Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

ACTION: Once you have received and activated your NetID, apply for a Yale ID card by uploading a headshot to the ID Photo Card Upload website.

You will receive your ID at Orientation. IDs are not issued before Orientation. Temporary IDs are not issued.

•   In order to receive your Yale ID card at Orientation, you must fulfill the transcript and health pre-enrollment requirements (see Sections 2 and 5 below), but first upload your photo by May 31 to ensure your ID card will be ready for Orientation.

•   You can obtain an ID card for your legally married spouse or civil-union partner by applying at the ID Center after the end of Fall Term course registration (mid-September).

•   If you already possess an ID card, you must renew it in person at the ID Center after you register. New graduate students who were previously enrolled as a Yale undergraduate or as a graduate student in another Yale graduate program will possess an old Yale ID card.

ACTION: Submit forms required to meet state and Yale health regulations.

If you fail to submit the required forms for health history and immunization record by June 21, your check-in at Orientation will be incomplete. You will not receive your Yale ID, and you will not be able to register.

You will not be permitted to enroll in classes until all the forms are submitted and the immunization requirements are met.

•   Health History and Immunization Record. Consult Yale Health “New Graduate and Professional Student Forms” to find out which forms are required for your immunization records, health history.

IMPORTANT: Connecticut (CT) State law requires that all students admitted to any university located in Connecticut comply with the CT State Immunization Regulations. Obtaining the necessary immunizations and documentation is a Yale University pre-entrance requirement and must be completed before you arrive on campus. All students are financially responsible for all pre-entrance immunizations and blood tests — these are not covered under your Yale Health coverage. For questions, email immunization@yale.edu.

ACTION: You must learn about the eBill-ePay billing and payment system.

•   Once you receive your NetID and PIN, you can review your student account bill online and arrange to use ePay to settle any outstanding bill. See eBill-ePay and Student Financial Services websites for additional information.

ACTION: Review the Graduate School Financial Aid Office FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and see the Graduate School Financial Aid Office website for more information as needed.

ACTION: You must provide an official transcript documenting your receipt of a bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) or its foreign equivalent. You must also provide any other transcripts documenting the award of other degrees (e.g., M.A., M.S., Ph.D.) and coursework completed that were cited in your application for admission.

Official transcripts must be sent directly to the Graduate School from the issuing institution(s) whether or not you uploaded that transcript to your application at the time of submission of your application. If your transcripts and degree certifications were issued in languages other than English, you must submit certified, literal and complete English translations of those documents.

All transcripts must be submitted by July 15 to the following address:

Graduate School Office of Admissions
Yale University
P.O. Box 208323
New Haven, CT 06520-8323

If your institution issues Certified/Authenticated electronic transcripts, they should be sent to graduateschool.transcripts@yale.edu.

Do not use this email address for traditional paper-based transcripts or any other form of your transcript.

If you anticipate delays in providing these materials or have questions regarding this process, contact the Graduate School Admissions Office by email using only the word “Transcript” in the subject line of your message prior to July 15.

ACTION: At Check-in, have with you original, unexpired documents as listed — either one document from List A – OR – one document each from Lists B and C.

•   International students selecting from List A should bring Form I-94, I-20 or DS-2019 along with the passport.

ACTION:  Learn about health care coverage options offered by Yale Health and choose from the coverage options outlined below. For a complete description of the options, download and read the Student Guide to Yale Health and the Yale Health Student Handbook here:

Understand Your Coverage

Beyond reading the guide and handbook, you can learn about health coverage and options at Orientation, which will provide informational tours and sessions about them.

on 8/16:  YALE HEALTH COVERAGE is in effect. All Yale Health coverage, whether automatic or elected, begins for new GSAS students the weekend before Orientation, on August 16.

by 9/15:  coverage WAIVER DEADLINE. If you should elect to waive any components of coverage assigned to you automatically, you must do so by September 15, this year and every year, using the Student Waiver Request form:

Student Waiver Request Form

By 9/15:  ENROLLMENT deadline for SPOUSE/PARTNER AND/OR DEPENDENTS coverage. If you wish to enroll an eligible spouse/civil union partner and/or dependent children in Yale Health, you must do so by September 15, this year and every year, using the forms on the following page:

New Graduate and Professional Student Forms

•   Yale Health Coverage. The following information is a condensed version of information provided on the Yale Health “Understand Your Coverage” page.

Basic Coverage. This is provided to you free of charge if you are enrolled at least half-time in M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. programs. Once you register, you are automatically enrolled in Yale Health Basic Coverage and do not need to take further action to obtain individual coverage. With Basic Coverage, you are covered free of charge for the following services, even if you have waived Yale Health coverage: Acute Care, Gynecology, Health Education programs, Inpatient Care, Laboratory Services, Mental Health and Counseling, Nutrition Counseling, Student Health.

