General Questions About First-Year Admissions

Selecting a category is strongly recommended.
Selecting a category is strongly recommended.
Selecting a category is strongly recommended.
Selecting a category is strongly recommended.
Selecting a category is strongly recommended.

Yale’s review of high school transcripts is holistic and contextual. For advice on selecting courses within your high school, it is best to speak with a school counselor or college advisor. For information on what Yale looks for and our advice on selecting high school courses, please visit https://admissions.yale.edu/what-yale-looks-for and https://admissions.yale.edu/advice-selecting-high-school-courses.

Yale has adopted a test-optional policy for first-year applicants in the 2021-2022 admissions cycle and will not consider SAT Subject Tests. For future admissions cycles, Yale expects to require that all applicants submit either the ACT or the SAT. For more information - including median score ranges, deadlines, and policies on superscoring and multiple exams visit standardized-testing and read our FAQ here: faq/standardized-testing

The Yale Admissions Office is familiar with both AP and IB courses and does not prefer one over the other. Enrolled Yale undergraduate students typically use their AP or IB exam scores to enroll in a more advanced introductory level-course and do not use exams for course credit. For more information, visit https://admissions.yale.edu/advice-selecting-high-school-courses

Please visit https://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing to see the last possible test date for consideration in Early Action, Regular Decision, and QuestBridge Match rounds. Note that Yale cannot guarantee the receipt of standardized test scores sent by a given date.

Local interviews are conducted by Yale alumni where available after an applicant has submitted a completed application. Applicants do not request these interviews, and an interview is not required. For more information visit https://admissions.yale.edu/interviews.

Please read this information about Single-Choice Early Action.

Please read the information at admissions.yale.edu/single-choice-early-action, including the information about restrictions on applying to other universities when applying through Yale’s Early Action program.

Yale requires letters of recommendation from two academic teachers. A recommender must have taught the student in an academic subject for credit. Although letters from junior or senior year teachers are not required, these teachers typically write the most insightful letters of recommendation for applicants. Yale does not encourage supplemental letters of recommendation. For more information visit https://admissions.yale.edu/instructions#teacher

Applicants may self-report ACT and/or SAT scores on the application. Applicants who self-report scores, are offered admission, and choose to matriculate at Yale will be required to provide official results prior to enrolling. For more information visit https://admissions.yale.edu/instructions#testing and https://admissions.yale.edu/faq/standardized-testing.

Applicants may only request a application fee waiver through the Common Application or Coalition Application when completing the application online. Please read https://admissions.yale.edu//fee-waiver for more information. There is no fee for students applying with the QuestBridge National College Match Application. Please do not request an admissions fee waiver directly from the Yale Admissions Office.

All applicants must submit an official record of all academic work conducted during secondary school. If you have attended multiple secondary schools or completed college-level course work, you must submit official records from all sources. It is acceptable to have your current secondary school submit their official record of academic work completed elsewhere. For more information visit https://admissions.yale.edu/instructions#school

The estimated cost of attendance for the current school year can be found at http://finaid.yale.edu/costs-affordability/costs Please note that this is only an estimate, and does not include need-based financial aid awards. To estimate your family’s cost of attendance before applying, use our Net Price Calculator at https://admissions.yale.edu/yale-net-price-calculator

Detailed instructions on applying for financial aid can be found at http://finaid.yale.edu/applying-aid/prospective-new-students. Note that the application processes for undergraduate admission and undergraduate financial aid are separate and require submitting separate materials.

All undergraduate financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need, which is determined through the financial aid application process. Yale does not offer undergraduate merit-based scholarships of any kind. Domestic and international students are eligible for need-based financial aid awards. For more information, visit https://admissions.yale.edu/financial-aid-prospective-students.

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