yale mba application essay

Yale SOM Essay Tips and Application Deadlines: 2024-2025

Yale School of Management has released deadlines and essays for the 2024-2025 application year, maintaining the same essay questions after making a significant change last year.

Want to learn more about applying to Yale SOM? Take a look at Personal MBA Coach’s interview with Laurel Grodman, Assistant Dean for Admissions at Yale School of Management, to get insider advice on the Yale SOM experience and application process.

Watch below to learn how to position yourself for success!

The Upcoming Yale SOM Application Deadlines Are as Follows:

Round 1: September 10, 2024

Round 2: January 7, 2025

Round 3: April 8, 2025

Again, Yale SOM allows applicants to choose the essay question they would like to answer, leavings its longstanding essay regarding commitment as one of the options.

Yale SOM Full-Time MBA Application Essay Prompts 2024-2025:

1) Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?

2) Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community?

3) Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person?

Choose the prompt that speaks most strongly to you and about which you have the most enthusiasm.

Student Looking at Financial Times MBA Rankings on a iPad

Personal MBA Coach’s Yale SOM Essay Tips:

It can always be a bit of a challenge when a program offers you an essay choice. However, Yale has stated that you should truly pick the essay question you best relate to and there is no “wrong choice.”

Regardless of which option you choose, as you craft your Yale SOM essay, keep in mind that Yale strives to “educate leaders for business and society.” With a passionate and committed student body, Yale takes pride in the small group learning teams and close-knit community.

Below, we have shared our tips for approaching each of the three options:

Yale MBA Essay Option 1:

Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (500 words).

This question gives candidates a chance to provide admissions committee members with a glimpse of who they are and what matters to them, confirming they can and will live up to the school’s lofty mission.

The commitment can be personal or professional, though Personal MBA Coach prefers to see candidates share personal experiences in their Yale SOM essays. Whatever you choose, be sure that you focus on ONE thing; do not include multiple commitments here. Past MBA essay examples have included causes, personal development areas, athletic achievements and professional pursuits. The commitment can be something completed in the past or ongoing. However, if you select something that is ongoing, be sure that you have already made significant steps to deliver against your commitment. A commitment you just recently made and your forward-looking plans will not cut it here.

Yale SOM wants to see passion, dedication and follow-through. They want to assess how you think and how you plan effectively. Your commitment should be something that genuinely matters to you. Remember, think leader for business AND society here.

The most successful answers will show how you have delivered against this mission in the past. However, the commitment does not have to be focused on volunteer work. There are countless ways to make an impact on society.

Five hundred words is fairly short, and this is your main shot to show who you are and why you will fit in on campus. Be focused and be genuine!

Yale MBA Essay Option 2:

Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. what is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community (500 words).

This essay is a great opportunity for candidates who have a close relationship with a particular community. You can think of your physical community or think of community more broadly.

To craft a strong answer here, be sure that you can identify a community from which you have learned and to which you have contributed. Remember, this is your main opportunity to tell Yale SOM what you uniquely bring to the table, so be sure that the community is significant to you.

Once you have defined this community for the reader, tell them how this community shaped who you are today.

Equally as important, you want to share what you have done to add value to this community. As you do this, be specific! Keep in mind that Yale admissions directors are looking to glean information on how you will add value on campus. While you do not need to discuss Yale here, past actions are the best predictors of future behavior so let Yale SEE the leader you will be on campus.

Yale MBA Essay Option 3:

Describe the most signific ant challenge you have faced. how have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person (500 words).

For those applicants considering this option, keep in mind that Admissions Directors shared before how the “trauma” essay, particularly if unrelated to an applicant’s reason for applying to business school, is often overused.

This means that the challenge selected here does not need to be a major tragedy that you faced or challenge you have overcome. You can select either a personal or professional challenge here. However, this challenge should have shaped you in some way.

A strong essay not only will show the skills you developed and utilized in overcoming this challenge but also help the reader to understand how this experience has prepared you to succeed at Yale and beyond.

Woman On Laptop and Phone for London Business School

While the Yale SOM application is not yet open, last year’s Yale application included a short-answer question on career goals, a reapplicant essay and a required video. See details below and be sure to check back for any updates!

Yale MBA Short Answer Essay: Post-MBA Interests: Briefly describe your career interests and how you arrived at them. What have you already done to pursue these interests? What do you need to do going forward? (200 words)

Finally, Yale has a short career goals essay. There is a lot to cover in just 200 words so you want to be very direct. In addition to briefly sharing your goals with Yale (need help developing a compelling goal statement – check out this blog ), tell the reader what drove these goals and how you have already prepared for them. Finally, think about where Yale fits into the picture. While there won’t be a lot of space to deep dive into Yale’s offerings in this essay, you should make it clear that you have thought about why you need a Yale MBA to be successful in achieving your goals.

Yale MBA Reapplicant Essay Topic:

Since your last application, please discuss any significant updates to your candidacy, including changes in your personal or professional life, additional coursework, or extracurricular/volunteer activities. (200 words maximum; required for all reapplicants).

Reapplicants should use the required additional essay to demonstrate growth. We advise candidates to review our tips for reapplicants before tackling this essay.

Finally, Yale has retained its video essay

Candidates will receive the video questions after submitting their applications. Learn more to get started with Personal MBA Coach’s video essay guidance and tips .

Ready to apply to Yale SOM? Contact Personal MBA Coach today to learn how we can help with your Yale SOM application!

You also may like these other blog articles:.

Find out why we are consistently ranked #1. Sign up for a 30-minute consultation today!

We have over 200 5 Star Reviews. Find out WHY!

schedule consultation

We can improve your MBA profile and boost your candidacy. Gain insight into the review process and eliminate weaknesses from your MBA application.

Note: You must have javascript enabled to submit the form.

Yale MBA Essay for 2024-2025

Is the Yale School of Management on your list of target MBA programs? Then get ready to hit the ground running. The Yale MBA essay and deadlines for the new admissions season have been confirmed. Reapplicants will note that Yale SOM has kept the same essay question from the previous application cycle.

Required Yale MBA Essay

From the Yale SOM: We want to know what matters to you, and our essay question is designed to help us gain insight into your background, passions, motivations, responsibilities, ideals, identities, challenges, or aspirations, depending on where you take your response.

Please respond to one (1) of the three essay prompts below. The word limit (though not necessarily the goal!) is 500 words.:

1) Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made.

Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?

2) Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you.

What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community?

3) Describe the most significant challenge you have faced.

How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person?

More Advice from the AdCom at Yale SOM

When announcing the introduction of these new essay options in June 2023, the Yale SOM admissions team advised the following:

Choose the prompt that speaks most strongly to you and about which you have the most enthusiasm. In answering the prompt – whichever one it is – you should think about the life experiences that have been most meaningful to you and that you most want to communicate to the committee, and pick the question that will best allow you to express that aspect of yourself.

We find that the most compelling essays are the ones that are truly most important to you, so make sure that’s your guide in choosing what to write about; don’t try to guess what we’re looking for or what you think we want to hear. Importantly, regardless of which prompt you choose, you’ll want to support your essay with concrete examples.

Importantly, regardless of which prompt you choose, you’ll want to support your essay with concrete examples.

Optional Information

Per the SOM: The Optional Information section is truly optional. It’s not an additional required essay – if no aspect of your application requires further explanation, you should leave this section blank. In most cases, we get all the information we need from the various components of your application and there is no need to complete this section.

However, if you think the Admissions Committee would benefit from a brief explanation regarding any aspect of your application, you may provide it in the Optional Information section. Your general approach should be that if there is something you feel is material to your candidacy that you are not able to include in another section of the application, put it here.

Here are some examples: Consider providing additional context if it will allow us to better understand your academic performance, promotions or recognitions, or other information that is not apparent from the rest of your application. If you’ve taken concrete steps to mitigate a weaker element of your application or have an accomplishment that does not fit anywhere else in the application, you might include that here.

Note that you should use the specific prompts provided in the Work Experience section to address gaps in work experience or choice of recommender. And if you would like to provide additional details to expand on any information provided in the Background Information section, you’re encouraged to do so in the “Supplemental Detail” area within that section.

For more information on applying, please visit the Yale SOM admissions website. If you need guidance on your Yale MBA essay and application or wish to discuss your business school plans, reach out for a complimentary analysis of your candidacy. We’re here to help!

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team .

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School Kellogg MBA

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School MBA, the Wharton School

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Asst Director MBA Admissions at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Director MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Minority Admissions, the GSB Diversity Programs, the GSB

Associate Director MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute

Director, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Professional Writer

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) NYU Admissions

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS)

Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...

A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...

Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

Did you know that SBC offers test prep services ? We’ve recruited a team of best in class instructors who will help you recognize your individual learning style, discover holes in your foundation knowledge and set manageable yet ambitious goals. We focus on a deep understanding of the content, and later a grasp of smart test strategies. Let SBC’s long tradition of excellence support all aspects of your application process.

Ask the AdCom: Opportunities to Study Abroad

5 Top B-Schools to Offer Dual-Degree Programs for Globally Minded Students

PepsiCo Chairman, CEO Endows Deanship at Yale SOM

Face Off: Dartmouth Tuck vs Yale SOM

Learn About Our All-In Service

Meet the sbc consulting team.

(323) 934-3936 info@StacyBlackman.com

Latest Blog Post

Tuesday tips: kenan-flagler application essay tips for 2024-2025.

The UNC Kenan-Flagler application essay questions focus on learning more about you. At UNC, a world-class university offers resources beyond the MBA program. The Research Triangle region is home to global corporations, startups, small ... →

The Yale SOM Video Essay Questions – And How to Successfully Answer Them

Sep 18, 2023

Why does Yale require a video essay?

How does the yale video essay work, technical requirements, which types of questions are asked.

Get expert help

UPDATE : This article was originally posted on September 18, 2019. It has been updated with new information and tips below.

With curricular flexibility that allows students to take classes across Yale’s many faculties (not just the business school!), Yale SOM is a top choice for engaged, globally-minded leaders who seek to make a meaningful difference in the world, all while benefiting from an Ivy League education.

Despite this fact, many applicants dedicate countless hours to writing Yale’s admissions essays and then rush through the video essay component.

This is a huge mistake.

In addition to giving the admissions committee the chance to “put a face with a name,” the Yale SOM video essay is an essential part of the Yale application, as it allows committee members to determine if your communication style and values are a good fit with the Yale community.

In fact, in our experience helping our Yale applicants secure a place at the school, we have noticed that the video essay can be as influential in an applicant’s admissions decision as the admissions interview .

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you understand how the Yale video essay works and have shared a list of Yale video essay questions to ensure you put your best foot forward!

When we first started working with Yale applicants many years ago, the video essay component had not yet been introduced. However, after being one of the first business schools to incorporate the video essay into their admissions process, this component has quickly become a critical part of the application.

That’s because it gives the admissions committee the chance to truly “meet” candidates — as well as identify red flags in potential members of the Yale community.

Here is what they say about it:

The way the video essay works is very simple.

After submitting your application, you will receive an email from a company called Kira Talent. This email will contain a link that allows you to access the video essay platform.

After signing in and starting the session, you will get three Yale video essay questions in total, one at a time. All will be random, but each question falls into a certain category (more on that below!).

For questions 1 and 3 , you will have 20 seconds to think and 60 seconds to answer.
For question 2 , you will have 30 seconds to think and up to 90 seconds to answer.
You will be able to stop the question and move on if you finish before the time runs out.

If you’ve taken the TOEFL exam , you’ve already practiced for the type of format you can expect in the Yale video essay!

After signing in and “starting” the session, a video will appear on the screen. This video will show a member of the Yale community, who will read the question you are tasked with answering. The question will also appear in written form under the video.

After the time runs out, the screen video will disappear, and your image will be visible on the screen. At this point, your 20 or 30 seconds to think will automatically appear.

After the preparation time runs out, the clock to answer (60 or 90 seconds!) will start, and you will need to give your answer during this period of time. Remember: you cannot redo any of the Yale video essay questions .

After you answer the question, the system will upload your answer to the server (depending on your connection this can take a while) and will present you with the next question.

DO NOT leave your computer during the upload time, even if it’s taking a while. You cannot pause the process, and you may end up missing questions!

The Behavioral Assessment

Yale also has a unique separate video essay requirement: the behavioral assessment .