Hospitalization/Specialty Care Coverage. As a student, you also are automatically enrolled in and billed for Hospitalization/Specialty Care Coverage, unless you elect to waive this coverage by September 15 (see above: Waiver Deadline 9/15). Effective August 1, 2013, prescription coverage is now included in Hospitalization/Specialty coverage. There are additional changes and improvements to student coverage described here:

2013-14 Yale Health Student Coverage

Health Award. Eligible PhD students also receive a health award funded by the Graduate School, which covers the full cost of single-student Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage, half the cost of the spouse/civil union partner, two-person premium fee, and the full cost for family coverage that includes dependent children up to age 26. See this page for details:

GSAS Health Award for PhD Students

Coverage for Spouse, Civil Union Partner, and/or Dependent Children. If you wish to enroll a lawfully married spouse or civil union partner or a legally dependent child under the age of twenty-six in Yale Health coverage, you must complete the required form(s) for enrollment by September 15 each year. If you are an eligible PhD student, the GSAS Health Award applies (see above under “Health Award”).

By 9/15:  ENROLLMENT deadline for SPOUSE/PARTNER AND/OR DEPENDENTS coverage. If you wish to enroll an eligible spouse/civil union partner and/or dependent children in Yale Health, you must do so by September 15, this year and every year, using the forms on the following page:

New Graduate and Professional Student Forms

You may also enroll spouses/partners and dependent children for Dental and Eye Care coverage (see below), by September 15.

•   Supplemental Coverage through Outside Providers

Graduate and Professional Dental and Eye Care Coverage. Dental care and eye care coverage is available to graduate and professional students and their family members through outside (non-Yale Health) providers.

By 9/15: ENROLLMENT DEADLINE for DENTAL and Eye Care coverage. If you wish to enroll yourself, an eligible spouse/civil union partner, and/or dependent children for optional, non-Yale Health dental or eye care coverage, or both, you must do so by September 15, this year and every year, using the form found on this page:

Dental and Eye Care Programs

QUESTIONS? Direct your questions about health care coverage and options to Yale Health Member Services. Direct your questions specifically regarding the Health Award to the Graduate School’s Office of Financial Aid.

Use University and Graduate School websites. You are encouraged to join the Graduate School’s Facebook group for new students and review the Living in New Haven web pages to assist in their transition to life at Yale. You should plan to arrive on campus in time to participate in required Graduate School Orientation.

Bookmark maps of campus, downtown New Haven and the greater New Haven area.

Review the academic calendar.

Review public safety information and programs prior to arriving in New Haven and selecting a place to live.

Obtain property insurance. Whether you live on- or off-campus, the University urges you to obtain property insurance to protect against the unlikely occurrence of loss of or damage to personal belongings.

Review requirements for owning and operating a motor vehicle:

•   Connecticut state requirements for registration of motor vehicles and for driver’s licenses for new Connecticut residents (U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens);

•   New Haven’s city property tax on all vehicles maintained in the city (regardless of the state in which the car is registered), and if needed, file the “Personal Property Declaration for Motor Vehicles with Out of State Out of Town Registration.” If living off campus, learn about obtaining residential parking permits in certain neighborhoods.

Plan for initial costs that will occur before stipends are disbursed on September 13.

Review student computing resources and guidelines.

Purchase a meal plan or “Eli Bucks” from Dining Services.

Contact the Resource Office on Disabilities to discuss any required accommodations or services.

Check the New Students page frequently for latest information.

If you are a student with a spouse, domestic partner, and/or dependent children, check the Family Life page for information and links to resources.

April

•   Apply for on-campus housing starting April 1 or begin to look for off-campus housing.

•   When planning where to live, review transportation options.

May

•   Receive Network Identification (NetID) and Student Identification (SID) numbers.

•   Receive instructions and PIN number for activating Yale email account. Begin to check this account regularly for official notices.

•   Upload photo for Yale ID card. (See ‘Required Actions’ Section 1 above.)

•   Email Graduate Admissions with NetID as its subject if you have not received the NetID, SID or PIN by May 15.

June

•   Plan flights and arrival, and international travel to arrive in time for the required Graduate School Orientation in mid-August. Review information about shipping of personal items to campus.

•   Return forms to Yale Health. (See “Health Coverage Forms” under ‘Required Actions’ Section 2 above.)

•   Activate, regularly read, and use your Yale email account (your address should be firstname.lastname@yale.edu) for ongoing official communications from/to Yale offices.

July

•   Provide final transcript to Graduate School. (See ‘Required Actions’ Section 5 above.)

•   Receive statement from Student Financial Services and make arrangements for payment. (See ‘Required Actions’ Section 4 above.)

•   Request on-campus student parking if needed.

August

•   Bring a copy of your letter of admission to obtain access to Yale services in advance of receiving an ID card at Orientation.

•   Register for orientation events.

•   Bookmark the real-time Yale shuttle bus locater on your computer or cell phone.

•   View course information.

•   Update your ‘Personal Data’ tab in the Student Information System with your New Haven address and telephone number.

•   Contact your departmental registrar if you have been awarded a tuition fellowship and it does not appear on the Fall Term bill that in your online SIS account administered by SFAS.

•   Apply for discounted student membership in Zipcar to use this convenient car-sharing service at Yale.