How to Get Into Yale: Essays and Strategies That Worked
/Learn how hard it is to get into Yale, admissions requirements, and read successful essay examples
LEARN HOW TO GET INTO YALE
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Part 1: Introduction
As you research, visit, and imagine your child attending an Ivy League or Ivy Plus school, your mind has likely flitted to New Haven, Connecticut, home to Yale University.
At Yale, you’ll find gothic spires and aged residential colleges reminiscent of Oxford and Cambridge, a library designed to look like a “cathedral to knowledge,” a whale-shaped hockey stadium home to an NCAA-winning team, one of the oldest and most famous student newspapers in the country, and a campus thrumming with a cappella groups and theater.
As the third-oldest university in the country, Yale is proud of both its history and its modern evolution. From pre-Revolutionary War buildings scattered around New Haven to architecture designed by Maya Lin and Eero Saarenin to state-of-the art labs on “science hill,” including a particle accelerator that even freshmen are allowed to use, Yale’s centuries of campus life truly persist every day.
Undergrads may study constitutional law alongside students at the top law program in the world or launch technology startups with the help of world-renowned biomedical engineering faculty members. They can travel the world on reporting trips with the Yale Globalist or international debating competitions with the Model U.N. team.
You don’t need us to tell you what Yalies go on to do: write Pulitzer-prize winning novels and journalism, earn Rhodes scholarships, get elected to public office (everything from New Haven aldermen to the Presidency), play professional sports, work on Wall Street, in Silicon Valley, or as magicians in Las Vegas.
So how can your child be a competitive applicant for this dream school? Read on to find out.
Yale University ranking
Yale is always near the top not only of Ivy League rankings, but of all major university rankings.
Forbes: 4
Niche: 1
U.S. News and World Report: 5
Wall Street Journal: 10
Where is Yale?
Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut, a small city about 90 minutes via train from New York City, and about 30 minutes from other urban centers in Connecticut including Stamford and Hartford.
New Haven has its own airport, but it’s small. Students may fly into New York airports (JFK, LaGuardia, or Whiteplains in Westchester), Hartford, or Newark, New Jersey. Shuttles and trains connect to New Haven.
Yale setting
New Haven is an urban area with a population of about 135,000 people. It’s a diverse city that’s undergone a major renaissance as farmer’s markets, new businesses, and environmental initiatives crop up. Yale has spearheaded much of the urban makeover.
New Haven is a major cultural center in Connecticut, home to theater, restaurants, shops, and cafés.
Yale student population
Undergraduate students: 6,749
Graduate and professional students: 5,344
Yale acceptance rate
Here are the admissions statistics for Yale’s class of 2027:
Applications: 52,303
Acceptances: 2,275
Matriculants: 1,647
Acceptance rate: 4.5%
Here’s what we know so far about the class of 2028:
Applications: 57,465
Acceptances: 2,146
Acceptance rate: ~3.73%
(Suggested reading: Ivy League Acceptance Rates)
Yale tuition and scholarships
Yale’s 2024–2025 cost of attendance (i.e., tuition, room, board, and fees) is $90,975.
Yale offers need-based financial aid only and vows to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need without loans. Typically, families earning under $75,000 per year are not expected to contribute to the cost of attendance. 54 percent of students receive some amount of financial aid, and the average award is $68,240.
Who gets into Yale?
In order to help you assess your child’s odds of getting into Yale, we’ve put together the following statistics related to successful applicants:
97% of students rank in the top 10% of their high school graduating class.
Average GPA: Yale doesn’t publish its students’ average high school GPA.
Yale average ACT score:
25th percentile: 33
75th percentile: 35
Yale average SAT Verbal score:
25th percentile: 740
7th percentile: 780
Yale average SAT Math score:
25th percentile: 760
75th percentile: 800
International students: 12%
First-generation students: 21%
Legacy: 11%
Among the class of 2027, 42% identify as white, 30% as Asian American, 18% as Hispanic or Latino, 14% as Black or African American, and 3% as Native American.