Unlike the video essay, the behavioral assessment is a fixed-choice assessment conducted by ETS that does not require any previous preparation. It is designed to measure a set of “interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies associated with business school success,” according to the Yale SOM site.

The behavioral assessment should be completed in a single sitting and should take you about 20 minutes to complete.

Given past applicants’ issues with iPad and mobile versions of the application, we strongly suggest you record your answer on a computer .

If you do end up experiencing technical issues, access the support page here .

Regardless of when you submit your application, you need to submit your responses to the Yale video essay questions no more than 48 hours after the round’s deadline . Find Yale’s most current application deadlines here.

If you submit your application early, you can submit the Yale video essay questions at any time, as long as you make the final deadline.

The Yale video essay questions are grouped into three different categories, each with a different focus.

Group 1: MBA Motivations

The first question in the Yale SOM video essay will focus on your interest in Yale or the reason you are pursuing an MBA.

(Photo courtesy of @yalesom on Instagram)

This might take the form of “Why Yale?”, or “What are you expecting to learn at Yale?”. Conversely, they may also ask why you think now is a good moment in your career to stop and go to business school. They obviously want to be sure that you have researched Yale and have good reasons for applying for an MBA.

For this section, refer back to your goals essay , reflect, and be honest with yourself about why you’re applying to Yale. Maybe you like the program’s focus on diversity, maybe the raw case method, or perhaps you have colleagues who attended and spoke highly of Yale.

The curriculum should also be a selling point for you, as well as the clubs and campus life, the diversity of the students, the experience of the teachers, and the internships and alumni network.

Now, please don’t reel off that list! It won’t be personal enough to you.

Instead, clearly articulate your top three or four reasons for applying to Yale , and speak about them.

You don’t need to spend much time introducing this topic, saying “There are three main reasons why I want to attend Yale” and then giving us the reasons is more than enough.

It’s always good to include something that shows you’ve researched the program, so mentioning something specific, be it the academic modules or a specific club you want to join is a must for a winning video essay.

Group 2: Behavioral questions

Yale is a community that values purpose-driven, adaptable people who work well in teams and are strong communicators.

For that reason, Yale often asks questions aimed at determining if you work well with others and will be a positive addition to the Yale community.

These questions won’t specifically ask, “Do you like working in a team,” but if you can keep in mind that this is a chance to show how you interact with others, you’ll have a good starting point for this question.

Typically questions range from how you help someone who needs advice, to your management style to how you handle conflict.

To do well in this question, it’s great to draw on examples , and to be clear and to the point. Furthermore, make sure to show your human side and demonstrate that you genuinely care for others and want the teams you join to succeed. It can be easy to answer in a very conversational way, but doing so can often lead to an answer without a point, so make sure you use your planning time to structure the key elements of your answer.

For this question, you want to make sure you’re showing what you do and use active language.

Your answer will want to show that you’re mature, that you’re emotionally intelligent, that you can see the bigger picture, that you’re empathetic, and that you make a positive contribution to those around you.

If the question is about helping someone with a problem, tell us what you do. Perhaps you first like to listen, then help them get clear on what they really want, and then decide together on some next steps.

If the question is about your management style, be precise. Tell them how you manage people and why. Maybe you’re very hands-off, and like to give everyone the opportunity to take responsibility within their role, as you think this empowers them the most to learn and develop. Maybe you’re more hands-on and like to make sure your team knows they can come to you with problems, as giving people too much freedom too soon can actually be overwhelming to them.

Regardless, make sure to show your reasons for your actions and demonstrate that you’re a person who embraces collaboration and who sees setbacks as opportunities for learning.

Group 3: The thinking question

In addition to the traditional interview questions, you will also be required to answer a thinking question (similar to a case study) during the Yale video essay.

The key to the thinking question is to see how you think on your feet (and, as a result, test how well you’ll do with Yale’s raw case method ).

The point of this task is to see if you can present a clear idea and demonstrate good critical thinking abilities, not to get the “right” answer. As such, focus on using your answer to walk through a clear, well-reasoned answer to the prompt.

Sample Questions

To help your preparation, here are a few sample Yale video essay questions that our clients received when completing their own Yale video essays.

Group 1 Questions

Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your life?
Why are you doing an MBA now?

Group 2 Questions

You are starting a new project with team members coming from different cultures and educational backgrounds. How would you help them get to know each other?
What do you do when someone comes to you with a problem?
A colleague is asking you to help them assess their future career options. How do you help them grow?

Group 3 Questions

Please respond to the following statement: “It is better for a leader to have a superficial knowledge of many topics than to be an expert in one topic.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Providing health insurance for employees is the most pressing issue for business leaders at the moment. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Please respond to the following statement: “It is more important to judge people by their actions than by their intentions.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

The difference between a good and great Yale SOM video essay

Given the importance of the video essay in your Yale SOM application, it’s crucial to make sure you don’t just have a good video essay but that you have a great video essay.

Now that you’ve learned how the video essay will work, we’ve gathered our top 5 tips here to ensure your video essay performance brings you one step closer to reaching your goal of attending Yale.

Make sure you get into Yale SOM

You have stressed about every aspect of your Yale application, and now you are ready to record your video essay! With the right preparation, this can be your chance to shine and get a highly-coveted spot at Yale.

However, maybe you don’t know where to start in preparing, or maybe you ramble on and lose your focus while answering. Maybe you’ve even downloaded the sample questions and written out your answers. The problem is, when you try to apply these templates to your own story, it doesn’t quite work.

Our video essay prep focuses on helping you determine how to present yourself to Yale while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic.

Regardless of where you’re from or what type of experience you have, we are focused on helping you do your best.

Want to put the Ellin Lolis advantage to work for you? Schedule your preparation session with our team of video essay experts today!

Real MBA Essays That Got People In

School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted

Get Access Now

98.9% Success Rate

With our expertise and 98.9% success rate in placing our consulting clients in at least one of their target schools, we can add more value to your application than you ever thought possible.

Recent Articles

2024-2025 IMD MBA Essay Tips

Aug 9, 2024

UPDATE: This article was originally posted on June 8, 2020. It has been...

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Deadlines for 2024-2025

Aug 6, 2024

If you’re preparing for the Vanderbilt Owen MBA (check out our essay tips and sample essays here!), ensuring you finish everything on time is essential. Here are the deadlines for the Class of 2027. Round 1 Application Deadline: October 8, 2024 Interview...

Oxford Saïd MBA Deadlines for 2024-2025

Aug 5, 2024

If you’re preparing for the Oxford Saïd MBA (check out our essay tips and sample essays here!), ensuring you finish everything on time is essential. Here are the deadlines for the Class of 2027. Round 1 Application Deadline: September 2, 2024 Interview...

Ready to start your MBA Success?

Testimonials
Case Studies

June 5, 2024

MBA Essay Guidance 2024-25: Yale School of Management

Admission Strategy
APPLICATION & ADMISSIONS
MBA Application Advice

Yale School of Management has released its MBA application deadlines and essay questions for the 2024-25 application cycle. Here are the important dates and Admitify’s guidance on the essays:

R1: sep 10, 2024 / r2: jan 7, 2025 / r3: apr 8, 2025 .

Please respond to one (1) of the three essay prompts below. The word limit (though not necessarily the goal!) is 500 words:

Prompt 1: Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?

Here are Yale’s notes for the first half of this prompt in 2022: “ We developed this question in collaboration with Amy Wrzesniewski, a professor of organizational behavior at Yale SOM. Your time in business school, and the choices you make thereafter, represent significant commitments. In asking this question, the Admissions Committee is seeking to learn about how you have approached a commitment of importance in your life.

When it comes to choosing a topic, be genuine. We want to hear about something that is meaningful and distinctive to you in your own voice. Your commitment can be personal, specific or expansive. We receive outstanding, insightful essays covering a wide range of topics.

The content of your essay is every bit as important as the topic. Regardless of the commitment that you choose, the most effective essays do a great job of describing your approach to commitment. Point to the specific actions that you have taken over time to bolster your commitment. This is especially important if you have chosen a broad topic, such as an ideal or a belief. Don’t just explain why a commitment is important to you; we want to understand how your behaviors have demonstrated and supported your commitment.

“The first thing that may come to mind about our essay question is, ‘Why is it phrased so broadly?’ That’s intentional. We don’t want candidates to think that we are trying to steer them towards a particular kind of commitment, either in nature or scope. The question is meant to elicit self-reflection and result in you describing a commitment that is truly meaningful to you.”

—Maria Derlipanska, Senior Associate Director of Admissions

Admitify Guidance

In its guidance, Yale asks you to “point to the specific actions that you have taken”: that means they want you to demonstrate — to illustrate with examples — the behaviors that support your commitment.
Why did you select this particular commitment — was there a problem or a challenge you were responding to?
How did you approach it? What obstacles stood in your way (a commitment that the reader perceives as easy to live up to will seem less impressive)
What were/are the specific behaviors — that is, examples of you ‘in action’ — that supported/continue to support it? What did you think, say and/or do in living up to your commitment?
What did you learn from that?
Don’t try and select a commitment that you think ‘fits’ Yale — this is the time to be authentic, so choose something that was/is deeply important to you, as evidenced by some sustained involvement or excellence or challenge in your life.
You only have 500 words so be concise.

Prompt 2: Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community?

Admitify guidance.

Choose a specific community that really does matter to you in your life or has had a profound impact on you. It could be a cultural community, a professional network, a volunteer group, an academic club, or any other community you belong to. Ensure that you have a genuine connection to the community and can discuss it passionately. A community that matters to you is likely to be one you have engaged with over a long period of time and that connects to some core identity.
Begin your essay by explaining how you became a part of this community and what drew you to it. Describe the community’s goals, values, and activities. Why do these matter to you?
Use specific examples (vivid personal anecdotes and specific instances) to show how belonging to this community has helped you be yourself or grow. When have you had to defend or stand up for this community? When has your membership in this community been tested? Have you ever considered leaving it? What made you stay? Literally and concretely state the most important “thing” (skill, relationship, value, knowledge) this community has given you. Literally and concretely state your single greatest contribution to this community. This could include leadership roles, initiatives you’ve undertaken, or efforts to support and uplift others in the community. Don’t exaggerate or fabricate; keep it real and credible.
Tie your experiences in this meaningful community to your future goals if your goals have been shaped by this community.

Prompt 3: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person?

This prompt gives you an opportunity to showcase your resilience, problem-solving abilities, and personal growth:

Select a challenge that had a significant impact on your life and brought about meaningful change. It could be a personal, professional, or interpersonal challenge, ideally something unique and profound. Avoid discussing trivial or common challenges; avoid an academic challenge unless it was distinctive, involved working with a group, and/or led to a distinguished or selective outcome or honor. Focus on something unique and profound.
The challenge should be explicitly and concisely stated. Discuss how the challenge affected you emotionally, mentally, or even physically. Be candid about your initial reaction to the challenge and how you coped with it.
But the bulk of the essay should center on describing how you confronted and overcame the challenge. Demonstrate how you took control of the situation and worked towards a resolution. What strategies did you employ, what support did you seek, what behaviours helped you overcome the challenge successfully?
What lessons did you learn from tackling this challenge? insights about yourself, newfound skills, changed perspectives, or a deeper understanding of others. Emphasize how the experience has shaped your values and decision-making. If relevant, talk about how your experience also affected others around you — family members, friends, colleagues, or teammates. Demonstrating empathy and compassion in challenging situations can be powerful. As with the other prompts, briefly state how this experience helped shape your post-MBA goals, if it did.

Now is the perfect time to start on your Yale SOM MBA applications! Contact us today and we’ll guide you through the application process.

Related blog posts, top tips on how to prepare now for fall mba applications.

May 8, 2024

MBA Essay Guidance 2023-24: USC Marshall School of Business

March 27, 2024

MBA Essay Guidance 2023-24: UCLA Anderson School of Management

March 26, 2024

School of Management 2024 – 2025

Full-time m.b.a. degree program, the m.b.a. curriculum.

The Yale School of Management (SOM) offers a two-year, full-time program leading to the degree of Master of Business Administration. A Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or equivalent undergraduate degree is requisite for admission to the M.B.A. program. The program requires two years of full-time study in residence and comprises both course work and non-course activities.

In the first year, students devote the majority of their time to the core courses and are also required to participate in the orientation curriculum, required pre-term work, and other degree requirements. In the summer following the first year, students continue their management training through internships or other appropriate activity, in fulfillment of the M.B.A. Internship Requirement. In the second year, elective courses complete requirements for the degree. See M.B.A. Degree Requirements in this chapter.

