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FAQ

Completing Your Application at Yale SOM

To apply to the Yale School of Management, applicants must have earned a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent. Applicants must submit the online application (including an essay), and the following materials:

- Transcripts from every college or university attended
- Two professional recommendations
- Complete the video questions
- Complete the behavioral assessment
- Official GMAT or GRE score (valid within 5 years of exam date)
- Pay the application fee

To make the application process as affordable as possible for candidates  with diverse backgrounds, the Yale School of Management uses a sliding-scale application fee structure. The standard application fee is $250. For applicants earning less than $30,000 a year, the application fee is $175. For applicants earning less than $15,000 a year, it is $125. The application fee is based on the total annual compensation information you provide in the application. If you are admitted and enroll, we will verify this compensation information. Your offer of admission is contingent on successful verification.

Yale SOM waives the application fee for members of the following groups:  

  • Active U.S. military members and U.S. military veterans
  • Members and alumni of Teach for America, Teach for China, Teach for India, or other Teach for All Network Partners
  • Current Forté MBALaunch or Rising Star program participants
  • Current and former U.S. Peace Corps volunteers
  • Current Yale graduate students
  • Current Yale undergraduate students
  • Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT)
  • QuestBridge college seniors and alumni
  • Access Fellows

Within the Yale SOM application, you can request a fee waiver if you meet any of these criteria. We ask students requesting  a fee waiver to do so  at least 48 hours before the application deadline.

To see the average test scores, GPA, and additional demographic information for recent classes, visit the Class Profile. 

There is no minimum GMAT or GRE score required to apply to Yale SOM.

All test scores (online or in-person GMAT and GRE) must be less than five years old, measured from the date you submit your application. For example, if you are applying with a test score from December 15, 2016, you can submit your application using this test score until December 14, 2021, but you also need to order those official scores to be sent to SOM before December, 14, 2021. If you took the exam within the past five years and have designated Yale SOM as a score report recipient, we will have access to all of your GMAT and/or GRE scores from that period. If your score will soon become five years old, you may not be able to send your scores to us after you are admitted. If you fall into this case, please send your scores to us well before your scores become five years old.

Sometimes applicants have a scheduled GMAT or GRE exam very near or just after an application deadline. We can’t guarantee that we will be able to review scores from exams taken after the application date, so plan to have all of your testing done in advance of the application deadline. If you do end up retaking a test after the application deadline, you will be able to enter the new score on your applicant status page. Always be sure to have your official score report sent from GMAC or ETS.

We see and consider all the scores reported to Yale SOM  as we review your application, although we credit the highest score you achieved. We do not average scores. If you have taken either exam more than once and have already reported your scores, you will need to report all subsequent scores to our institution code.

You can request GMAT score reports through www.mba.com (use code 3TJ-BX-45) and GRE scores through www.ets.org  (use code 3986). Please make sure you use the correct code at the time you submit your scores. Note: Yale SOM has multiple GMAT and GRE codes. Be sure to send your scores to the codes above, which correspond to the Yale SOM full-time MBA program. Use of a different code will result in a delay of receiving your official scores.

The Behavioral Assessment is an online admissions tool administered by the research division of ETS, which measures a set of interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies associated with business school success.  It is a forced-choice module that takes about 20 minutes to complete, and should be completed in a single sitting.  Applicants do not need to do anything in advance to prepare for the assessment, nor does it require any specialized knowledge, background, or information to complete.

At Yale SOM, we look for broadminded, intellectually curious students that represent a diversity of backgrounds and interests.  With this goal in mind, we consider applications holistically, and review each candidate within the context of the overall pool without fixed weight given to specific pieces of the application.  The Behavioral Assessment is one piece of this puzzle, and we will use it with a light touch within the overall set of admissions considerations.  While the assessment alone will not be the deciding factor for admission, it can provide valuable information when used in context with other elements of an application. 

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide transcripts for all undergraduate, graduate, study abroad, transfer and non-degree programs you have attended and for which you were issued university-level course credit.  Professional and personal development activities not taken for university-level credit, such as CPA, CFA, and online classes for which you did not receive course credit, do not require transcripts.