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Part 2: Yale admissions requirements
Yale academic requirements
Yale students aren’t just smart, boasting high grades and test scores. They also tend to be passionate about one or a handful of activities, and intellectually vivacious. You might meet anyone from the national debate champion to the national jump roping champion on campus.
That means there are no to few official requirements. Your child can be impressive and excellent in any number of ways. But overall, they should have challenged themselves, taking whatever advanced courses they have access to (APs, IBs, or community college classes, for instance), and invested time in extracurricular activities.
Yale notes that, not only should your child excel in rigorous coursework, that coursework should also be well balanced. This means taking courses each year in English, science, math, the social sciences, and foreign language.
Yale application requirements
In addition to all that, here’s what else your child will need in order to apply. Yale accepts the Common Application, the Coalition Application, and the Questbridge Application.
Required in 2024–2025: ACT or SAT test scores (Note: In February 2024, Yale announced that it will require standardized test scores for students applying in Fall of 2025 and beyond. However, students can choose which scores to include as part of Yale’s test-flexible policy.)
Optional: IB, AP, or AICE test results
2 teacher letters of recommendation
1 counselor letter of recommendation
School report, transcript, and midyear senior year report
Optional and not necessarily encouraged: Supplemental materials only from students who have outstanding or unusual accomplishments, including musical scores, published research papers, films, etc.
Need inspiration for your Common App personal statement? Click below for instant access to 25 full-length example essays including advanced breakdowns of why they resonate with admissions committees.
Gain instant access to 25 exclusive full-length examples covering all seven prompts, plus comprehensive analyses for each to help you craft stellar essays.
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Part 3: Applying to Yale early action vs. regular decision
Students can apply to Yale via single-choice early action, submitting all material by November 1st.
Yale, like many of its peers, shows higher acceptance rates for those who apply early. However, those numbers should not necessarily indicate that your child has a “better shot” at getting in by applying early, because early applicants tend to be an overall more qualified and better prepared pool.
Your child can also apply to Yale regular decision. The Yale regular decision deadline is January 2nd.
Should my child apply to Yale early?
Applying to Yale early is a good choice if Yale is your child’s top choice school, and if their application is ready. If they need another semester to improve their GPA, or another chance to improve test scores or extracurricular profiles, we recommend waiting to apply regular decision.
(Suggested reading: Early Action vs. Early Decision: Pros and Cons and What Your Child Should Do)
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Part 4: 2024–2025 Yale supplemental essays (examples included)
(Note: While this section covers Yale’s admissions essays specifically, we encourage you to view additional successful college essay examples.)
In addition to the Common App personal statement, Yale applicants will answer a series of short answer questions as well as write several supplemental essays.
Before seeing some examples, let’s meet a few students, all of whom are closely based on or composites of the applicants we’ve worked with in nearly 20 years of advising.
Jason is an avid musician and scientist. He participates in piano competitions around New Jersey, and has also pursued independent research in a family friend’s neurology lab over a summer. He’s also interested in computer science.
Priya loves dance, theater, and history. She’s drawn to Yale in part because of its reputation in history, literature, and the arts in general.
Sergio is concerned and passionate about the environment. He grew up hiking and biking outside in California. He also has a knack for the sciences and has attended some gifted STEM student summer programs.
Olivia is heavily involved in her school’s newspaper, serving as both a writer and photographer. She’d like to spend a portion of her undergraduate years abroad, with a goal of studying history or journalism.
For 2024–2025, the Coalition Application, Common Application, and QuestBridge Application Yale supplemental essays are as follows.
Yale short answer questions
Question 1: Students at Yale have plenty of time to explore their academic interests before committing to one or more major fields of study. Many students either modify their original academic direction or change their minds entirely. As of this moment, what academic areas seem to fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Please indicate up to three from the list provided. (125 words or fewer)
Olivia chooses: Film and Media Studies; Ethics, Politics, and Economics; and History.