Yale SOM also offers a twenty-two-month M.B.A. program for working professionals; see the chapter M.B.A. for Executives Program for requirements and procedures specific to that program.

The Core Curriculum

Traditional functional management disciplines are integrated in an innovative core curriculum designed to reflect the contexts encountered by today’s leaders and to better prepare students to navigate the increasingly complex global economy. Courses in the first-year curriculum are taught in two segments: Orientation to Management and Organizational Perspectives.

Orientation to Management

The Orientation to Management segment introduces students to essential concepts and skills. Courses include Managing Groups and Teams, Basics of Accounting, Probability Modeling and Statistics, Basics of Economics, Modeling Managerial Decisions, and Introduction to Negotiation. A student may be granted exemption from Probability Modeling and Statistics, Basics of Economics, and/or Basics of Accounting by taking an exam designed and evaluated by the instructor of the course. Each exam will be offered only once, before the start of the fall term. Students must score the equivalent of Honors (H) or High Honors (HH) on the exam to qualify for exemption from the respective course.

Organizational Perspectives

The heart of the first-year curriculum is a series of multidisciplinary, team-taught courses called Organizational Perspectives that teach students to draw on a broad range of information, tools, and skills to develop creative solutions and make strategic decisions. These courses include Competitor, Customer, Investor, State and Society, The Workforce, Operations Engine, Sourcing and Managing Funds, Innovator, and The Global Macroeconomy.

Fundamental frameworks and concepts are often taught through multimedia “raw” cases and group assignments on topics drawn directly from real-world challenges facing business, government, and nonprofit organizations.

The final Organizational Perspectives course, The Executive, presents students with a series of complex, interdisciplinary case studies, many of them involving cross-national or global business challenges. These cases require students to draw on the subject matter learned in the other Organizational Perspectives courses.

Leadership Distribution Requirement

M.B.A. students are required to complete the Leadership Distribution Requirement before they graduate. The requirement is met by completing, at any time before graduation, at least one course from an approved list of leadership electives. These courses supplement the individual and team focus on leadership in our core courses with a focus on leadership at the organizational and global level. The options are listed on the SOM internal website. Students who wish to request that an additional course be considered for fulfillment of the requirement should contact the dean of students to initiate a review by the director of core curriculum.

Global Studies Requirement

M.B.A. students are required to complete the Global Studies Requirement (GSR) before they graduate. The requirement is met by completing, at any time before graduation, at least one of the following:

An International Experience course
A Global Network Week
A Global Network Course
A Global Social Entrepreneurship course
A term-long International Exchange with a partner school

International Experience

The International Experience (IE) is a faculty-led course that bears 4 units of academic credit and includes, in addition to in-class lectures and seminars, travel to a country or region of the world to meet with business, government, and nonprofit leaders. Enrollment in the IE is facilitated via the regular course auction used for electives.

Students who withdraw from enrollment in an IE course will be responsible for assuming any associated nonrecoverable costs incurred by SOM and will lose the associated Global Studies Account (GSA) funding. All requests for modification to these cancellation charges must be approved by the assistant dean on a case-by-case basis. SOM will not reimburse students for any expenses incurred related to travel arrangements.

Global Network Week

Global Network Weeks (GNW) are weeklong courses at Global Network schools around the world that bear 1.5 units of academic credit—gaining from the regional and subject matter expertise of Global Network faculty. Learning happens both in the classroom and in the relationships that students build with peers from other countries, regions, and industries.

Enrollment in GNWs is facilitated via the regular course auction used for electives. Students who withdraw from enrollment in a GNW course will be responsible for assuming any associated nonrecoverable costs and will lose the associated GSA funding. All requests for modification to these cancellation charges must be approved by the dean of students on a case-by-case basis.

Global Network Courses

Global Network Courses are Small Network Online Courses (SNOCs) taught by a Global Network faculty member with expertise in a particular subject. The courses bear 2 or 4 units of credit and are open to students from across the Global Network. Students log in through an online platform and participate in video conferencing for synchronous lectures and discussions. Students collaborate on team projects, developing virtual teamwork skills, and benefit from cross-cultural perspectives in lectures and discussions.

Enrollment in SNOCs is facilitated via the regular course auction used for electives, but there is a selection process by the faculty member leading the course.

Global Social Entrepreneurship

The Global Social Entrepreneurship (GSE) courses introduce students to issues faced by mission-driven entrepreneurs, linking teams of Yale students with social enterprises (SEs) in emerging economies. Student/SE teams work together to address specific management challenges faced by the SEs, culminating with the development of an analysis and set of recommendations (operational, financial, or otherwise) to meet the identified challenges.

GSE India runs Fall2–Spring1 and is comprised mainly of second-year students; Spring GSE (alternating between Kenya, Brazil, and Indonesia) runs Spring1–Spring2 and is comprised mainly of first-year M.B.A. students. Both courses include fieldwork midway through the course (for GSE India: two weeks in January; for Spring GSE: one week in March).

Students who withdraw from enrollment in a GSE course will be responsible for assuming any associated nonrecoverable costs incurred by SOM and will lose the associated GSA funding. All requests for modification to these cancellation charges must be approved by the dean of students on a case-by-case basis. SOM will not reimburse students for any expenses incurred related to travel arrangements.

International Exchange

The International Exchange allows students to spend one term studying abroad as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.B.A. degree. Specifically, Yale SOM students are permitted to spend the fall or spring term of the second year studying at an approved academic institution. A list of exchange partners and details about the application process are available from Academic Affairs and Student Life or on the SOM internal website. Students can petition on an ad hoc basis for an exchange with any Global Network partner.

While abroad, students will be evaluated on the exchange partner’s grading scale. Courses completed successfully will appear on the SOM transcript with an indication that the credits were completed abroad. Students will not be assigned grades based on the SOM grading scale. Students are required to speak with the SOM registrar regarding their specific course schedule and course load while abroad to ensure they meet all SOM requirements.

Students selected to participate in the exchange program are expected to attend the exchange program in its entirety and participate fully. Students who withdraw from the International Exchange program after they have accepted a place in it will lose the GSA funding associated with the exchange.

Exchange participants are expected to be ambassadors for SOM and to represent the school well. While abroad, students are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional behavior. Student conduct while abroad remains subject to the SOM Honor Code.

For additional information, see Global Studies Financial Support in the chapter Tuition and Fees.

M.B.A. Internship Requirement

Between the first and second years of the program, all M.B.A. students are required to further their management education through an internship in an organizational setting. The internship, which must be related to the student’s major area of study, is an integral part of the M.B.A. academic program. This required internship must be completed prior to re-enrollment in second-year course work. Silver Scholars fulfill this requirement during their mandatory internship year.

Off-Campus Employment During the Academic Year

The M.B.A. program requires four semesters of full-time study. Students complement academic pursuits with various co-curricular activities, which also demand considerable time. For most students, this leaves little time for off-campus employment during the four semesters. During the second year of the program, however, students may pursue off-campus employment to a limited extent. Such employment must be arranged directly by the student and is not facilitated by the Career Development Office. International students on visas must comply with regulations pertaining to their visa status. Total employment during the academic year, off-campus and on-campus combined, may not exceed twenty hours a week.

It may be possible to pursue off-campus employment during the third and the fourth semesters of the M.B.A. program in conjunction with the course Navigating through Workplace Culture. This course will be considered for approval by faculty in fall 2024. If the course is approved, it may enable international students on F-1 visas who have completed at least two semesters of full-time study to be authorized under prevailing regulations for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) pursuant to enrollment in this course, provided they meet the relevant eligibility and procedural requirements. Specific requirements for enrolling in the course and earning academic credit are described in the course syllabus.

Elective Courses

Elective courses, chosen from the offerings listed in the chapter Courses for 2024–2025 or from the approved offerings in other Yale schools and departments, complete the course requirement for the M.B.A. degree unless an extended internship is approved by the dean of students as a leave of absence.

M.B.A. Degree Requirements

Degree requirements are designed and administered to ensure the integrity of the M.B.A. degree program. Any exception to the requirements must be approved by the faculty. The requirements fall into the following areas: Enrollment Requirement, Number of Course Units, Timing Requirement, Distribution of Courses, and the Quality Standard. See Academic Policies for Residential Master’s Degree Programs in the chapter Rights and Responsibilities of Students for information on the Yale School of Management grading system and definitions of the grades referenced below.

To qualify for the M.B.A. degree, a student must at all times meet the conditions to continue as a degree candidate and must meet all requirements as follows:

Enrollment Requirement

The M.B.A. must be completed in four consecutive terms of full-time study, unless a student receives advance permission from the dean of students to take a leave of absence. A student enrolled in a joint-degree program is required to maintain continuous, full-time enrollment throughout the program and to complete degree requirements within the normal period specified for the program in the appropriate joint-degree agreement, unless granted a leave of absence. Students enrolled in the Silver Scholars program are expected to complete the M.B.A. program in three consecutive years, with a one-year full-time internship after the first year of the core M.B.A. program, unless an extended internship is approved by the dean of students as a leave of absence.

The M.B.A. students’ fulfillment of the enrollment requirement is not precluded by any of the following:

The compression of the academic calendar caused by public health directives, as long as the student completes the normal academic credit units;
Visa delays or travel restrictions that result in enrollment from a non-U.S. location and/or the lack of F-1 visa status for a part of the academic year;
Virtual participation in courses due to emergencies as defined by SOM academic policy, public health directives, travel restrictions, or visa delays;
Enrollment beginning in the spring term, should the school make an allowance for this in response to national emergencies, public health directives, or travel restrictions.

Number of Course Units

A student must:

Achieve credit, i.e., a grade of Pass or higher, in 72 units of course work (52 units for joint-degree students), of which 30.5 are normally earned in first-year core courses.
Enroll in and receive a grade in a minimum of 16 units of course work in each of the first three terms. Taking a course overload in any term does not excuse a student from the 16-unit minimum in another term. Students in their fourth term may request permission from the dean of students to enroll in fewer units if they will otherwise satisfy M.B.A. degree requirements.

Timing Requirement

To be permitted to enroll for the second year of the M.B.A. program, a student must have received grades in all first-year core courses.

Distribution of Courses

To graduate, a student must:

Managing Groups and Teams (1 unit)
Basics of Accounting (2 units)
Basics of Economics (2.5 units)
Probability Modeling and Statistics (2 units)
Modeling Managerial Decisions (2 units)
Competitor (2 units)
Customer (2 units)
Investor (2 units)
State and Society (2 units)
Introduction to Negotiation (1 unit)
The Workforce (2 units)
Operations Engine (2 units)
Sourcing and Managing Funds (2 units)
Innovator (2 units)
The Global Macroeconomy (2 units)
The Executive (2 units)
Complete the Leadership Distribution Requirement (courses that fulfill the requirement are listed on the SOM internal website).
Complete the Global Studies Requirement (as described above in M.B.A. Curriculum).
Achieve credit in at least 41.5 units of elective courses as necessary to meet the 72-unit course requirement, or for joint-degree students, credit unit totals as specified in requirements for the specific program.

There are five grades at Yale SOM: High Honors, Honors, Proficient, Pass, and Fail. The grade distribution that instructors use, and the policy with respect to the reporting of grades on official transcripts, are described below.

HH: High Honors Up to top 10 percent of class. Reported on transcript.

H: Honors Next 25 percent. Reported on transcript.

PR: Proficient Next 55 percent. Not reported on transcript.

P: Pass Lowest 10 percent in core courses; guideline of 5 percent in electives. Not reported on transcript.

F: Fail An absolute standard; no minimum requirement. To the extent it is used, the F grade counts toward the 10 or 5 percent Pass category. Not reported on transcript.*

Once grades are officially recorded, they may not be changed except in cases in which a mathematical error has been made in computing the grade or a clerical error has been made in recording it. Students seeking correction to a grading error must contact the instructor within two weeks (ten working days) from the receipt of the grade.

If a student takes a course in another school at Yale, the SOM registrar will ask the instructor to submit the grade according to the SOM grade scale.

*F grades in core courses require remediation. The failed core course is not reflected on the official transcript until remediated. Elective courses with F grades are not reflected on the official transcript. Students must replace failed electives with other electives to meet total credit requirements for graduation.