You do not need to submit official transcripts to apply, but you should provide a transcript generated by your school, such as a copy of a transcript released to you by the institution, or a screenshot of a transcript available to you online. Transcripts should clearly show the name of the institution, all course descriptions and grades. Submit all available pages of each transcript, including pages that detail your institution's grading scale. We will require official transcripts once you enroll at Yale SOM; all offers of admission are conditional until the receipt and verification of official transcripts and degree certifications.

If your transcript is not in English, we request both a copy of the original untranslated transcript as well as a notarized English translation.

If you transferred courses for a study abroad or summer course experience at another school, and if your home institution accepted your coursework as pass/fail, we ask you include the transcripts from your transfer institution that lists both your courses and the grades earned for the courses.

No, if your GPA is not reported on your transcript, you should not calculate it for the application. Please report the same GPA that is listed on your transcript.

You may choose to complete this section if an aspect of your candidacy could benefit from further explanation.  This might include unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, academic performance, promotions or recognitions, or other information that is not apparent from the rest of your application. It is perfectly acceptable to leave this section blank.

Although full-time work experience is strongly encouraged, it is not a requirement for admission. Our incoming students have an average of  five years of work experience when they start the program, although the overall range of experience is much wider than that. We also admit a select group of students directly from college through our  Silver Scholars Program.

The application requires two professional recommendations, one of which ideally should come from your most recent supervisor. If you are an entrepreneur or work for your family’s business, you may get a professional recommendation from a client or mentor. Please select recommenders who know you well and can speak to your strengths. Do not choose recommenders simply because they are in high-level executive positions at your company. Yale SOM welcomes your recommenders to upload and submit letters of recommendation written in Chinese (Mandarin) or Spanish. Yale University will be responsible for providing a translation to English for review by the Office of Admissions.

Yes. All applicants who are offered admission will have had an interview. Interviews are granted by invitation of the Admissions Committee, and can be extended at any point during an admissions round.

The application process is exactly the same for joint degree applicants as it is for other applicants with the addition of a  separate essay to explain your interest in the joint degree. Applicants need to submit a separate application to each program and be admitted to each program to enroll as a joint degree candidate. Admissions decisions for each program are made independently.

As a reapplicant, you are required to submit a new application, upload new essays (including a reapplicant essay), pay the application fee, and complete the video questions. If you have applied within the last two years, you are not required to submit new transcripts or a new test score report (please note, GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years from the test date to the date of submission of your new application).  Although it is not required, you may choose to request new letters of recommendation if they would provide insight into your candidacy since your last application.

If you applied more than two years ago, you will need to submit an entirely new application and provide all required materials.

If you are reapplying to Yale SOM, the Admissions Committee will look to understand what has changed about your candidacy since your last application.  Therefore, we suggest you reapply only when you have had enough time to reflect on and can provide meaningful updates to your candidacy.  There is no single round that is the best for all reapplicants; rather, we see successful reapplicants apply throughout the year.  If waiting until a later round gives you a better opportunity to put forward your best application, then we encourage you to take the extra time to prepare.

Admissions

Candidates should apply when they feel they can submit their best application. There is no difference in your individual chances of being admitted in Round 1 versus Round 2. There are fewer spaces available for Round 3 applicants than there are in the first two rounds, which may affect the chances of gaining admission.

Once you submit your application online, you will be able to check your online status by signing in with your email address and password. You will then be able to see which materials our office has received and which we are still awaiting. It can take up to a week to receive your official test scores.

Invitations to interview are sent via email throughout the round in which you apply. Although we try to extend invitations as early as possible, they may be extended as late as the admissions decision deadline. The timing of your interview invitation has no bearing on the outcome of your application. In some cases, a waitlisted candidate may be invited to interview in a future round.

Applicants will receive their decision by close of business (5 p.m. ET) on the decision release date. For a list of this year’s application and decision release dates, please visit the Admissions page.

After submitting your application, any material changes or updates – such as new grades or a change in employment – must be reported as soon as possible through the form on your application status page. You may also use this form to report other updates, such as a new test score. We will do our best, but we cannot guarantee that new materials received after the application deadline will be considered in our evaluation process. 

