From the Assistant Dean for Admissions: Visit Campus and Get to Know Us Better

There are so many ways to get to know a business school—scouring school websites for stats, reading blog posts from the myriad sites that exist to help compare business schools, or even checking out Instagram or Twitter for the latest happenings on campuses. These are all excellent starts, but when you’re ready to take the next step, I encourage you to reach out to current students. We have about 70 or so second-year Student Ambassadors listed on our website, which makes it really easy for you to get to know someone here on campus. I realize this is not novel advice, but that doesn’t mean it’s not valuable: There really is no better way to get to know us than by talking to those who live the SOM experience every day.

After this information-gathering phase, many applicants decide that they’d like to see Yale SOM for themselves. Perhaps this is a gut-check, a way to see firsthand what you’ve heard about from others or begun to picture for yourself. We offer a campus visit program throughout the year when classes are in session to allow you the chance to meet and chat with students, tour both Evans Hall and Yale University, and meet a member of the Admissions Committee for an interactive Q&A session. Keep in mind that the campus visit is non-evaluative—it’s for you to get to know us. 

Want to see our unique integrated curriculum in action? Join us this spring to sit in on one of our Organizational Perspective courses like The Global Macroeconomy or Innovator. Excited that the entire second year of the MBA program consists of elective courses of your choosing? Sit in on one of our most popular electives, like Competitive Strategy, or something more specific to your career goals, like Consumer Behavior, Human Capital Strategy, Entrepreneurship & New Ventures, or Healthcare Operations.

Have you enjoyed your conversation with second-year students, but you’re eager to hear what our first-year students have to say? During your campus visit you’ll be guided by our first-year students and you’ll get the chance to get to know them better over lunch.

A campus visit is a pretty jam-packed day, but if you’ve got some time on your hands before your train or if you’re staying overnight, it’s always worthwhile spending some time getting to know the many great things about New Haven. My mind immediately goes to all the food you can enjoy: Mecha Noodle Bar, BAR (get ready to join the ongoing, heated debate on New Haven pizza), and Geronimo are some great casual options downtown. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface. Be sure to leave room for dessert and stop by Arethusa or Ashley’s for some ice cream (for those of you not native to New England, you’ll soon learn we aren’t deterred by winter when it comes to ice cream).

Once you’re full, take some time to check out one of the many Yale museums, catch a show at the Yale Repertory Theatre or College Street Music Hall, or make time for one of the many Yale SOM events happening this spring, like the Gartska Cup or one of our student-led conferences. Also, check out this unofficial list of the best photo ops at Yale!

I encourage you to take that next step in getting to know us, whether you’re thinking of submitting an application for Round 3 or you’re just beginning your MBA journey.

We look forward to meeting you!