Quality Standard

Failure to meet the Quality Standard for the M.B.A. program results in dismissal from the program. A student falls short of the Quality Standard if the student:

Accumulates Pass or Fail grades in more than 15* units of core courses; or
Accumulates a grade of Fail in more than 4 units of core courses; or
Accumulates Pass or Fail grades in more than 23.5 units of core and/or elective courses (more than 16.5 units for joint-degree students).

Further information on academic grounds for dismissal, the Academic Standards Committee, and appeals of academic dismissal can be found in the chapter Rights and Responsibilities of Students.

*The acceptable unit totals of grades in core courses as stated in point 1 of the Quality Standard will be adjusted down by one credit unit for each core course exemption granted to the student. In particular, a student exempting from one core course falls short of the Quality Standard by accumulating more than fourteen units of Pass or Fail grades in core courses; a student exempting from two core courses falls short of the Quality Standard by accumulating more than thirteen units of Pass or Fail grades in core courses; a student exempting from three core courses falls short of the Quality Standard by accumulating more than twelve units of Pass or Fail grades in core courses.

Remediation of Failing Grades in Core Courses

A student who fails a core course must remediate the failing grade either by retaking the course or through alternate activity as specified by the instructor and the dean of students. In no case will a grade higher than Pass be recorded when a failed core course is remediated.

A student is required to remediate failing grades in all core courses to graduate from the program.

Management Science Major

The Management Science major is a general program focusing on the application of statistical modeling, data warehousing/mining, programming, forecasting, and operations research techniques to the analysis of problems of business organization and performance.

M.B.A., M.A.M., and M.M.S. in Global Business and Society students at the Yale School of Management may pursue an optional major in Management Science drawing on Yale SOM faculty’s broad expertise in applying quantitative methods to challenges in business and management. Students will earn the major by completing a minimum of 16 units of eligible courses. For M.B.A. students, 6 units of the requirement will come from the M.B.A. core. An M.B.A. student exempting out of one or more core courses must make up the exempted credits from electives courses. Students may apply one non-SOM course (4 units) toward the Management Science major from the list of eligible courses.

International students who pursue the Management Science major will have the opportunity to qualify for an additional two-year STEM extension of the Post-Completion OPT work permission. Students wishing to declare the Management Science major must meet the deadlines referenced in the SOM academic calendar (see the chapter Calendars). Further information about eligibility and requirements for the STEM OPT extension is available through Yale’s Office of International Students and Scholars ( https://oiss.yale.edu ).

Joint-Degree Programs

Yale SOM offers joint-degree study with certain master’s programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and with a number of the other professional schools at Yale. At present, these are Architecture, Divinity, Drama, Environment, Law, Medicine, and Public Health. These agreements make it possible for a student to complete two degrees in at least a year less than would be required if the two programs were taken sequentially. SOM also offers opportunities for joint-degree study with doctoral programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Information about these programs, including enrollment and degree requirements, is available on the SOM internal website.

Admission decisions for joint-degree programs are made independently by the two schools. Students may apply for concurrent admission to both schools. Alternatively, students may apply for admission to the other school during the first year at SOM. Students already enrolled in one of the other schools with which SOM has joint-degree program agreements may apply to SOM in their first or second year of study, as specified in the appropriate agreement.

The normal pattern for joint-degree candidates in programs totaling three years of study is to spend the entire first year almost exclusively in one school and the entire second year almost exclusively in the other, combining courses from both schools and completing requirements for both degrees during the third year. Candidates in joint-degree programs totaling four years of study (Architecture, Drama, and the four-year Law degree) normally spend two full years almost exclusively in those schools, one full year in SOM, and one year in combined study. Candidates for joint degrees in Medicine normally spend three years exclusively in the School of Medicine, one year almost exclusively in SOM, and one year in combined study.

Students in joint-degree programs are not permitted to enroll in SOM core courses before matriculating at SOM. They must maintain full-time enrollment in both schools at all times. They must satisfy degree requirements in both schools and must receive both degrees simultaneously. Students in all joint-degree programs must enroll in at least two terms of course work at Yale after completing the M.B.A. core. Students in all joint-degree programs are required to spend three terms of residency at SOM and pay three terms of tuition to SOM.

Students in all joint-degree programs are required to complete 52 units at SOM to satisfy the M.B.A. degree requirements. At least 35.5 units of grades of Proficient or higher must be listed on the SOM transcript; more than 16.5 units of Pass or Fail grades will be grounds for academic dismissal. Joint-degree students completing their core year of study in the M.B.A. program are subject to the same quality standards as all other students (see the Quality Standard section of this chapter).

The School of Management and the schools in which M.B.A. students are enrolled for joint degrees regularly share information about the status of the enrolled students. Shared information may include course registrations and grades, disciplinary actions, or any other information that is normally part of a student’s record. In addition, the academic officers of the two programs may share other information that they believe relevant to understanding a student’s overall performance.

The School of Management and the schools in which M.B.A. students are enrolled for joint degrees separately apply their rules governing a student’s academic performance. In applying these standards, either school may consider the student’s performance in all of the student’s course work. A student whose performance does not meet the requirements and standards of a program may be advised or required to withdraw, or may be dismissed from that program. Such a withdrawal or dismissal does not automatically require dismissal or withdrawal from the other program.

The School of Management and the schools in which M.B.A. students are enrolled for joint degrees jointly apply their rules governing a student’s conduct. A charge of academic dishonesty in a course shall normally be handled by the school offering that course. If the course is jointly offered by the two schools, the charge will normally be handled by the school granting credit for that course.

A charge of general misconduct not related to a particular course or to an event in one of the schools will normally be handled by the school in which the student is currently registered. Jurisdiction over any case may be transferred if the disciplinary officials or committees of both schools agree. The final determination of fact, and any penalty, shall be communicated to the appropriate officials of both schools. A penalty of suspension, expulsion, or loss of course credit will apply to both degree programs.

Silver Scholars Program

College seniors and graduate students who have not yet entered the workforce can apply to the Yale M.B.A. program through the Silver Scholars Program. Admitted Silver Scholars candidates complete the M.B.A. in three years, participating in a one-year full-time internship after completing the first year of the M.B.A. program. Silver Scholars are expected to focus full attention on their employment responsibilities during the internship, though they retain their access to all SOM resources during that year. They then return to campus to complete their M.B.A. course work. The dean of students may grant special permission for a student to extend the internship by one or more additional years. Students wishing to extend the internship must petition for a leave of absence (see Leaves of Absence in the chapter General Information). The request must be submitted no later than the first day of classes in the term they are scheduled to return. The required internship year will be counted toward the limit placed on the length of a leave of absence, such that a Silver Scholar must resume their degree program no more than ten terms or five years after completing the first year of the M.B.A program. Students who fail to register for the term following the end of the one-year internship and who do not have permission to take a leave of absence will be considered to have withdrawn from the M.B.A. program.

Application Requirements

To apply to the Yale School of Management, applicants must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent and must have taken an approved standardized test (typically the GMAT or the GRE). Applicants must also complete the online application form (including an application form, essay, and other written or recorded components), provide transcripts from every college or university attended, submit two recommendations, complete the behavioral assessment, and pay a tiered application fee that ranges from $125 to $250 [U.S.].

Application Deadlines

Round 1: September 10, 2024
Round 2: January 7, 2025
Round 3: April 8, 2025

Application Review

During the admissions process, Yale SOM takes a holistic approach in reviewing applications; no one aspect of an application alone is determinative. The school is committed to matriculating a student body that is diverse along many dimensions and demonstrates a commitment to the school’s mission to educate leaders for business and society. In addition, the Admissions Committee is looking for applicants with a strong academic background, leadership potential, and professional experience who will add to the Yale SOM community, as well as the greater Yale University community.

Admissions Interviews

An interview is required to be admitted to the Yale School of Management. Interviews are by invitation of the Admissions Committee. If an interview is offered, the candidate will be notified by email. Applicants may be invited at any point throughout the admission cycle.

Admissions Decisions

Admissions decisions are released on the following dates:

Round 1: December 5, 2024
Round 2: March 20, 2025
Round 3: May 15, 2025

On- and Off-Campus Events

Many prospective students feel that visiting campus is the best way to get a real sense of academic and student life at Yale SOM. Our campus visit program runs throughout the year. If a candidate is unable to visit campus, admissions officers also participate in many events across the globe, in addition to online events. Check https://som.yale.edu/programs/mba/admissions/campus-visits before planning your visit.

To learn more about the Yale School of Management, please visit https://som.yale.edu . Prospective students may also contact the Admissions Office, mba.admissions@yale.edu or 203.432.5635.

GMAT CLUB TESTS
FORUM QUIZ - NEW!
QUESTION BANKS
DECISION TRACKER
SCHOOL DISCUSSIONS
MARKETPLACE
T&C and Privacy Policy
GMAT Club Rules
Login Register Forgot password?
${glob_var/L_LOGIN_LOGOUT}
Quick Search

Yale SOM Essay Tips and Application Deadlines: 2023-2024

Yale School of Management has released deadlines and essays for the 2023-2024 application year, changing their essay section for the first time in eight years.

As one of the smaller top MBA programs, Yale SOM’s intimate class size is a defining characteristic of the program, with 347 students enrolled in the class of 2024 . Of these students, 43% identify as women, 48% are international passport holders, 17% are first-generation college students, and 12% identify as LGBTQ+.

The class of 2024 came from a range of pre-MBA industries, the top three being financial services, consulting and non-profit. On average, students had an average of 4.4 years of work experience.

Watch below to learn how to position yourself for success!

The Upcoming Yale SOM Application Deadlines Are as Follows:

Round 1: September 12, 2023

Round 2: January 4, 2024

Round 3: April 9, 2024

This year, Yale SOM decided to allow applicants to choose the essay question they would like to answer, leavings its longstanding essay regarding commitment as one of the options. Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean for Admissions, gives more detail on this choice in the 2023-2024 Application Guide (copied below):

We want to know what matters to you, and our essay question is designed to help us gain insight into your background, passions, motivations, responsibilities, ideals, identities, challenges, or aspirations, depending on where you take your response. To ensure that you’re able to write about something important to you, we offer you three essay prompts from which to choose:

1) Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?

3) Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person?

Choose the prompt that speaks most strongly to you and about which you have the most enthusiasm.

Personal MBA Coach’s Yale SOM Essay Tips:

Below, we have shared our tips for approaching each of the three options:

Yale MBA Essay Option 1: Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (500 words)

Five hundred words is fairly short, and this is your main shot to show who you are and why you will fit in on campus. Be focused and be genuine!

Yale MBA Essay Option 2: Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community? (500 words)

This essay is a great opportunity for candidates who have a close relationship with a particular community. You can think of your physical community or think of community more broadly.

Once you have defined this community for the reader, tell them how this community shaped who you are today.

Yale MBA Essay Option 3: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person? (500 words)

This third option is also new for Yale SOM. For those applicants considering this option, keep in mind that Admissions Directors shared at the 2023 AIGAC conference how the “trauma” essay, particularly if unrelated to an applicant’s reason for applying to business school, is often overused.

Yale MBA Short Answer Essay: Post-MBA Interests: Briefly describe your career interests and how you arrived at them. What have you already done to pursue these interests? What do you need to do going forward? (150 words)

Finally, Yale has a short career goals essay. There is a lot to cover in just 150 words so you want to be very direct. In addition to briefly sharing your goals with Yale (need help developing a compelling goal statement – check out this blog ), tell the reader what drove these goals and how you have already prepared for them. Finally, think about where Yale fits into the picture. While there won’t be a lot of space to deep dive into Yale’s offerings in this essay, you should make it clear that you have thought about why you need a Yale MBA to be successful in achieving your goals.

Yale MBA Reapplicant Essay: Since your last application, please discuss any significant updates to your candidacy, including changes in your personal or professional life, additional coursework, or extracurricular/volunteer activities. (200 words maximum; required for all reapplicants)

Reapplicants should use the required additional essay to demonstrate growth. We advise candidates to review our tips for reapplicants before tackling this essay.

Finally, Yale has retained its video essay.

Candidates will receive the video questions after submitting their applications. Click here for Personal MBA Coach’s video essay guidance. Ready to apply to Yale SOM? Contact Personal MBA Coach today to learn how we can help with your Yale SOM application!

The post Yale SOM Essay Tips and Application Deadlines: 2023-2024 appeared first on Personal MBA Coach .

