Introducing the Application for the MBA Class of 2027

As the 2024-25 admissions cycle begins, I’d like to share a few thoughts about the Yale SOM MBA application and some of its new aspects, to help you think about and prepare your Yale SOM candidacy.

I’ll start by saying that this year’s application remains largely the same as last year’s. Many of the core elements of the application haven’t changed, including the essay question, which allows applicants to choose among (1) the biggest commitment you’ve ever made, (2) the community that has been most meaningful to you, or (3) the most significant challenge you have faced. We introduced these choices last year to give applicants the opportunity to write about what’s truly most important to them. The feedback, both from our own review of applicant essays and the comments we received from applicants themselves, suggests that that’s exactly how the prompts worked— applicants seemed to like the choices they were given in terms of topics, and we really liked the essays they wrote. So we’re following that reliable advice: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Another change we made last year was to further expand the Background Information section of the application—something we’ve been doing for several years—to allow applicants to provide more contextual information about the individual circumstances in which they’ve lived, studied, and worked. Our overarching goal is to expand access to graduate management education to the broadest range of individuals possible, and knowing as much as we can about the context of your candidacy is one way we’re able to do that.

The most significant change to our application this year is also aimed at increasing access, but in a different way. We already offered a sliding-scale application fee structure to lower the cost of applying to Yale SOM, as well as full application fee waivers to candidates who fall within certain categories, including U.S. military members and veterans, Teach for All members or alumni, Forté MBALaunch and MBA Launch for Undergrads program participants, and U.S. Peace Corps volunteers. This year, we’ve added a new application fee waiver category: students and alumni of nearly 700 U.S. colleges and universities that have significant initiatives to promote economic diversity, including schools where at least 35% of students receive Pell Grants. We know that school choice can largely be driven by circumstances and the opportunities that are available to someone, so we continue to work to make sure we’re expanding opportunities to individuals for whom financial considerations may loom especially large in the decision-making process. Expanding our application fee waiver program to students and alumni of these schools is one additional way we’re trying to increase access to graduate management education.

As you explore your MBA options and begin to work on your application, we invite you to learn more about Yale SOM and how to navigate the MBA application process. I would particularly point you to our first major online event, Inside the Application, Literally, hosted by my colleague Laurel Grodman YC ’02, SOM ’06, assistant dean for admissions. Laurel will give a live walk-through of the MBA application and offer insider advice on how to complete it. We also have a variety of other events and resources to help you with your application, including our Application Guide. And of course, if you still have questions, you can always contact us directly.

Bruce DelMonico  
Assistant Dean for Admissions

Admissions Office  
Yale School of Management  
165 Whitney Avenue  
Box 208200  
New Haven, CT 06520-8200  
203.432.5635, Admissions Office  
fax 203.432.7004  
mba.admissions@yale.edu