Yale’s Admissions Committee seeks to admit a small number of transfer students with the potential to add to Yale’s vibrant community and take advantage of Yale’s unique opportunities. Successful transfer students come from wide a range of backgrounds, including community colleges, first-generation families, and the military.
Yale will admit a small number of transfer students from accredited two-year or four-year institutions every year. No simple profile of grades, scores, and interests can assure a transfer applicant admission to Yale. Before exploring Yale’s transfer application process, here are a few things you should know:
- Transfer students will begin in either their sophomore (second) year or junior (third) year and must enroll at Yale for a minimum of two years (four terms) to qualify for a bachelor’s degree.
- Transfer students enroll beginning in the fall term only.
- Class standing is determined by the Yale College Dean’s Office after an evaluation of transfer credit. Admitted students will be informed of their class standing after admission.
- Transfer students are eligible for the same generous need-based financial aid as students who begin as first-years. Prospective students can estimate their cost in three minutes using Yale’s Quick Cost Estimator.
- Yale evaluates applications for admission and financial aid without regard to a student’s citizenship or immigration status. These policies include undocumented students living in the US, whether they hold DACA status or not.
- Individuals who will have been out of high school for at least five years by the time of their intended Yale enrollment, and who have not yet received the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, may apply to the Eli Whitney Students Program. This is a program designed specifically for nontraditional students. Eli Whitney students have the same access to classes, majors, extracurricular activities, research opportunities and abroad experiences as other Yale undergraduates. The Eli Whitney Students Society offer peer support and provide a community for adult students. Unlike transfer students, Eli Whitney students have the flexibility to attend on a part-time or full-time basis. Standardized test scores are not required for admission through the Eli Whitney Students Program. Learn more about the Eli Whitney Students Program.
Follow the links to the right to learn more about applying to Yale as a transfer applicant.