students. This means that admission to school is fiercely competitive. For those with certain racial demographics, or international students, the numbers look even lower.
What is Yale Looking For?
Yale is looking for students who will become leaders in any discipline that they pursue. The admissions website mentions a writing from former Yale President Kingman Brewster, on how selecting future students at this school is “a combination of looking for those who would make the most of the extraordinary resources assembled here, those with a zest to stretch the limits of their talents, and those with an outstanding public motivation – in other words, applicants with a concern for something larger than themselves.”
The admission officers will assess your potential for personal and academic growth, and whether or not you stretched yourself, and ventured outside your comfort zone. There are two questions that guide the admission officers’ review of your application, as per the admissions website: “Who is likely to make the most of Yale’s resources?” and “Who will contribute most significantly to the Yale community?”
Special attention should be spent on the application, ensuring that the student stands out from the pack. A quick search of students’ college rejection stories online reveals how perfect applicants are turned away each admissions cycle.
“We are looking for students who will make the most of Yale and the most of their talents. Knowing how you’ve engaged in the resources and opportunities at your high school gives us an expectation of how you might engage the resources at Yale if admitted..” – Yale Admissions
How do I Submit an Application?
Yale University uses the Common Application, and will request information regarding the following:
Family Information
Education History
Test Scores (Optional)
Extracurricular Activities
Personal Statement
Yale-specific Questions
Supplemental Writing
What are Yale’s GPA Requirements?
Yale admission officers will look most closely to the unweighted GPA, not the weighted GPA. This is because of the variability of different schools’ curriculums. Students with an unweighted GPA of 4.0, and a class rank in the top 5%, have the best chance of getting accepted. A class rank of top 10% is nearly mandatory barring exceptional hooks.
Does Yale Require AP or IB?
Students are strongly encouraged to take a rigorous, renowned academic curriculum such as AP, IB, or A Levels. If your school does not offer such courses, you are advised to self-study and take the exams independently.
What are Yale’s Standardized Testing Requirements?
Yale’s official messaging is currently that failing to submit test scores will not hurt an application in any way. However, Ivy Brothers recommends sending test scores, unless they are abysmally low, as our data suggests that students who submit their test scores, even if slightly low, fare better in the admission process than those who don’t. This is especially true for students that are unhooked. For reference, unhooked means that the student doesn’t have a compelling admission advantage, such as being a recruited athlete or a child of a donor.
Students may submit either the SAT or ACT, and there is no advantage to one over the other. A
What are Yale’s SAT Requirements?
The minimum SAT score needed for Yale is 1470, the 25th percentile. However, at Ivy Brothers, we suggest that students score in the 75th percentile for their desired school; for Yale, this would mean an SAT score of 1560.
*SAT requirements are liable to change in future admission cycles
What are Yale’s ACT Requirements?
The minimum ACT score needed for Yale is 33, the 25th percentile. However, at Ivy Brothers, we suggest that students score in the 75th percentile for their desired school; for Yale, this would mean an ACT score of 35.
*SAT requirements are liable to change in future admission cycles
“Transcripts, test scores, essays, and recommendations help paint a picture not only of a student’s accomplishments to date but also of the ways in which an applicant has taken advantage of available opportunities.” – Yale Admissions
What are Yale’s English Language Proficiency Requirements?
Yale requires a strong, fluent knowledge of English. Proficiency exams are not required, but international students are welcome to submit them, such as TOEFL or IELTS.
What are Yale’s Common App Essay Prompts for 2022-23?
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
These prompts are intended for admission officers to better understand your background, goals, character, integrity, and other positive characteristics. The essay should be vulnerable, and should be unique. One of the biggest pitfalls we see in students’ essays is the topic being cliché and dull. To see some examples of successful essays, please schedule a virtual consultation with us.
What are Yale’s Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2022-23?
Students at Yale have time to explore their academic interests before committing to one or more major fields of study. Many students either modify their original academic direction or change their minds entirely. As of this moment, what academic areas seem to fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Please indicate up to three from the list provided.
Tell us about a topic or idea that excites you and is related to one or more academic areas you selected above. Why are you drawn to it? (200 words or fewer)
What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)
Yale requires supplemental essays in addition to the Common App Personal Statement. Yale allows you to write on a topic of your choice, or use a prompt as a starting point. Overall, Yale is looking to better understand you, as a person, and what you will bring to the school.
Yale also has the following additional questions asked of applicants that submit the Common Application:
What inspires you?
You are teaching a new Yale course. What is it called?
Yale’s residential colleges regularly host conversations with guests representing a wide range of experiences and accomplishments. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What would you ask them to discuss?
What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application?
Once again, to see some examples of successful essays, please schedule a virtual consultation with us.
What are Yale’s Extracurricular Activity Requirements?
Yale seeks students who will be engaged in their community or field of interest, and will make an impact on campus and beyond. This is an area where many students go wrong. You should develop a spiked passion in a particular field of interest, rather than a laundry list of unrelated activities. Here are some examples of extra-curricular activities of past, successful students in the admission process:
Started a Small Business
Deep Convolutional Neural Network for Predictions of Several Aspects of Trees with respect to Air Quality via Ardunio Sensors
Created a Novel Technique to Write and Run Neural Networks in C on x86_64 CPU Architecture
Wrote a Research Paper on Climate Policy in China versus Taiwan and Submitted to the Journal of East Asian Studies
ISEF Finalist
USACO Gold
Quantified Human Lung Toxicity During Space Travel by Regolith in Project Funded by NASA
Create a Literary Journal that Focuses on Mental Health
These are examples of top-tier extracurricular activities. If your activities do not resemble something similar, then we suggest scheduling a consultation to learn how we can create a game plan for your activity section. It is important to schedule a consultation to tackle this part of the process sooner rather than later. You don’t want to look as if you are doing projects last minute just for the college application.
What are Yale’s Application Deadlines?
Restrictive Early Action: November 1st
Regular Decision: January 2nd
Does my Race or Ethnicity Affect my Acceptance Rate at Yale?
Yes, Yale considers race and ethnicity. Students who identify as East Asian, Southeast Asian, or South Asian have significantly more difficult chances at admission. Many of our students fall into this category, and we make it our mission to help them stand out in a highly competitive pool.
This is backed by data from the National Centre for Education Statistics. Below is a graph that shows how, even as the Asian American population increases, the % of enrolled students has remained constant at top schools.
Does my Choice of Major Affect my Acceptance Rate at Yale?
Yes, Yale will compare you to other students who are seeking similar majors. In general, students will face the highest level of competition, and lowest acceptance rates, in majors such as Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, and Physics.
What is the Average Salary of a Graduate of Yale University?
Yale graduates, on average, make $118,400 ten years after finishing undergrad at Yale University. This number is dependent on the choice of major and career. The top 10 percent of Yale grads are making upwards of $250,000 by the time they're 32, and graduates who enter fields like consulting, technology, or finance regularly make a starting salary of $120,000 to $200,000.
For all students, the price of professional help in the admission process is well worth it in terms of return on investment. The last thing you want is for your student’s hard work in high school to go to waste.
Final Thoughts
Gaining admission to top schools is not an easy feat. Yale is looking for students who will contribute positively to their campus, upholding the school’s values, and who are ambitious and yearn to contribute to their field of interest.
Ivy Brothers helps students to stand out in the competitive admission process through one-on-one mentorship. Schedule an initial consultation to learn how we help students achieve their educational and career goals.