All applicants are automatically considered for a merit scholarship. There is no need to take any additional steps to be considered. If you are awarded a scholarship, you will be notified at the same time you learn of your admission to the program. If you do not receive a merit scholarship, there are other means of financing your MBA studies, including outside scholarships for which you may be eligible. Please visit the Affording Your MBApage for more information.

Learning more about Yale SOM

There are many ways to get to know Yale SOM. We encourage you to reach out to current Student Ambassadors, attend an event, or watch previously recorded events.

In light of the evolving COVID-19 situation and the Yale University  guidelines for meetings and events, we have suspended our campus visit program until further notice. Join our mailing list to receive announcements from the school.

We participate in many events throughout the world. Currently, all of our events are virtual. Please take a look at our events calendar . You can also join our mailing list to be notified of upcoming events. 

There are many ways to learn about the MBA program online. You can read student blogs, participate in online events, and email our Student Ambassadors.

You may email your questions to mba.admissions@yale.edu or call +1 203-432-5635.

Consortium for Graduate Study in Management

The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is an alliance of leading American business schools and some of our country’s top corporations, whose mission is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping to reduce the serious underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both its member schools’ enrollments and the ranks of management.

There is no advantage or disadvantage in applying to the Consortium versus applying directly to Yale SOM. The same review process and admissions standards apply for both applicant pools.

By completing the Consortium’s application and the Yale supplement, you are excused from completing the Yale SOM application. The materials required for the Consortium application are almost identical to those materials we require. For a list of required materials, application processes, and deadlines, please visit www.cgsm.org. You will be required to complete the video question portion of the Yale SOM application. You will receive more information about the video questions and behavioral assessment after you submit your application to the Consortium. 

Applicants applying to Yale SOM via the Consortium are eligible to apply as a joint degree to one of Yale’s other graduate/professional schools. Applicants need to submit a separate application to each program and be admitted to each program to enroll as a joint degree candidate. Admissions decisions for each program are made independently. The Consortium fellowship will only cover the in-residency time at Yale SOM, which equates to about one and a half years for most joint degree programs.

As a Consortium applicant you are only required to adhere to the application requirements and deadlines outlined by the Consortium. All Consortium deadlines are listed on www.cgsm.org.

Silver Scholar (college senior) applicants may apply through the Consortium. As a Consortium applicant you are only required to adhere to the application requirements and deadlines outlined by the Consortium.  For more information on the Silver Scholars program, please email mba.admissions@yale.edu or visit the Silver Scholars page.

The Consortium defers to the member schools' interview process for all interviews for admissions purposes. Yale SOM's interviews are granted by invitation only.  Invitations to interview will be sent via email from our office. We will try to extend invitations as early as possible. The timing of your interview invitation has no bearing on the outcome of your application. Once you are invited to interview, you will be able to schedule your interview online using the instructions in the invitation email.

In order to be considered for the Yale Consortium fellowship, you must apply through the Consortium, follow Consortium deadlines and submit all of the required materials according to the Consortium application instructions.

All Consortium applicants are considered for Yale SOM merit-based scholarships, including Yale SOM Consortium fellowships.

Round 1 applicants should expect to receive their admissions decision on December 3, 2021. Round 2 applicants should expect to receive their admissions decision in March of 2022. Applicants will receive their decision by close of business (5 p.m. ET).

Consortium membership decisions will come directly from the Consortium and fellowship decisions will be made by the schools. If you have been selected for a Yale SOM Consortium fellowship, you will be notified by Yale SOM at the time of admission.

Visit the Consortium’s Frequently Asked Questions page to read more about the organization's admissions process and application requirements.

International Applicants

To apply to Yale SOM, an applicant must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent. International applicants with a three-year degree from an accredited institution may apply. 

No, the TOEFL, PTE Academic, or IELTS exam is not required for international applicants.

Yes, non-English transcripts should be translated into English. If your institution does not provide an English translation with the transcript, you should obtain a notarized English translation. Please provide this, along with a copy of your transcript in its original language.

Yale's Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) provides English language support, local community connections, and a multitude of daily events for international students and their families. For more information, visit the OISS website.