PersonalMBACoach

Published in Personal MBA Coach , Admission Consultants and Blog

Yale College Undergraduate Admissions

A Liberal Arts Education
Majors & Academic Programs
Teaching & Advising
Undergraduate Research
International Experiences
Science & Engineering Faculty Features
Residential Colleges
Extracurriculars
Identity, Culture, Faith
Multicultural Open House
Virtual Tour
Bulldogs' Blogs
First-Year Applicants
International First-Year Applicants
QuestBridge First-Year Applicants
Military Veteran Applicants
Transfer Applicants
Eli Whitney: Nontraditional Applicants
Non-Degree & Alumni Auditing Applicants
What Yale Looks For
Putting Together Your Application
Selecting High School Courses
Application FAQs
First-Generation College Students
Rural and Small Town Students
Choosing Where to Apply
Inside the Yale Admissions Office Podcast
Visit Campus
Virtual Events
Connect With Yale Admissions
The Details
Estimate Your Cost
QuestBridge

Search form

Essay topics.

All first-year applicants will complete a few Yale-specific short answer questions. These required questions are slightly different based on the application platform an applicant chooses. The 2024-2025 Yale-specific questions for the Coalition Application, Common Application, and QuestBridge Application are detailed below.

Short Answer Questions

Applicants submitting the Coalition Application , Common Application , or QuestBridge Application will respond to the following short answer questions:

Students at Yale have 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.
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)
What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)

Applicants applying with the QuestBridge Application will complete the questions above via the Yale QuestBridge Questionnaire, available on the Yale Admissions Status Portal after an application has been received.

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):

What inspires you?
If you could teach any college course, write a book, or create an original piece of art of any kind, what would it be?
Other than a family member, who is someone who has had a significant influence on you? What has been the impact of their influence?
What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application?

Applicants submitting the Coalition Application or Common Application will respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or fewer.

1. Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful?

2. 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.

3. Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?

Yale SOM — MBA Program & Application Overview (2024)

Applying to the Yale SOM? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Yale alumni to get you that much closer to your dream school.

Posted June 26, 2024

Featuring Jordan M.

Why You Should Consider Getting an MD/MBA

Starting friday, august 23.

1:00 AM UTC · 60 minutes

The Yale School of Management’s (SOM) mission is to educate the future leaders of tomorrow. They want students who care deeply about the problems we are currently facing and will equip them with the knowledge, resources, and networks to be changemakers. That change can come in the form of a new business, a policy initiative, or something else entirely. At Yale, you will find a community of motivated, future leaders who are similarly eager to address these challenges. Their programs exist at the intersection of business and society and include such options as sustainability, asset management, healthcare, education, financial stability, women in business, and global leadership.

Class Profile (2025)

Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Class Size: 339
Average Work Experience: 5.1 years
Median GMAT: 720
Median GRE: 164 (Verbal), 166 (Quant)
Average GPA: 3.64
International: 50%
LGBTQ+: 13%
First-Generation: 16%
Joint-Degree: 6%
U.S. Students of Color: 48%

"What makes someone stand out can be vastly different from candidate to candidate. The key is therefore to remain your true self throughout the process because what the Admissions Committee is looking to learn about in your application is...you! You should focus less on what you think we want to hear and more on what you want to tell us as you prepare your application."

Yale Admissions Committee

2024-2025 Application Overview

Yale som deadlines.

Round 1 : September 10, 2024

Decisions Released: December 5, 2024

Round 2 : January 7, 2025

Decisions Released: March 20, 2025

Round 3 : April 8, 2025

Decisions Released: May 15, 2025

Yale accepts either a GMAT or GRE score, both the on-site and online versions of the exam. They do not have a preference for either.

A lot of pressure is placed on GMAT/GRE scores; however, Yale takes into consideration the larger picture and recognizes the test is just one part of the application. You will only need to list your two highest scores, which you will report yourself during the application, and then send in verified scores after admittance.

To learn more, click here : GMAT vs. GRE for Business School—Which to Take and How to Ace Both

The Yale SOM Essay

Prompt: Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made.

Our best tips:

This question was developed in collaboration with Amy Wrzesniewski, a professor at the Yale SOM in the organizational behavior department. Your time in business school and the choices that you will make after graduation represent significant commitments. In asking this question, the committee wants to know how you have approached similarly important commitments.
Be genuine when answering this question. Yale SOM wants to hear something that is both meaningful and distinctive. Your chosen commitment can be personal, specific, or expansive, whatever you feel will most represent your unique situation and talents.
The most effective essays paint a picture for the admissions committee. Make sure to illustrate specific actions that you have taken to pursue your commitments. This is especially important if you have chosen a more broad topic. Show, don’t tell.
Learn more about writing your MBA essay here: How to Write a Powerful MBA Essay

Recommendations

Yale Recommender Requirements

Yale requires two letters of recommendation. They want to get different perspectives on your work and academic performance.

Your recommendation should be professional in nature. The best people to write your recommendation letters should be those who have worked closely with you, preferably someone in a senior position instead of a peer or subordinate.

Ideally, one of your letters should come from a current supervisor. However, Yale knows that sometimes this is not possible, for example, if you are working for your family business or are an entrepreneur. In these cases, they suggest that you ask your most recent former supervisor. In general, they care more about the quality of the recommendation than the job title of the recommenders.

The more insights provided in their evaluation, the better the committee will understand your story and be able to accurately gauge your potential. One potential strategy is to find two recommenders who can speak to different strengths and skill sets, thus diversifying your portfolio.

Ensure that your recommenders submit their letters by the given application letter. A thank-you note after submission would also demonstrate your appreciation.

This year, they are allowing recommendation letters to be submitted in Spanish or Chinese. Their hope is that this will improve the process for non-native English speaker applicants.

Learn more here : How to Get the Perfect MBA Recommendation Letter and Leland Recommender Prep Template .

Yale Interviews

Through each of the three rounds, interviews are offered on a rolling basis. These invitations are not sent out by region, so another applicant in the same area may receive an interview earlier or later than you.

For Yale, you will participate in a 30-minute, blind interview conducted by either a second-year student or an Admissions Officer. Your interviewer will only know what they see on your resume.

You can be on the waitlist without being interviewed. As the committee revisits waitlisted candidates throughout the application cycle, waitlisted candidates may be offered an interview at any time.

To learn more, click here : How to Ace Your MBA Interview: With Prep Questions and Answers . Doing your interview online? Find out more here: How to Nail Your Virtual MBA Interview .

Other Application Items

Application fee.

Applicants need to be $95 for their application fee. It is non-refundable and can be paid online.

Applicants in the following categories will be able to waive their application fees:

Active US military and veterans
Current corps members or alumni of Teach for America, Teach for China, Teach for India, or any other organization related to teachforall.org
Current or former Forte MBA Launchers or Rising Stars
Current or former Peace Corps volunteers
QuestBridge college seniors or alumni
Current Yale graduate students
Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) or Jumpstart MBA Prep Fellows
Yale undergraduate students

Your resume is a great place to ground your application. It’s the fastest and easiest way to show the committee what you’ve done with your career. Make sure to spell-check several times.

Learn more about How to Craft the Ultimate MBA Resume

Academic Transcripts

You are required to submit transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate, study abroad, and non-degree programs that you have been a part of.

You may upload unofficial transcripts during the application process. However, once you are admitted you will be required to submit official transcripts in order to enroll. Offers of admission are conditional upon the receipt and verification of official transcripts.

To Yale, you are more than your overall GPA. If you do have a lower GPA, they know that there isn’t anything you can do to change it. They look at the overall picture to get a better idea of the entire applicant.

Click here to read more : Application Tips: Academic Record

In this section of your application, you will enumerate the activities that you are currently involved in or have participated in outside of the classroom. This will not be a complete list, but rather a narrow list of the top two activities from your undergraduate time and another two from after graduation.

Learn more here : Application Tips: Activities

Post-MBA Interests

In this section, you will need to state your career goals three years after finishing your MBA degree. Think about how those interests have developed, what kind of exposure you’ve had to them so far, and what steps you’ve taken to explore those interests.

Learn more here: Application Tips: Post-MBA Interests

Optional Information

Most candidates will not need to complete this section—this space is for addressing concerns that you think the admissions committee might have with your application. For example, if there is a gap in your resume or your recommender is unconventional, this is the appropriate place to provide clarification.

Video Questions

Once you have submitted your application and paid the fee, you will receive access to several video questions. These questions are not a substitute for the interview, it is a component of your MBA application.

You will receive a set of randomized, previously recorded questions by an admissions team member. These are typical interview questions but no two applicants will have the same set of questions.

Free trial!

From 127 top coaches

Access a library of videos, templates, and examples curated by Leland’s top coaches.

Example essays.

Example Resumes

Application Prep

Video Courses

Expert MBA Admissions Coaches on Leland

… and many more! Click here for our full roster of world-class MBA admissions coaches.

MBA Options

Full-time mba program.

A traditional, full-time MBA degree program
Their integrated curriculum will help you grasp complex challenges and see how the pieces fit together to form the big picture.

MBA for Executives

In the modern global business world, it is essential that broad-minded leaders are present; they should have the knowledge, energy, and capability in seizing opportunities and lead change for the benefit of individuals, organizations, and communities. The Executive MBA program offered by the Yale School of Management combines the integrated core curriculum and leadership development program with advanced study in their chosen area at the intersection of business and society: asset management, healthcare, or sustainability.
The students explore theories and new research about leadership in the classroom and practice their skills in the Leadership Development Curriculum. They will then be given hands-on workshops specially designed for students in their MBA for Executives program.

Master of Advanced Management

This is a one-year program at the Yale SOM for exceptional MBA graduates from top institutions who want to become global leaders for business and society.
This program will prepare you for the challenges facing global leadership through Yale’s carefully calibrated course of study. There will be a series of required courses followed by a tailor-fitted curriculum that you choose by selecting elective courses across Yale University.

Silver Scholars Deferred Admissions Program

The Silver Scholars Program is a unique opportunity given to ambitious college seniors for them to pursue a Yale MBA degree immediately after graduating to begin their accelerated career path in their desired industry.
Once admitted as a Silver Scholar, your first year at Yale SOM will be spent developing the basic skills and mindset of a manager through their innovative core courses. During the second year, you will complete a full-time internship. They know that through this extended work experience, you will be able to put your business academics into practice, develop your leadership skills, and be provided with a competitive edge as you pursue a permanent position. In your third year, you will return to campus for the conclusion of your MBA program. You will take electives through the SOM, as well as other colleges, that most support your interests and career goals.
Learn more here : Barry Nalebuff on the Silver Scholars Program

Yale Program Overview

Year One, Core

The first-year courses are carefully designed to build your understanding of the whole organization which will lead to larger questions of business’s impact on society. From Orientation to Management, you will be given the tools and frameworks that you will need for the remainder of your MBA career.

In the Organizational Perspectives course, you will apply the tools you have learned and draw on a variety of disciplines to look at the different perspectives of various stakeholders. These perspectives will then come together in The Executive, which teaches you to look at the CEO’s perspective of the entire organization and to tackle larger challenges. They include,

Power and Politics
Sourcing and Managing Funds
State and Society
Operations Engine
The Global Macroeconomy
The Executive

Orientation to Management Courses: This is a series of foundational courses that teaches you the skills and language you will need in any career in business and management. They include,

Managing Groups and Teams
Basics of Accounting
Probability Modeling and Statistics
Basics of Economics
Modeling Managerial Decisions
Introduction to Negotiation
Global Virtual Teams

Year 2, Electives

During their second year, MBA students will expand their range of knowledge and team up with experts across different disciplines. The challenges faced by global organizations exceed the abilities of any one individual. This is why at Yale SOM they engage closely within the various sectors of the university, where the faculty consists of the best scientists and thinkers. They believe that by doing so, they build powerful networks and accomplish more than any individual can do alone.

