If you are an international student, you must hold student visa status to attend Yale, even in the Non-Degree Students Program. To maintain that status, you must register as a full-time student - which means that you must take a minimum of three courses per semester. Individuals with tourist status (B1/B2 or visa waiver status) will not be able to enroll.
All international students coming to Yale, including those in the Non-Degree Students Program, must consult with the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS). Use the contact information at oiss.yale.edu/about/connect-with-oiss to connect with an OISS staff member.
International candidates must have the proper examining agencies send official copies of any external examination results (such as GCSEs or O-level equivalents, A-levels, and IBs) directly to the Yale College admissions office. We will also accept copies of test results that your secondary school sends.
Be sure that official translations accompany any documents that are not written in English.
Please note that neither financial aid nor on-campus housing is available to non-degree students.
Testing for Non-Native English Speakers
Students at Yale must be able to express themselves fluently in spoken and written English. If you are not a native English speaker and you do not have at least two years of secondary or university education where English is the medium of instruction, you must submit the results of any one of the following tests for non-native English speakers.
TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language
The TOEFL requires pre-registration for available testing dates. Yale’s most competitive applicants have scores of at least 100 on the internet-based TOEFL.
IELTS International English Language Testing System
The IELTS offers proficiency tests in locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have IELTS scores of 7 or higher.
Applicants may submit the Duolingo English Test (DET), which combines an English proficiency test with a brief video interview. Duolingo’s technology and format allows applicants to complete the test at any time or place with internet access. Yale’s most competitive applicants have DET scores of at least 120.
InitialView InitialView
InitialView provides live, unscripted video interviews that candidates may submit to colleges for consideration with other application materials. Interview times must be reserved in advance. There is no scoring associated with these interviews.