Applying to Yale as a Freshman International Student
International students follow essentially the same procedure as all other students applying to Yale. No special admission forms are required. However, some of the forms we use in our application (Common Application and Yale Supplement) may be unfamiliar to many international students. Please see below for explanations: N.B. You must provide us with an official English translation of any letters or transcripts not written in English, in addition to the original documents. Secondary School Report, Midyear Report, Final Report
|
Information on this page
Important DocumentsRelated Links |
- Midyear Report Form – only needed if you are given new grades in the middle of the school year. Most international students do not need to send us this form.
- Final Report – required for all admitted students. This form provides us with final school grades/exam marks/diploma when you finish high school.
If you have finished high school already, you only need to send in the Secondary School Report with your application.
GPA and School Rank
- On the Common Application Secondary School Report form, there are designated spaces for a class rank and GPA. If you do not have a GPA or a rank these should be left blank.
The International Supplement
- Students who attend school outside the US are asked to fill out the "International Student Supplement" with grades and exam results. If you attend an international school that follows a US-based curriculum or attend school in the US, you do not need to send in this form. You can download the supplement here.
Teacher Recommendations
- We require two teacher recommendations. Both should be written by recent teachers in academic subjects. You must provide us with an official English translation of any letters or transcripts not written in English, in addition to the original documents.
Standardized Testing Requirements – SAT/ACT/TOEFL/IELTS/PTE
Application requirements for all students include the following standardized tests. There are two options and we have no preference between these options. You may choose between taking either:
- Option 1: The SAT Reasoning Test (SAT I) and any combination of two Subject Tests
OR
- Option 2: The ACT with writing.
There are two exceptions:
- Students whose home countries (e.g., mainland China) do not have an SAT or ACT testing center are exempt from these testing requirements, but must take either the TOEFL or IELTS instead.
- Students enrolled in A-level programs may use completed A-level results as a substitute for the SAT II Subject Tests on a one-for-one basis provided official test results arrive at Yale by February of 2010. Eligible students must still take either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT. Predicted A-level results may not be used as substitutions for the SAT II Subject Tests.
No other substitutions are acceptable.
For more information on how to take the tests and to find testing centers, you may find the following websites helpful:
- www.collegeboard.com: For information on the SAT Reasoning Test and the Subject tests.
- www.act.org: For information on the ACT test.
It is important for all students—and very important for international students—to register for tests with the same name as you have indicated on your application. Your record and test scores will not be linked in our system if the names do not match.
TOEFL/IELTS/PTE
TOEFL
Students at Yale must be able to understand rapid, idiomatic English and to express themselves easily in both spoken and written English. As part of the assessment of a candidate's competence in English, Yale strongly recommends the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for any applicant whose first language is not English and who has not received at least two years of his or her secondary education in an English-medium curriculum. A minimum score of 600 is required on the paper-based TOEFL, and a minimum score of 100 is required on the Web-based TOEFL. Please note that testing done in November (for Single-Choice Early Action) and January (for Regular Decision) may not arrive in time for the committee's consideration. Test sooner if at all possible. For information about how to take the TOEFL, visit www.ets.org/toefl. Be sure to include Yale’s CEEB code (No. 3987) on all test registrations.
IELTS
You may submit the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test in lieu of the TOEFL. A minimum score of 7 is required. For information about how to take the IELTS test, visit www.ielts.org.
*IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
PTE
Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
You may submit the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic in lieu of the TOEFL or IELTS. A minimum score of 70 is required. For more information about how to take the PTE Academic test, visit www.pearsonpte.com
Interviews
If you live in a country with an active Yale Alumni Schools Committee (ASC), you may be contacted by a member of the committee for an interview once we have received and processed your application.
Though we will offer alumni interviews whenever possible, there are places where we cannot offer interviews to every applicant. A lack of an interview will not hurt your chances for admission and it should not be taken as a signal regarding the status of your application. Interviews are not a required part of the application process.
Please note: In the following countries, the volume of applications is such that our active ASCs are unable to interview the majority of applicants. Only if additional information is needed will you be contacted by an alumni interviewer.
Bangladesh
Bulgaria
Canada
China
Indonesia
Korea
Malaysia
Pakistan
Singapore
Taiwan
Thailand