Global Study

In our global world, many people will do business in many countries. Because of this, Yale believes you will need to understand the business, legal, political, social, and cultural environments of foreign offices. At their SOM, you will be able to lay the foundation for a global career by fulfilling the Global Studies Requirement. As a student pursuing a Master of Business Administration, you are required to participate in at least one of the following before you graduate:

Yale SOM, as a founding member of the Global Network for Advanced Management, fosters substantive ties among the world’s leading business schools. During the semi-annual Global Network Week, students will have the opportunity to travel to one of the 30 schools in the Global Network. They will undergo an intensive course according to their interests or specialization.
In order to work on project teams with students at Global Network schools around the world, Yale SOM has developed new virtual courses. They develop important skills in cross-cultural, and cross-time-zone collaboration.
Among all the elective courses offered by Yale SOM, the two with the most international and global affairs focus are the Global Social Entrepreneurship courses. They will give you the opportunity to travel abroad for an entrepreneurial consulting experience. These courses offer to connect students with mission-driven social entrepreneurs in a developing country in order to help them address specific management challenges. The Global Social Entrepreneurship works in the social enterprise in the country to work on a number of projects focused on expanding their reach and impact. Another course also pairs students with partner companies in different countries each year.
The London School of Economics and Political Science
IESE Business School, Barcelona
National University of Singapore Business School
Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, Beijing
You can also propose your own custom exchange program that can last a semester or a quarter, at another school in the Global Network for Advanced Management. The Global Network Exchange allows students to join classes and electives at a Global Network school. Aside from that, it also gives them the chance to pursue individual projects with a faculty mentor at a partner school. Please note however that not all proposals are accepted and turned into an exchange.

Leadership and Teams

To be able to lead and work effectively in teams is important to the success in any organization. While leadership is an important component of Yale’s integrated curriculum, selected core courses are designed specifically to build your leadership skills, on four distinct levels:

Designed to teach individual skills, knowledge, and expertise to deeply understand your industry and organization.
Learn more about your strengths and weaknesses.
Master negotiation and human behavior skills that you will need to communicate effectively and persuasively.
Throughout the completion of your MBA degree, you will learn the process of forming and managing teams, specifically what works and what doesn’t. You will learn by doing and applying the lessons learned in the next challenge.
Organization
You will be learning to view your organization as a whole, not by its function and geography. This approach will teach you innovative thinking and the skill to engage with a wide range of stakeholders.
Climate change, financial stability, and inequality, these examples of global challenges will require you to think and take action that will cross industries, sectors, and regions.
You can also customize your leadership training by taking elective courses at Yale SOM and in other departments in the university. Every student in an MBA class has to fulfill the Leadership Distribution Requirement by taking at least one leadership elective in a particular industry or on the major ethical and societal challenges that business leaders have to solve.
Leadership thinking and learning opportunities in Yale SOM are limitless. You can further expand your leadership skills at the individual level. Some examples of leadership courses are Interpersonal Dynamics, where you develop emotional intelligence and skills in giving and receiving feedback, and Strategic Leadership across Sectors, where they invite top CEOs to come into the classroom to talk about the challenges they face in their role.
Learn more here : The Team Experience: First Days

Centers and Initiatives

These include the Yale School of Management’s research centers for investigation, discussion, collaboration, and experimentation on subjects that impact markets, organizations, and society

Center for Customer Insights
International Center for Finance
Program on Entrepreneurship
Program on Social Enterprise
Program on Financial Stability
Center for Business and the Environment
Chief Executive Leadership Institute
The Broad Center
Thurman Arnold Project at Yale
Yale Center Beijing
China India Insights Program
Initiative on Leadership and Organization

Yale SOM’s campus is situated at the Edward P. Evans Hall where they have state-of-the-art classrooms, faculty offices, academic centers, and meeting spaces. These are organized around an enclosed courtyard. On this campus, students get to collaborate with their classmates across different colleges at Yale and all around the world.

Architecture + Design

This building was designed by Foster & Partners. This is the well-known firm chaired by Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Lord Norman Foster ARCH ’62. The materials that were used showed the project’s scope and ambition: 4 million pounds of steel, 16.2 million pounds of concrete, 2.25 million pounds of glass for the exterior façade, 123 miles of copper wire, and 500 doors. It also incorporates “green construction” materials and practices, the 4.25-acre plot is also sustainably landscaped.

Courtyard + Other Key Spaces

There is an enclosed courtyard at the center of the school, this provides outdoor spaces to study and socialize. The openness allows people to see from one area to another across the campus. Other key features of the campus include the 350-seat Zhang Auditorium, the Ross Library, a dining commons and coffee shop, 16 state-of-the-art classrooms, a student gym, and the Beinecke Terrace Room, which is a lecture hall and an entertainment space with an outdoor terrace. This provides a view of the landscaped gardens at the back of the campus.

Innovative Classrooms

Evans Hall's design is inspired by the need of making sure that the teaching and learning environment supports the school’s integrated MBA curriculum and houses 16 classrooms of varying layouts and sizes. There are also breakout rooms, lounges, and a library. Other common spaces, like the faculty offices, are positioned and planned in a way that maximizes the interchange and collaboration of members within the Yale community.

Community + YALE

The new design has fostered a strong community at the university for the past three decades. As an example, lounge spaces have been placed outside the classrooms and near staircases. This allows students and faculty to run into each other during the transit to classes and meetings.

Yale + The World

Evans Hall is at the northern end of the university campus and this serves as the gateway to Yale. It also demonstrates the significance of the School of Management to the broader university. Yale SOM is a trailblazer in partnering with global institutions. This is done in part through the founding of the Global Network for Advanced Management. Both students and faculty regularly use the communications technology offered in Evans Hall to initiate discussions with Network schools and to work with global teams.

MBA Tuition and Financial Aid

Since pursuing a full-time MBA is a major investment, a degree from Yale ensures that there is a return on investment by creating global opportunities of limitless potential.

The Financial Aid Office at Yale assists students in obtaining financial resources to help them with their education. They work with prospective and admitted students on their tuition fees. Post-graduation, they also will continue to advise on loan repayment and forgiveness and fellowship programs.

After you apply to SOM, you will be considered for merit-based scholarships; they do not require a separate application. Once you are admitted, you will be notified if you are eligible for any of those, or other, scholarships.

In-School opportunities for current MBA students:

This is a completely student-run organization that brings together first-year students to financially support their public-service classmates who often have a greater financial need.
You may apply for Teaching & Research Assistantships once you are matriculated to cover some of your MBA expenses.
If you are pursuing ventures as an entrepreneur, you can apply for existing grants.

Joint and Dual Degree Programs

At Yale, you can pursue your MBA in combination with a degree from the Yale Law School, School of Medicine, School of the Environment, School of Architecture, or any other of the university's world-class graduate programs. The joint degree programs prepare future leaders who will bring a broad understanding and analytical thinking to their industry.

If you are a joint-degree applicant, you must apply to and be admitted to both programs independently. In general, they recommend that you apply to both programs simultaneously in order to have a more integrated learning experience. In some cases, you may apply to another program during your 1st year at Yale SOM, or you can apply to Yale SOM during your 1st year in another graduate program. The requirements vary so review the requirements of the program you are applying in.

In most joint-degree programs, the students spend one year full-time completing the integrated MBA core curriculum, then one or more years enrolled in the other program, to be followed by another year taking courses in both programs.

It will be less than one year if you take the courses separately. Both degrees are awarded at the same time during the end of the course of study.

The following are the joint-degree programs offered at Yale:

MBA/Master's Degree in Asset Management

If you are planning for a career in asset management, this joint degree is for you. This STEM-eligible program will provide early-career students with a deep understanding of the application of data science and quantitative techniques to investment decisions. There will be an emphasis on ethics, fiduciary responsibility, and investment performance.

MBA/JD with Yale Law School (Four-Year)

This is designed for you to gain expertise in both law and management for future careers in government, law, or the private sector.
In this accelerated, integrated joint-degree program, students spend one year at Yale SOM and two years at the law school for a total of three years.

MBA/MEM or MF with Yale School of the Environment

The first class as part of the joint management environment program took place in 1982. This program consists of two integrated disciplines preparing business leaders and environmental managers with the proper tools to address the complex relations between a business and the environment.

MBA/MPP in Global Affairs with the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs

If you want a global career in the government or non-profit sector, this combination of an MBA and a master of public policy degree in global affairs is for you.

MBA/MD with Yale School of Medicine

This joint degree program prepares physician-managers who are able to balance clinical care and management in a difficult healthcare environment.

MBA/MPH with Yale School of Public Health (Two-Year or Three-Year)

The first of its kind in the United States, this innovative program enables students to earn an MBA and an MPH in just 22 months of intensive study at the Yale School of Management and the Yale School of Public Health.

MBA/MARCH with Yale School of Architecture

If you are interested in combining design, urban development, and management in your career either in the government or the private sector, this joint-degree program will suit your interests well.

MBA/MFA with Yale School of Drama

This program is for those who want to take advantage of Yale’s globally ranked School of Drama while also learning business and management skills.

MBA/MDIV or MAR with Yale Divinity School

This is designed for students who want a career in church management or in the nonprofit sector. It is a combination of an MBA and a master of divinity or a master of arts in religion.

MBA/Ph.D. with Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

This program involves a Ph.D. in the sciences or humanities from the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and an MBA degree from the Yale SOM.

More info on the Yale Application Process:

Learn more about Yale’s Integrated Curriculum Approach:

Meet Yale's Admits & Applicants in Leland’s Free Slack Community

If you’re interested in attending Yale, boost your odds by joining the Leland MBA Applicant Community. It’s a free, private community of MBA applicants, admits, and world-class admissions coaches who are all here to answer questions, give feedback, share stories, and help each other through the admissions process.

Membership in the Community is by invitation only. To apply, click below.

What are the requirements for applying to the Yale School of Management?

Transcripts from every college or university you have attended
Two professional recommendations
Completion of the video questions
Completion of the behavioral assessment
Official GMAT or GRE score (valid within 5 years of exam date)
Paid application fee

What is the application fee?

Yale School of Management uses a sliding-scale application fee structure to make the application process more affordable for candidates with diverse backgrounds. The standard application fee is $250. If you earn less than $30,000 a year, the application fee is $175. If it’s less than $15,000 a year, it is $125.
The application fee is based on the total annual compensation you have provided in the application. Once you are admitted and enrolled, Yale will verify your compensation information. The offer of admission is dependent on successful verification.
An active U.S. military members and U.S. military veterans
Members and alumni of Teach for America, Teach for China, Teach for India, or other Teach for All Network Partners
Current Forté MBALaunch or Rising Star program participants
Current and former U.S. Peace Corps volunteers
Current Yale undergraduate students
Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) or JumpStart MBA Prep Fellows
QuestBridge college seniors and alumni
If you are a member, they request that you let them know within 48 hours before the application deadline to have your application fee waived.

Is there a minimum GMAT or GRE requirement?

There is no minimum required score for the GMAT or GRE to apply to Yale SOM.

How long is my GMAT/GRE score valid? If I designated Yale SOM as a score report recipient two years ago, does the admissions office have my score report now?

All test scores, either online or in-person, must be less than five years old from the date you submitted your application.

I’ve taken the GMAT and/or GRE more than once. Does Yale SOM consider all of my scores?

They check and consider all scores reported to Yale as they review your application although they will take account of the highest score achieved. They do not average scores. If you have taken the exam more than once and have already reported scores, you will need to report all subsequent scores to their institution code.

What is the Behavioral Assessment?

This is an online admissions tool administered by the ETS and their research division. It measures a set of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills associated with business school success. You will be answering a forced-choice module that takes about 20-25 minutes to complete and should be taken in a single sitting. No preparation, specialized knowledge, background, or information is required.

How will the Behavioral Assessment be used in the admissions process?

Since Yale is looking for open-minded, intellectually curious students who represent a diverse set of backgrounds and interests, they consider applicants holistically. They review each candidate within the context of the overall pool they received, without fixed weight given to specific pieces of the application. The Behavioral Assessment is one piece of the puzzle and although not a deciding factor on its own, it can provide valuable information when used in context with the other elements of your application.

What transcripts will I need to apply?

You should provide transcripts for all undergraduate, graduate, study abroad, transfer, and non-degree programs you have attended. If you have taken professional and personal development activities such as CPA, CFA, and online classes, transcripts are not required.
Official transcripts are not needed when you apply. You may submit a copy of your transcript released to you by the institution, or a screenshot of your online transcript. The transcript should clearly show the name of the institution, all course descriptions and grades. All available pages of your transcript should be submitted, including the grading scale.
Upon admission, official transcripts will be required and all offers of admission will be conditional upon the receipt and verification of your official transcripts.
If your transcript is not written in English, you will need to submit the un-translated transcript along with a notarized English translation.
If you studied abroad or participated in a summer course experience at another school, and your home institution accepted your coursework as pass/fail, you will need to include those transcripts which should list both your courses and the grades earned for the courses.

