Supplementary Materials

You should think carefully before submitting supplementary material with your Yale College application. There are many successful applicants who submit only the items that we require. There are also cases in which too many or average-quality submissions can work against a candidate. Supplementary submissions make sense when they add important information. If you have a particularly well-developed talent, you may send supplementary material such as a cassette tape, musical scores, slides, or writing samples. Please note that we do not evaluate videotapes or DVDs.

All supplementary materials must be clearly labeled with your name, school, and state, as well as the subject of the material (e.g., instrument, creative writing, etc. Note: do not include your social security number on the label.) Please see the sections below for information about the submission of art or music supplements. If you are thinking about submitting extra writing samples, you might consider sending a few carefully chosen short pieces rather than a long manuscript. Bear in mind that the required application essays are often the most important "writing samples" in an admissions file.

Note: contrary to the instruction on the optional Common Application Arts Supplement, Yale does not expect you to have an instructor write us a letter of recommendation about your work.

Supplementary materials must be postmarked by November 1 for Single-Choice Early Action candidates; December 31 for Regular Decision candidates; or March 1 for transfer candidates. These materials will not be returned.

If you use the postal service for your mailing, you should send materials to the following address:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Yale University
P.O. Box 208234
New Haven CT
06520-8234

For material sent by private delivery service (United Parcel Service, Federal Express, DHL, etc.) you should use our street address:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Yale University
38 Hillhouse Avenue
New Haven CT
06511

Art

Slides of your art work may be submitted as a supplement to your application for admission to Yale College. All materials must be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the appropriate application deadline (November 1 for Single-Choice Early Action candidates; December 31 for Regular Decision candidates; or March 1 for transfer candidates). Materials submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Submit no more than one sheet of 20 color transparencies of 35 mm size. These transparencies should be enclosed in a standard 8 1/2 x 11 plastic slide sheet designed for this purpose.
The slides should specifically include some drawing samples. Although digital CD portfolios will be accepted, slides are preferred.
Choose pieces of your work that demonstrate the fullest possible range of your talents. Try to ensure that your technical and expressive abilities are equally represented.
A simple typewritten inventory must accompany each plastic sheet. The inventory should include your full name (as it appears on your admissions application), your U.S. social security number (if available), the name of your high school, and the state or country in which your high school is located.
Each slide must be numbered and the corresponding inventory entry should include the full name, medium, size, and date of the work. Please indicate if the work was done from life.
Your supplementary material will not be returned. Please do not send us originals.

If you have questions about the submission of slides, please contact Donna Alchimio donna.alchimio@yale.edu.

Music

Yale College does not conduct musical auditions for applicants. Selected music faculty members will review audio tapes, CDs, or scores from advanced musicians, whether or not they wish to major in music as undergraduates. Please consider sending musical materials only if your accomplishments are truly outstanding for a high school musician and if your playing or composing is a strong and important part of your application. Elementary or merely competent submissions will not help your application and are discouraged.

All materials must be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the appropriate application deadline (November 1 for Single-Choice Early Action candidates; December 31 for Regular Decision candidates; March 1 for transfer candidates). Materials submitted after the deadline will not be considered nor will materials be returned. Please do not send originals. Here are some additional notes and guidelines:

Submission of tapes, CDs, or scores of popular music or jazz at a high level are welcome, as are those of classical music.
Although your tape need not be of professional quality it should be clear enough to enable the evaluator to arrive at a judgment without distracting interference. Scores must be neat and legible.
Varied solo or ensemble performances (with a prominent role for the applicant) that demonstrate the full range of your capabilities are preferable; do not present selections from method books.
All tapes must be analog (i.e., standard) cassettes or CDs and must include the following information typed and visible on the outside of the tape/CD case:

1. your full name, as it appears on your application, and your address. (Please do not include your social security number on the label.)

2. the name and address of your school

3. instrument or voice on the tape

4. composer and title of composition(s), with movements