The Graduate School at Yale utilizes an online application which can be accessed at online when it is available. To insure full consideration, applications must be submitted before the deadline of the program to which you are applying. While virtually all material needed for a complete review of your application can be "attached" to your on-line application, should any materials need to be physically sent to us, you must ensure they are mailed in time to arrive at the Office of Admissions prior to the deadline of the program to which you are applying; please click here for the deadline date of your designated program.
Applications should be submitted as early as possible so that you can track the status of your application and the receipt of any materials required in support of your application (such as test scores or recommendations). You should log into and check the status of materials frequently once you have submitted your application as the Office of Graduate Admissions is unable to notify applicants of missing materials.
You will not be allowed to submit your application after the deadline to your designated program has passed.
To insure that all credentials and correspondence which are mailed/submitted separately from your application, become part of the appropriate application file, each item should clearly state the following: the applicant’s full name as it appears on the application, the Yale department or program desired, the applicant’s date of birth, and your online application ID (available when you submit your application).
Application materials submitted will be destroyed within two years of receipt or will become part of the student’s permanent record.
If you are unable to "upload" any materials supporting your application and need to send them in, they are to be sent on to the Office of Graduate Admissions at the following addresses:
Personal Statement of Purpose (required). As a required part of the application a 500- to 1,000-word Personal Statement of Purpose should be prepared in advance using a computer software application. It must be attached (uploaded) to your application at the time you submit it. Your statement concerns your past work, preparation for the intended field of study, relevant background and interests, academic plans, and career. It should be used to describe your reasons for applying to the particular Yale department or program. This statement may assist the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study.
Faculty have requested that such statements be limited to 500 to 1,000 words (no more than two pages). You should NOT mail hard paper copies of your Personal Statement of Purpose. This statement will automatically be received and printed when you submit your online application.
Recommendations (required). The Graduate School’s online application allows you to have your recommendation providers submit their recommendations electronically. You should check with your recommender and obtain their institutional e-mail address. E-mail addresses from domains other than ".edu" may be subject to additional screening and filtering. Once entered in your online application, an automatic e-mail will be sent to your recommender. Recommendations submitted by your recommenders will automatically be received and printed when you submit your online application. If a recommender desires to submit via paper you will need to print a Recommendation Form from within your on-line application and mail it to your recommender.
Transcripts (required). A transcript or academic record is required from each college or university attended and listed in the Prior Study section of your application. You should upload , verses mailing, a scanned copy of your transcript or a copy of your academic record to your application prior to submitting it (please ensure that it is legible). Please refer to detailed instructions within the online application with regard to transcripts/academic records and 'uploading". Do not mail in a copy of a transcript or academic record which you have "uploaded" to your on-line application - it is not required nor necessary and could delay the processing of your application.
Applicants who have attended international institutions must submit transcripts or certified attestations of study, with certified English translations. Once translated, the original transcript and the certified translations should be "uploaded" to your on-line application.
College seniors should "upload" a current transcript followed by a Fall Term Grade Report when it is available. Only if you are offered admission and accept that offer do you need to provide an Official Transcript (sent to us by mail directly from the institution), or a Final Official Transcript if it is in support of a Prior Study institution reflecting the award of a degree (also sent to us by mail directly from the institution). You should use the “Transcript Request Form” found in Downloadable Forms to request that the registrar forward such transcripts directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions at that time. If you list a Study Abroad Program in the Prior Study section of the application you will need to "upload" the transcript showing the coursework taken even though the coursework is on the transcript from the sponsoring institution and which you may already have "uploaded".
Standardized Examinations (Required in most cases). Please refer to the Policy on this topic above.You must arrange for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to release GRE and TOEFL scores directly to Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, code 3987 either at the time of the examination or via the ETS additional score reporting system. You should not designate a Department – if required, use code 0000 for the GRE and 99 for the TOEFL. If you are submitting GMAT scores you must contact Pearson Vue to have those scores released to the Graduate School (code 3JT-30-78) . Applicants are strongly encouraged to register early in scheduling tests. For registration forms, test dates, test centers and general information, contact the following organizations.
