Frequently Asked Questions - Eli Whitney Program for Non-Traditional Students
The admissions application is due on April 1, and you should submit your financial aid application by May 1.
Please visit our Eli Whitney Students Program Application Instructions & Forms page for application instructions and to download the application forms.
Applicants who gain admission to the Eli Whitney Students Program will receive notice in mid- to late- June. Candidates who are not admitted will receive notice sometime between late May and late June. We will send notifications via email.
If you have followed a traditional educational path, wish to study on a full-time basis, and have not had your college experience delayed or interrupted by more than five years, then you should apply as a transfer student. Please visit our Transfer Program for more information about the transfer program, including transfer eligibility. If your college experience was delayed or interrupted at any point for five or more years, then you may apply to the Eli Whitney Students Program. Keep in mind that transfer students must attend full time, but Eli Whitney students have the flexibility to attend on a part- or full-time basis. Undergraduate on-campus housing is usually available to transfer students, but not to Eli Whitney students. Unlike all other undergraduates, including transfer students, tuition costs for Eli Whitney students vary depending on the number of credits taken in any given semester. The maximum amount of Yale Scholarship per semester for Eli Whitney students is capped at the cost of tuition.
You may still apply to the EWSP, but keep in mind that it is very unusual for Yale to admit students who do not present strong recent academic performance. If you have not taken college classes recently, it is strongly encouraged that you take rigorous liberal arts and sciences courses before submitting an application. You should consider taking courses in English, math, history, physical or natural sciences, and foreign languages.
You should pursue coursework at a full accredited post-secondary institution, such as a public or private college/university that grants bachelor’s degrees or a community college that grants associate’s degrees. Many Eli Whitney students have taken courses at community colleges at some point during their educational careers.
For the most part, no. Yale rarely allows Eli Whitney students to postpone matriculation, but we will consider a request if there are exceptional circumstances.
Your high school transcript may include standardized test results. You might also ask the College Board (for SAT tests) or ACT, Inc. (for ACT tests) to send the results. For more information regarding SATs, please visit the College Board website or call 866-756-7346. If you are calling from outside the United States, call the College Board at 212.713.7789. You can visit the ACT website, and you may reach ACT by telephone at 319.337.1000.
You may be eligible to transfer some or all of your prior college credits, up to a maximum of eighteen course credits. Please note that most courses in Yale College are term courses that carry one course credit. If the college courses you successfully completed at your prior institution are similar to those available to Yale undergraduates, those course credits will likely be transferable. You must have taken the coursework at a fully accredited post-secondary institution, such as a public or private college/university that grants bachelor’s degrees or a community college that grants associate’s degrees. You must achieve a grade of A or B in at least three-quarters of your non-Yale courses, and no lower than a C grade in the remainder. Credit is not granted for online courses; Advanced Placement (AP) results; International Baccalaureate (IB) results; College Level Placement Exams (CLEP); or college credits earned while you were in high school.
Most term courses at Yale - but not all - are worth one course credit. Generally speaking, a Yale course credit is the same as three or four credit hours or four and one-half quarter hours.
Yes. Students at Yale must be able to understand rapid, idiomatic English and to express themselves easily in both spoken and written English. For information on how Yale assesses an international student applicant’s English language skills, see our page for International Students.
International students generally must have F-1 student status to enter the Eli Whitney Students Program, and must register as full-time students during their entire tenure at Yale. To count as a full-time student you must take a minimum of three courses each semester. You will not be able to enroll with only tourist status (B1/B2 or visa waiver status).
All international students who gain admission to Yale must consult with the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS). You can reach OISS by telephone at 203-432-2305 or by email at oiss@yale.edu. OISS issues the I-20 form that international students need to obtain an F-1 visa.
Yes. The Eli Whitney Students Program receives applications from a far greater number of students than it can accommodate. It is prudent to apply to more than one program. Fortunately, there are many colleges that have programs designed especially for non-traditional students. Some of the non-traditional student programs within a two hour drive of New Haven are:
Eli Whitney students who entered Yale in or after the fall 2007 semester may choose to take up to nine course credits each year, and must take at least three course credits each year to remain in good standing. International students who hold F-1 student status for this program must register as full-time students at all times. To do so, international students must take at least three courses per semester.
No. If you already have an undergraduate degree, Yale will not admit you for a second bachelor’s degree, even if you wish to pursue a different major. If you hold an associate's degree, you can be considered for either the Eli Whitney or Transfer Student programs.
Yes. But Eli Whitney students must make a separate application to the Yale Summer Session. Please visit the Yale Summer Session website.
Eli Whitney students are not eligible for on-campus undergraduate housing, but incoming Eli Whitney students may apply for graduate dormitory housing. Graduate dormitories are for single students only, not for families. Many Eli Whitney students live in rental apartments in New Haven.
Check the Yale College academic calendar, as is applicable to students in the Eli Whitney program.
Yes, provided the student otherwise qualifies for the course. Some courses have limited enrollment or require the instructor’s permission, but in these cases you will be treated the same as any other Yale undergraduate.
No, unless the graduate or professional school course is cross-registered in the Yale College Programs of Study. If you wish to take graduate courses on a part-time schedule and with non-degree status, please contact the Division of Special Registration at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, located at 320 York Street, New Haven, CT. You can reach them by telephone at 203-432-2771.
Yes, but you must submit a new application for admission in a subsequent year. A new application fee is also required. Please note that applications will not be considered from individuals who have submitted applications to Yale College more than three times.
The normal procedure is to apply through the Yale College Dean's Office for re-admission. This path requires you to attend as a full-time student, and allows you to live in campus housing. If you have been out of Yale for over five years and still need at least eighteen course credits to graduate, you may instead apply as an Eli Whitney student. Coming back to Yale as an Eli Whitney student gives you the option of finishing your degree on either a part- or full-time basis. On the other hand, as an Eli Whitney student you will not be able to live in campus housing. Please note that Eli Whitney students must take a minimum of eighteen term course credits at Yale to qualify for a degree.