If my GPA is not reported on my transcript, do I need to calculate it in order to complete the academic record section of the application?

If your GPA is not in your transcript, you should not calculate it for your application. Otherwise, you should report the same GPA listed on your transcript.

When should I complete the "Optional Information" section?

If your application would benefit from further explanation, you may choose to complete this section. It can include explanations for gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, academic performance, promotions or recognitions, or any other information not apparent from your application. It is perfectly acceptable to leave this section blank.

Is full-time work experience a requirement for admission?

It is strongly encouraged that you have full-time work experience, but this is not a requirement. Incoming students at Yale have an average of five years of work experience when they start their MBA, although there is a wide range of experience. Their Silver Scholars program also accepts students directly from college.

What types of recommendations does the Admissions Committee require?

Two professional recommendations are required, one of which should be from your most recent supervisor. If you are running a business or work for a family business, you can get a professional recommendation from a client or mentor. You should select recommenders who know you well and can speak about your strengths. Recommendations in Chinese or Spanish are also accepted by Yale.

Is an interview required for admission to Yale SOM?

An interview is required for admissions. It is granted by invitation and can be extended at any point during an admission round.

What is the application process like for a joint degree applicant?

If you are applying as a joint degree applicant, the application process is exactly the same. In addition to the requirements, you will need to submit an essay to explain your interest in the joint degree. You must submit a separate application to each program and be admitted separately as well.

What is the application process for a re-applicant?

If you are a re-applicant, you will submit a new application, upload new essays (including a re-applicant essay), pay the application fee, and complete the video questions. If you have applied in the last two years, you are not required to submit new transcripts or a new test score report. Even though it is not required, you can submit new letters of recommendation if they would provide new insight in your application.
If your last application was more than two years ago, you will need to submit an entirely new application and provide all required documents.
If you are reapplying, the Admissions Committee will look at what has changed in your candidacy. Therefore, you should reapply when you have reflected on your past one and have meaningful updates.

In which round should I apply?

Candidates should apply when they feel that they have put their best foot forward. There is no difference in your chance of being admitted whether you applied in Round 1 or in Round 2. However, there are fewer spaces available for Round 3 applicants than for Round 1 and 2, which could potentially affect chances of being admitted.

How can I check the status of my application?

You will be able to check your online status by signing in with your email address and password. You can check which materials the Admissions Committee has already received. It may take up to a week to receive your official test scores.

When should I hear if I’ve been invited to an interview?

You will be notified via email if you are invited to interview. Even though they try to extend invitations as early as possible, they may be extended as late as the admissions decision deadline. The timing of your interview invitation has no bearing on your application. There are also some instances where waitlisted candidates may be interviewed on a future round.

I submitted my application by the application deadline. When can I expect to receive a decision from the Admissions Committee?

Notifications will be released by the close of business (5 p.m. ET) on the decision date.

How do I communicate a change to the Admissions Committee after I have submitted my application?

If you are going to add changes to your application such as a new job or test score, you can update it through the status page and it will be included in your file.

What do I need to do to be considered for a merit scholarship?

Every applicant is automatically considered for a merit scholarship. If you are awarded a scholarship, you will be notified at the same time as your admission notification. If you did not receive a merit scholarship, there are other ways of financing your MBA studies.

Does Yale SOM accept three-year undergraduate degrees?

Yes, a three-year degree from an accredited institution is accepted.

Is the TOEFL, PTE Academic, or IELTS required for all international applicants?

No, they do not require these tests for international students.

If my transcript is not in English, do I need to submit an English translation of it?

Yes, you should translate non-English transcripts. If your institution does not provide an English translation, you should provide a notarized English translation. This should be submitted along with a copy of the transcript in its original language.

What resources at Yale exist for international students?

They have the Yale's Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) which provides language support, local community connections, and daily events for international students and their families.

Leland provides you with the content, community, and coaching that you need to get into your dream MBA program and accomplish other ambitious goals. Sign up today to gain access to additional free resources, community events, small group classes, world-class coaching, and more.

Browse hundreds of expert coaches

Leland coaches have helped thousands of people achieve their goals. A dedicated mentor can make all the difference.

Browse Related Articles

July 4, 2024

Duke Fuqua — MBA Program & Application Overview

Applying to Fuqua? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Fuqua alumni to get you that much closer to your dream school.

July 2, 2024

Northwestern Kellogg — MBA Program & Application Overview (2024)

Applying to Northwestern Kellogg? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by top MBA admissions coaches and Kellogg alumni to get you that much closer to your dream business school.

June 24, 2024

Columbia Business School — MBA Program & Application Overview (2024)

Applying to CBS? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Columbia alumni to get you that much closer to your dream school.

June 27, 2024

Cornell Johnson - MBA Program & Application Overview

Applying to Johnson? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Johnson alumni to get you that much closer to your dream school.

June 25, 2024

University of Michigan Ross — MBA Program & Application Overview

Applying to Ross? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Ross alumni to get you that much closer to your dream school.

August 12, 2024

Chicago Booth — MBA Program & Application Overview

Applying to Chicago Booth School of Business? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Booth alumni.

July 16, 2024

Dartmouth Tuck — MBA Program and Application Overview

Applying to Tuck? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Tuck alumni to get you that much closer to your dream school.

July 1, 2024

MIT Sloan — MBA Program & Application Overview

Applying to MIT Sloan? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Sloan alumni to get you that much closer to your dream business school.

UC Berkeley Haas — MBA Program & Application Overview

Applying to Haas? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Haas alumni to get you that much closer to your dream school.

June 26, 2024

Indiana Kelley – MBA Program & Application Overview

Discover everything you need to know about the Indiana University Kelley School of Business MBA program and application process.

July 17, 2024

Rice Jones – MBA Program & Application Overview

Discover everything you need to know about the Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business MBA program and application process in this comprehensive article.

NYU Stern — MBA Program & Application Overview

Applying to Stern? Read this guide for the most practical strategies and tips curated by the best MBA admissions coaches in the world and Stern alumni to get you that much closer to your dream school.

All Headlines

A person with a beard smiling in front of a glass wall

Our Best Advice for Completing the Round 1 MBA Application

Assistant Dean for Admissions Bruce DelMonico shares his best advice and dispels a few myths about the MBA application process.

With just a couple of weeks until the MBA program’s Round 1 application deadline, I want to check in with a few general thoughts and some specific resources from the admissions team to help you through the process. Our aim is to make the process as transparent and accessible as possible. From our Application Guide to our previously recorded webinars and upcoming live events with members of the Admissions Committee, we’ve developed content aimed to support you at every step of your application process.

Before sharing those resources, I want to highlight a couple of the biggest pieces of advice about the process more generally. If you’ve attended a recent event, you’ve likely heard this guidance already, but I believe it bears repeating. First, don’t overthink things. You want to be thoughtful in your application, but don’t tie yourself into knots trying to analyze the implications of each question and prompt. We try to be clear, simple, and straightforward in the questions we ask, so we hope you will approach them in that same spirit.

On a related note, don’t try to predict what you think the Admissions Committee is looking for and don’t try to fit a mold you think will help your application “stand out.” There’s no mold—we are intentionally looking to bring in a diverse class, and we therefore seek broad perspectives across a range of professional experiences, fields of study, extracurricular activities, and other dimensions that represent your unique story. Anything important to you is important to us!

In addition to this general guidance, we have resources to help you as you work on specific portions of the application. Be sure to:

Check out our Application Guide , which is designed to break down every aspect of our application, explain why we ask specific questions, and provide insight into what the Admissions Committee is looking for. In addition to our written advice, we recently updated the Application Guide with brief videos from Assistant Dean Laurel Grodman and me. Whether you prefer to consume the Application Guide via video or text, we’ve got you covered. Below are a few select videos; you can find many more in the full Application Guide.

Essay: Sharing what matters to you

Test Scores: One piece of a larger picture

Work experience: Showcasing your achievements

Explore two of our recently recorded events. Some of you may already have seen two large webinars we recently hosted in advance of the Round 1 deadline: Inside the Application, Literally and Our Best Application Advice . These webinars are meant to complement each other and assist in slightly different ways with your application process. You can watch the videos in their entirety or use the chapter descriptions to jump to specific application components.

Inside the Application, Literally : Assistant Dean Laurel Grodman walks you through the 2024-2025 application (in fact, she literally opens the application and explains each element), sheds light on our reasons for asking for certain pieces of information, and offers advice on how best to answer the questions.
Our Best Application Advice : As the title suggests (we don’t like to bury the lede), Laurel and I share our best advice about approaching the application process generally. We also discuss specific application areas about which we tend to receive the most questions.

Attend upcoming events with the Admissions Committee. Prefer to ask your question live? We understand that desire, and that’s why we’ll be hosting a number of informal virtual sessions with members of the Admissions Committee over the next few weeks. Join a general Admissions Q&A for broader questions on the school or admissions process, attend my final Office Hours event before the Round 1 deadline, or join a Round 1 Application Q&A to get your last-minute questions answered before you hit “submit.”

We hope you find these resources helpful. As a final thought, I would note that the MBA process is a highly reflective journey. We hope that when you complete the process, you will have a better understanding of yourself and your motivations for this next step in your career than you did previously. Along the way, know that the admissions team is here to assist you. We look forward to receiving your application and learning more about you. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Best of luck with your application!

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

October 7, 2022

Yale School of Management Executive MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2022 – 2023]

Yale School of Management’s Executive MBA fully reflects the character of the SOM and more broadly of Yale University: strong, vibrant community; intellectual vigor (and rigor!); and real-world engagement and impact. Yale EMBA’s unique “areas of focus” approach is central to its identity, and while it may not be for everyone, for the right people, it will be perfect. Make sure you are in the latter category before applying – and, if you are, allow this approach to organically drive your application. Thoroughly review the website, read the blog, and, if possible, interact with the adcom by visiting the school and/or attending an info session. I strongly recommend obtaining the offered pre-assessment. These efforts should inform your essays and will help you convey fit.

Yale School of Management Executive MBA application essays

Yale som emba essay #1.

What is your motivation for applying for an Executive MBA at this point in your career? Please discuss your interest in the Yale SOM MBA for Executives program, your area of focus, and your professional and personal goals. (500 words maximum)

Starting off the question with why-now indicates that timing is so important to the adcom—this program should help you at a pivotal career moment, to make some significant advancement or transition—launch or leap. It also requires you to evaluate and interpret your career trajectory. Of course, fundamentally, your whole application in aggregate should answer this “why now” question. In this essay, address it explicitly.

Yale’s EMBA program is unusual in its emphasis on “areas of focus.” In the essay, integrate your reason for selecting your area of focus with your discussion of goals and how the Yale EMBA will help you achieve them.

With only 500 words to answer this multi-part question, keep the structure simple. A straightforward, effective way to structure it is to start with your professional goals, including both “what” (industry, function, positions, perhaps geographies) and “why” (what motivates these goals, what footprint do you hope to have)—including “why now” in this part of the discussion.

The question has an interesting twist in asking about your personal goals. These can be personal growth areas and/or explorations you wish to make for personal interest. They may or may not be directly connected to your professional goals. Most people will, understandably and appropriately, devote more space to the professional goals. But DO discuss personal goals as well. This part of the question aligns with Yale’s holistic perspective and is important for fit.

In discussing how the program will benefit you, be specific: describe what skills and knowledge you seek, and how the program will provide it. Yale’s “areas of focus” approach is unique; convey how and why this approach is ideal for your needs.

Schedule a free consultation >>

Yale SOM EMBA essay #2

Cite a statistic that you find shocking. As a leader for business and society, what actions could you take to address this challenge, and what would be your guiding principles and values? (500 words maximum)

You might reasonably think that you should choose a statistic strategically linked to your career goals in some way. Or that will show some distinctive area of knowledge or experience you possess. Well, maybe. Or maybe not.

Just picking some random statistic that you really did find shocking when you heard it might be a bit unnerving for an MBA essay. I’ve seen it work. Why? Yale SOM’s intellectual dimension: They appreciate people who are open to intellectual exploration and find interest in the world around them. In this question, the Yale SOM adcom is truly interested in the quality of your thinking and your curious nature, not just how advantageously you can portray your existing interests.