The failure to properly release scores to the Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is one of the major causes of delays in the processing of applications. The Graduate School does not receive nor accept paper copies of score reports whether issued by ETS or received from the student.
GRE scores are maintained in a temporary file for two calendar years following the date they are released to Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. If you do not apply within that period of time you will need to have your scores released again.
Scores released (sent) to other schools of Yale University cannot be transferred to the Graduate School of Arts and Science.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Please refer to the relevant department or program’s special admissions requirements to determine whether Subject Test scores are necessary. Contact the Educational Testing Service website for test related questions or write:
GRE-ETS
PO Box 6000
Princeton NJ 08541-6000
Telephone: (609) 771-7670
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) If you are required to take the TOEFL you must arrange for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to report scores directly to Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, code 3987 either at the time of the examination or via the ETS additional score reporting system. You should not designate a Department – if required use code 00 or 99.
Contact the Educational Testing Service website for test related questions or write:
TOEFL/TSE Services-ETS
PO Box 6151
Princeton NJ 08541-6151
Telephone: (609) 771-7100
International English Language Test System (IELTS). The IELTS may be substituted for the requirement to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). You must identify Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in order for your scores to be received.
Refer to the following for test related questions:
International English Language Testing System website
Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Some programs of the Graduate School may require the GMAT. Such requirements will be listed in the Program description under Special Admissions Requirements. The GMAT is administered by PearsonVue. Scores must be reported to code 3JT-30-78. Paper score reports will not be accepted. Contact PearsonVue with test or score reporting questions.
Special Admissions Requirements (program dependent) Supplemental materials such as writing samples, abstracts, etc. can be “attached” electronically to your application and is the preferred method of submission. Supplemental materials that cannot be attached to the online application (such as books, manuscripts, compact discs or music compositions) should be sent early enough to arrive before the stated deadline of your designated program and for the receipt of those materials to be recorded in your application record. Please do not send copies of writing samples, abstracts, etc., which you had attached (uploaded) to your online application. These will be printed after you submit your application.
Ph.D. applicants who wish to submit a joint degree program application must upload a Joint Degree Program Statement. Applicants to those masters level programs which permit a joint degree program application must also upload a Joint Degree Program Statement.
Applicants have the option of submitting a resume with their application although some programs do require a resume.
Please review the Graduate Degree Programs for any special admissions requirements.
Application Fee
The application fee for Fall 2010 is $95.
Credit card (Visa or MasterCard) payment from within the online application is the only method of payment. Debit cards or credit card debit authorizations are not acceptable. Wire transfers (such as SWIFT or Fedwire) can not be accepted under any circumstances.
(Fee Waiver) Except as noted in the Fee Waiver Eligibility and Instructions page all applicants must submit payment with their application. With proof of significant financial hardship, U.S. citizens or U.S. Permanent Resident Visa Holders (with alien registration numbers) and certain applicants participating in or the recipients of identified programs may be eligible for a waiver or a refund of the application fee. If you believe you may be eligible for a fee waiver, please click here for further information. Non-U.S. citizens are not eligible for waiver or refund of the application fee.
You may attach (upload) a copy of your resume or curriculum vitae to your online application. Please do not mail a hard copy of your resume or curriculum vitae.
The Yale Graduate School is strongly committed to attracting qualified students of diverse backgrounds to its community of scholars. Applicants are invited , if they wish, to include, with their application, a statement on how their background and life experience would contribute to diversity within the Graduate School community and to the School’s commitment to training individuals in an increasingly diverse society. You may attach (upload) a copy of your comment to your online application. Please do not mail a hard copy of your statement.
A copy of the Fall Term Grade Report can be found from within your online application via the blue navigation bar or under Downloadable forms. This form should be completed once you receive your fall term grades and submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
A copy of the Financial Statement can be found from within your online application via the blue navigation bar under the Supplemental Forms heading. If you are an MS/MA degree applicant you will be prompted for this form as a final step in the submission of your application.