Rather than calculate an average score, Yale reports the middle 50% of test scores (the 25th to the 75th percentiles). For incoming first-years those ranges were as follows: SAT-Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 720-770; SAT-Math: 730-790; ACT Composite: 33-35. This means that 25% of incoming first-year students scored below these ranges and 25% scored above them. In the last admissions cycle there were more than five thousand applicants with scores at or above the 75th percentile scores listed here who were not offered admission.
No. Standardized tests are just one component of a student’s application and are viewed within the context of the student’s entire file.
Applicants should self-report results from all SATs or ACTs taken while in high school on the application. If you choose to fulfill the testing requirement with SAT scores, it is not necessary to send any scores from the ACT, and vice versa. First-year applicants attending secondary schools outside the US should also submit official results from the testing agency. Yale’s CEEB code for the SAT is 3987; the ACT code is 0618. Applicants who have compelted AP, IB, or AICE exams, should self-report scores on the application. Applicants who have completed one or more SAT Subject Tests may chose which, if any, SAT Subject Test scores to send to Yale and whether to self-report scores on the application or not.
First-year applicants attending secondary school in the United States may satisfy Yale’s standardized testing requirement by self-reporting ACT and/or SAT scores in the application. First-year applicants attending international secondary schools must submit official results from the testing agency. Yale’s CEEB code for the SAT is 3987; the ACT code is 0618.
No. Applicants may choose to report all SAT results, all ACT results, or all results from both exams. Applicants who choose to report one or more scores from an exam must report all scores from that exam.
No. You may self-report AP, IB, or AICE exam scores in the spaces provided on the application. An official report from the testing agency is not required.
Use the appropriate form on the Yale Admissions Status portal to self-report new scores, or list Yale as an official score recipient either on or in advance of the test date. Yale’s CEEB code for the SAT is 3987; the ACT code is 0618.
Yes and no. The Admissions Committee focuses its evaluation on the highest individual SAT subscores (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing + Math) even if those subscores were achieved on different dates. The Committee, however, also considers an applicant’s full testing history, and applicants must report results from all test dates when applying. The Committee also focuses its evaluation on the highest individual ACT Composite scores earned in one sitting, while also considering subscores across multiple test dates. The Committee will not, however, recalculate a new ACT Composite from multiple test dates.
Yes and no. Yale awards “acceleration credit” to students for scores of 4 or 5 on some AP exams. Acceleration credit may offer some students the option to graduate in fewer than eight terms, but only after completing specific courses in specific departments. Although most Yale students have completed multiple AP exams prior to matriculating, most do not use acceleration credit to graduate early. Acceleration credits may not be used to fulfill Yale’s distributional requirements. For further details see Yale College acceleration policies and the current table of acceleration credit.
Yes. Applicants should report results from all exams taken while in high school if the exam is being used to fulfill Yale’s standardized testing requirement. For example, a student who took the ACT in junior year and reports those scores to Yale should also report an ACT completed in sophomore year. A student who took the SAT in junior year and reports those scores to Yale is not required to report an ACT completed in sophomore year. Admissions officers pay close attention to the date associated with a test score, with the goal of understanding an applicant’s testing history, not zeroing-in on the lowest score.
No. Exams completed before high school are not considered, and applicants are not required to report those results.
An applicant’s testing history provides useful contextual information to the Admissions Committee. With a full testing history, the Committee is able to look at a student’s highest reported score on each section of the SAT and/or the highest ACT composite score.
Follow the instructions in the testing section of the application, which asks you to report some, but not all, of your scores. Then use the Additional Information page to report any other tests you would like to report. You may also ask the College Board and/or ACT to send Yale a complete set of your official scores.