By the fifth buzz, I started pawing at my nightstand half-asleep, wondering who was texting me at 7am on a Saturday. My newspaper editor had heard about yet another protest occurring right outside our school. I dashed out of bed and rummaged through my closet for my Nikon so I could meet her at the scene. As I gathered my belongings, questions raced through my head. Who was there? What were they protesting? Why?
At Yale, I’ll continue asking important questions like these. By understanding the historical and political contexts that give rise to these events, I'll be able to tell better stories.
What’s great about Olivia’s answer?
Passion and intellectual curiosity. Olivia is clearly committed to her craft, waking up early on a Saturday to cover a protest in her neighborhood. She also seeks to develop an understanding of the larger societal forces that shape small communities like hers.
Specificity. In her first sentence, Olivia pulls the reader into the scene with descriptive and relatable language about “pawing at her nightstand.” Instead of “getting out of bed for a camera,” she “dashes out of bed, rummaging for a Nikon,” keeping the reader engaged and eager to know what happens next.
Question 2: Tell us about a topic or idea that excites you and is related to one or more academic areas you selected above. Why are you drawn to it? (200 words or fewer)
Question 3: What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)
Quick responses in 35 words or fewer:
Applicants submitting the Coalition Application or Common Application will also respond to the following short answer questions, in no more than 200 characters (approximately 35 words):
Question 4: What inspires you?
Question 5: If you could teach any college course, write a book, or create an original piece of art of any kind, what would it be?
Question 6: Other than a family member, who is someone who has had a significant influence on you? What has been the impact of their influence?
Question 7: What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application?
Yale supplemental essays
Applicants submitting the Coalition Application or Common Application will respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or fewer.
Question 8: Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful? (400 words)
Question 9: Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected. Why is this community meaningful to you? You may define community however you like. (400 words)
Question 10: Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?
Gain instant access to essay examples for every supplemental essay prompt from the top universities and BS/MD programs in the United States. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.
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Part 5: Frequently asked questions
Is it harder to get into Yale than Harvard?
Many students ask a variation of this question because ultimately, they want to get into any Ivy League school. Finding the path of least resistance is a primary concern of theirs when viewing the process from this angle.
Keep in mind that both Yale and Harvard are extremely selective with recent acceptance rates being around four percent. Determining which of the two is harder to get into is difficult. Overall, they are very close, but since their campus cultures are different, your child may benefit from choosing based on their particular interests and fit within that school’s community.
For example, Yale’s focus is generally a little heavier on the humanities and social sciences while Harvard has a reputation for utilizing a broader focus. If your child can better demonstrate their fit for one school over the other, this may mean that school is easier to get into in their case.
What GPA do you need to get into Yale?
As mentioned above, unfortunately, Yale does not publish the average high school GPAs of their incoming classes. However, with such a highly selective institution, it’s safe to say your child will need a GPA as close to 4.0 as possible. Taking advanced-level classes will also help as this can improve their weighted GPA and will show the admissions committee that your child is more than ready for the academic rigor they’ll encounter at Yale.
What kind of student does Yale want?
The kind of student Yale wants boils down to a few primary factors. Aside from an exceptional academic record, Yale wants to see intellectual curiosity, depth of extracurricular engagement, leadership and initiative, and a clear sense of purpose.
Your child can exhibit these qualities through their extracurriculars and projects in high school. They might even be interested in attending a summer program. Then, they will need to highlight these qualities in their essays. Clear, interesting, and well-thought-out essays are crucial in conveying a clear sense of purpose. Your child should note the specific reasons they wish to attend Yale beyond just getting into an Ivy League school. Which programs, majors, faculty members, or research opportunities about Yale excite them? Doing this will go a long way toward painting a picture of your child that aligns with the type of student Yale wants.
Final thoughts
Yale is a natural choice for any ambitious and precocious high school student. As a large research institution with a liberal arts approach to education, it will offer your child myriad opportunities. Every applicant should focus on getting to know Yale—and every other school to which they’re applying—so they can write with passion and specificity about why they’re the perfect fit.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.
THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.