Use and write from the perspective of “leader for business and society” when you discuss prospective actions to take in addressing the challenge that arises from (or leads to) the shocking statistic. (And in citing “leader for business and society” the adcom clearly indicates an important aspect of “fit” they are looking for.) With that framework, you clearly must identify actions that involve mobilizing people beyond yourself and friends/family. While your actions, if described with meaningful specificity, will naturally reflect your “guiding principles and values,” still address this part of the question explicitly, with at least one sentence describing how they do.

Intended area of focus

Why have you selected this area of focus? Please describe how your current professional role relates to your chosen area of focus. (Word count: 150-250 words)

While you’ll discuss the Area of Focus in essay 1 vis-à-vis your goals, here you must link it to your existing work. For some people, that will mean emphasizing how it builds on their current role; for others it will mean emphasizing how it represents a turn or transition from the current role. The former situation is frankly easier and simpler; for the latter, which is more complicated, identify some aspects of your current work that will be valuable and relevant in the new direction.

Optional information

If any aspect of your candidacy needs further explanation (unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, academic performance, promotions or recognitions, etc.), please provide a brief description here. (200 words maximum)

Use this space if you have an extenuating issue to address or a point that needs clarification. It is not an invitation to write a whole new essay that goes beyond providing context.

For expert guidance with your Yale SOM EMBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages , which include comprehensive guidance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to Yale SOM’s EMBA program and look forward to helping you too!

Yale SOM Executive MBA application deadlines for 2022-2023

Round 1	November 2, 2022
Round 2	January 30, 2023
Round 3	March 28, 2023

Source: Yale SOM EMBA website

School-Specific EMBA Application Essay Tips

Related Resources:

Ace the EMBA: Expert Advice for Rising Executives , a free guide
EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
School-Specific EMBA Application Essay Tips

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

IMAGES

Yale MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines for 2022
2023-2024 Yale SOM MBA Essay Analysis |Admit Expert
Yale MBA Essays
Stellar Yale MBA Essay Examples in 2023
Tuesday Tips: Yale MBA Essay Tips for 2023-2024
Writing a Successful "Why Yale" Essay + Supplemental Essay Sample

COMMENTS

Application Guide
MBA Two-year program for leaders in all industries.; MBA for Executives Rigorous executive MBA for accomplished professionals.; Master of Advanced Management MBA graduates of top business schools around the world spend a year at Yale.; Master's in Asset Management Intensive introduction to investing with leading faculty and practitioners.; Master's in Global Business & Society A year of ...
MBA Admissions
MBA Admissions. Learn about the Full-time MBA program, connect with our community through events and virtual tours, and hear directly from students. The SOM Application Guide provides useful insights into the MBA application process and can help you prioritize, manage, and complete your Yale SOM application. Tuesday, Aug 27 2024 at 9:00 - 9:45 ...
MBA Application Information
We extend our holistic application review to all students without regard to citizenship or immigration status. Yale School of Management. Edward P. Evans Hall. 165 Whitney Avenue. New Haven, CT 06511-3729. Apply Now Get Yale SOM News. The online application for the full-time MBA program is accepted from July through April. Review our ...
Yale MBA Essays
The following essay topic analysis examines Yale School of Management (Yale SOM) MBA admissions essays. The Yale MBA essay is for the 2024-2025 admissions season. You can also review essay topic analyses for other leading MBA programs as well as general Essay Tips to further aid you in developing your admissions essays. Yale MBA Essay ...
Yale SOM Essay Examples & Tips, 2024-2025
June 10, 2024. Jeremy Shinewald. The Yale School of Management (SOM) is one of the few top MBA programs that give candidates just one required application essay with which to make an impression on the admissions committee. The school offers applicants a choice of three topics to, as the admissions committee states, "ensure that you're able ...
Yale SOM Essay Tips & Application Deadlines: 2024-2025
The Upcoming Yale SOM Application Deadlines Are as Follows: Round 1: September 10, 2024. Round 2: January 7, 2025. Round 3: April 8, 2025. Again, Yale SOM allows applicants to choose the essay question they would like to answer, leavings its longstanding essay regarding commitment as one of the options.
Tuesday Tips: Yale MBA Essay Tips for 2024-2025
The Yale School of Management has published its required MBA essay question for the 2024-2025 admissions season. Today, we're sharing our Yale MBA essay tips to help you create a positive impression through your application materials. Consider the essay question carefully and research the Yale MBA admissions criteria.
Yale MBA Application
The Yale School of Management is ranked 7th (tied) in US News & World Report 's 2024-2025 Ranking of the Best Business Schools. Yale SOM Class of 2025 Key Statistics Applicants: 3,076 Entering Full-Time MBA Students: 339 Median GMAT: 720 Median GRE Verbal: 164 Median GRE Quant: 166 Percentage with GRE Scores: 37% Average GPA: 3.64 Average Age ...
Yale MBA Essay for 2024-2025
Reapplicants will note that Yale SOM has kept the same essay question from the previous application cycle. Required Yale MBA Essay From the Yale SOM: We want to know what matters to you, and our essay question is designed to help us gain insight into your background, passions, motivations, responsibilities, ideals, identities, challenges, or ...
Yale SOM Essay Analysis and Tips
Get a detailed understanding of exactly what Yale admission officers want to see in your Yale application essays, including the best and worst practices for ...
FAQ
Applicants must submit the online application (including an essay), and the following materials: - Transcripts from every college or university attended - GMAT or GRE score (valid within 5 years of exam date) ... The Silver Scholars Program is a unique opportunity for ambitious college seniors to pursue a Yale MBA degree immediately after ...
Yale SOM MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2024-2025], Class Profile
Yale SOM class profile. Here is a look at the Yale SOM Class of 2025 (data taken from the Yale SOM website ): Total enrollment: 339. Women: 40%. International passport holders (includes U.S. permanent residents and dual citizens): 50%. LGBTQ+: 13%. First-generation college students: 16%.
Yale SOM MBA Essays Guide: Overview, Tips & Examples
The Yale School of Management (SOM) is known for its rigorous MBA program that prepares students for leadership roles in various industries. As part of the application process, applicants are required to submit essays that provide insights into their backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide an ...
The Yale SOM Video Essay Questions
After signing in and starting the session, you will get three Yale video essay questions in total, one at a time. All will be random, but each question falls into a certain category (more on that below!). Timing: For questions 1 and 3, you will have 20 seconds to think and 60 seconds to answer. For question 2, you will have 30 seconds to think ...
MBA Essay Guidance 2024-25: Yale School of Management
Yale School of Management has released its MBA application deadlines and essay questions for the 2024-25 application cycle. Here are the important dates and Admitify's guidance on the essays: R1: Sep 10, 2024 / R2: Jan 7, 2025 / R3: Apr 8, 2025 Yale SOM. Please respond to one (1) of the three essay prompts below.
Yale MBA Essay for 2023-2024
The Yale MBA essay for the 2023-2024 admissions season has been confirmed. After six years of asking the same single prompt, Yale SOM has broadened the possibilities for applicants to share what resonates most with them. Required Yale MBA Essay. From the Yale SOM: We want to know what matters to you, and our essay question is designed to help ...
Full-Time M.B.A. Degree Program
The Yale School of Management (SOM) offers a two-year, full-time program leading to the degree of Master of Business Administration. A Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or equivalent undergraduate degree is requisite for admission to the M.B.A. program. The program requires two years of full-time study in residence and comprises both ...
Yale SOM Essay Tips and Application Deadlines: 2023-2024
Yale School of Management has released deadlines and essays for the 2023-2024 application year, changing their essay section for the first time in eight years.. As one of the smaller top MBA programs, Yale SOM's intimate class size is a defining characteristic of the program, with 347 students enrolled in the class of 2024.Of these students, 43% identify as women, 48% are international ...
Essay Question and Application Deadlines Announced
I'm pleased to announce the application deadlines and essay question for the 2019-20 admissions cycle. Application Deadlines. Round 1. Application deadline: September 10, 2019. Decision release: December 4, 2019. Round 2. Application deadline: January 7, 2020. Decision release: March 24, 2020. Round 3.
Essay Topics
Essay Topics. All first-year applicants will complete a few Yale-specific short answer questions. These required questions are slightly different based on the application platform an applicant chooses. The 2024-2025 Yale-specific questions for the Coalition Application, Common Application, and QuestBridge Application are detailed below.
Yale SOM
Yale School of Management uses a sliding-scale application fee structure to make the application process more affordable for candidates with diverse backgrounds. The standard application fee is $250. If you earn less than $30,000 a year, the application fee is $175. If it's less than $15,000 a year, it is $125.
Our Best Advice for Completing the Round 1 MBA Application
MBA Two-year program for leaders in all industries.; MBA for Executives Rigorous executive MBA for accomplished professionals.; Master of Advanced Management MBA graduates of top business schools around the world spend a year at Yale.; Master's in Asset Management Intensive introduction to investing with leading faculty and practitioners.; Master's in Global Business & Society A year of ...
Yale School of Management Executive MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2022
Yale School of Management Executive MBA application essays. Yale SOM EMBA essay #1. ... Yale SOM Executive MBA application deadlines for 2022-2023. Round 1: November 2, 2022: Round 2: January 30, 2023: Round 3: March 28, 2023: Source: Yale SOM EMBA website. Related Resources:

Yale SOM Essay Tips and Application Deadlines: 2024-2025

The Upcoming Yale SOM Application Deadlines Are as Follows:

Yale SOM Full-Time MBA Application Essay Prompts 2024-2025:

Personal MBA Coach’s Yale SOM Essay Tips:

Yale MBA Essay Option 1:

Yale MBA Essay Option 2:

Yale MBA Essay Option 3:

Yale MBA Short Answer Essay: Post-MBA Interests: Briefly describe your career interests and how you arrived at them. What have you already done to pursue these interests? What do you need to do going forward? (200 words)

Yale MBA Reapplicant Essay Topic:

Finally, Yale has retained its video essay

Ready to apply to Yale SOM? Contact Personal MBA Coach today to learn how we can help with your Yale SOM application!

Yale MBA Essay for 2024-2025

Required Yale MBA Essay

More Advice from the AdCom at Yale SOM

Optional Information

You May Also Like

Ask the AdCom: Opportunities to Study Abroad

5 Top B-Schools to Offer Dual-Degree Programs for Globally Minded Students

PepsiCo Chairman, CEO Endows Deanship at Yale SOM

Face Off: Dartmouth Tuck vs Yale SOM

Learn About Our All-In Service

Latest Blog Post

The Yale SOM Video Essay Questions – And How to Successfully Answer Them

Why does Yale require a video essay?

The Behavioral Assessment

Group 1: MBA Motivations

Group 2: Behavioral questions

Group 3: The thinking question

Sample Questions

The difference between a good and great Yale SOM video essay

Make sure you get into Yale SOM

Real MBA Essays That Got People In

98.9% Success Rate

Recent Articles

2024-2025 IMD MBA Essay Tips

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Deadlines for 2024-2025

Oxford Saïd MBA Deadlines for 2024-2025

Ready to start your MBA Success?

MBA Essay Guidance 2024-25: Yale School of Management

Yale School of Management has released its MBA application deadlines and essay questions for the 2024-25 application cycle. Here are the important dates and Admitify’s guidance on the essays:

Prompt 1: Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?

Admitify Guidance

Prompt 2: Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community?

Prompt 3: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person?

Now is the perfect time to start on your Yale SOM MBA applications! Contact us today and we’ll guide you through the application process.

MBA Essay Guidance 2023-24: USC Marshall School of Business

MBA Essay Guidance 2023-24: UCLA Anderson School of Management

School of Management 2024 – 2025

The Core Curriculum

Orientation to Management

Organizational Perspectives

Leadership Distribution Requirement

Global Studies Requirement

International Experience

Global Network Week

Global Network Courses

Global Social Entrepreneurship

International Exchange

M.B.A. Internship Requirement

Off-Campus Employment During the Academic Year

Elective Courses

M.B.A. Degree Requirements

Enrollment Requirement

Number of Course Units

Timing Requirement

Distribution of Courses

Quality Standard

Remediation of Failing Grades in Core Courses

Management Science Major

Joint-Degree Programs

Silver Scholars Program

Application Requirements

Application Deadlines

Application Review

Admissions Interviews

Admissions Decisions

On- and Off-Campus Events

Yale SOM Essay Tips and Application Deadlines: 2023-2024

The Upcoming Yale SOM Application Deadlines Are as Follows:

Personal MBA Coach’s Yale SOM Essay Tips: