When it comes to Ivy League institutions, Yale needs no introduction. Founded in 1701, this New Haven-based university is the third-oldest higher education institution in the United States, meaning that students have been compiling a Yale application for over three centuries. Recently, Yale fielded a record breaking 52,250 applicants. So know this—many, many high schoolers wonder each year about how to get into Yale.
And it’s no secret as to why they do—from the Sterling Memorial Library (which is so impressive, it's basically a Hogwarts annex), the crazy 500 extracurricular clubs and organizations offerings (500 and counting), and the 35 varsity teams competing in the Ivy League Conference, Yale promises quite a bit to the prospective applicant.
A quick note on college rankings: we think they’re generally a bad way to think about where you should go to college. We talk about why rankings are bad in greater detail here, but essentially, a lot of college rankings don’t actually tell you whether you and the school would fit well together, or that the school is someplace you’ll thrive. That said, we also understand that many students/families are confused regarding and have questions about aspects of the application process, so we’ve built the post below to hopefully clarify things, so students/families can make informed decisions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(click to skip ahead)- How hard is it to get into Yale University?
- Yale Acceptance Rate
- GPA Requirements to get into Yale University
- SAT Requirements to get into Yale
- ACT Requirements to get into Yale
- What does Yale look for in students?
- Yale University Application Deadlines
- Yale Supplemental Essay Prompts
- How to get into Yale—Essay Tips
How hard is it to get into Yale?
It is extremely difficult to get accepted to Yale. The grade point average of people who get accepted to Yale are in the top tenth of their class. People who successfully get into Yale also have impressive extracurricular activities that reflect their dynamic involvement in their community, demonstrate significant leadership roles, and a sincere dedication to their pursuits. Additionally, their exceptional college essays effectively convey their passions and values, showcasing the depth of their character and unique perspectives.
Yale Acceptance Rate
The Yale acceptance rate is 5%, making it one of the most competitive universities in the world. Acceptance rate is an indication of how competitive a school is, but it is also an indication of how popular a school is. To get into a school like Yale, you will need to excel in almost every major college application factor.
Yale Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, and Transfer Acceptance Rate
Yale’s regular decision acceptance rate is 5% because it received 50,060 applications and accepted 2,289 students.
Yale’s early action acceptance rate is 10% because it received 7,744 applications and accepted 776 students.
Yale’s transfer acceptance rate is 1.6% because it received 1,973 applications and accepted 32 students. Yale admits a very small number of transfer students each year. But take note—transfer students can enroll in the Fall term only.
GPA Requirements to get into Yale
The recommended GPA requirements to get into Yale is a 4.0. Although Yale does not have a minimum GPA requirement, you will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating in the top tenth of your class in order to get into Yale. If your GPA is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your standardized tests. If your grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
Yale Unweighted GPA Requirements
Yale Unweighted Average GPA: 4.0
| Class Rank Distribution | Percent Admitted |
|---|---|
| Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class | 97% |
| Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class | 99% |
| Percent in top half of high school graduating class | 100% |
| Percent in bottom half of high school graduating class | 0% |
| Percent in bottom quarter of high school graduating class | 0% |
What GPA is required for Yale?
Applicants’ GPA when applying to Yale should ideally be close to a 4.0 to be strong candidates. Having less than this will require compensating by having outstanding extracurricular activities and an exceptional personal statement.
Yale Weighted GPA Requirements
Yale does not consider weighted GPA as one of its admissions factors. While Yale University does not establish a minimum GPA requirement nor assign weight to GPAs in their admissions process, they place a significant emphasis on a student's academic record. You will likely have to take higher level classes like AP and IB classes in order to be a competitive candidate for Yale. Yales’s website states that “the single most important document in your application is your high school transcript.”
SAT Requirements to get into Yale
The recommended SAT requirements to get into Yale are a 1470 to 1560 composite score, combining the reading and writing, and math sections together. You will need an incredibly high SAT score in order to get into Yale. If your SAT is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your other standardized tests or have spectacular extracurricular activities to compensate. If your grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
Beginning in 2024, Yale will end its test-optional policy and require test scores.
Yale Average SAT Composite Score: 1540
| SAT Score Distribution | Reading % | Math % |
|---|---|---|
| 700-800 | 92.11% | 95.18% |
| 600-699 | 7.67% | 4.71% |
| 500-599 | 0.22% | 0.11% |
| 400-499 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| 300-399 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| 200-299 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
What SAT score is required for Yale?
Applicants should score between 1470 to 1560 on their SAT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by using a substitute ACT score or having an above-average GPA. Either an SAT or ACT score is strongly suggested for application to this school. You can read more about Yale’s testing policy here.
ACT Requirements to get into Yale
The recommended ACT requirements for Yale are a 33 to 35 composite score combining all English, mathematics, reading, and science sections. You will need an incredibly high ACT score in order to get into Yale. If your ACT is not what you’d hoped by the time you apply, you may have to make it up by getting above-average scores on the SAT and having an above-average grade point average. If your ACT wasn’t as high as you’d like because of difficulties or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
Beginning in 2024, Yale will end its test-optional policy and require test scores.
Yale Average ACT: 34
| ACT Score Range | Composite Score % |
|---|---|
| Top Quarter of applicants | 35+ |
| Middle Half of applicants | 33-35 |
| Lower Quarter of applicants | Below a 33 |
What ACT score is required for Yale?
Applicants should score between 33 and 35 on their ACT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by using a substitute SAT score or having an above-average GPA. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.
What does Yale look for in students?
Yale has directly stated that the two biggest factors admissions focuses on in their selection process is “Who is likely to make the most of Yale’s resources?” and “Who will contribute most significantly to the Yale community?”. Yes, having competitive grades and test scores is important. But most students who get rejected from Yale have those kinds of scores—you need to show how you and the school will make a great team, and how you will utilize the school’s resources to become a leader in your generation.
How do you know if you and Yale fit together? And how do you demonstrate to the school that you have the potential to be a great leader in the Yale community and beyond?
Start by exploring Yale’s mission and values, both through its mission statement and through what it outlines in its discussion of what Yale looks for. Notice, for example, how often the focus is on academic drive and leadership: Yale wants to work with students who will be leaders in their fields, “improving the world today and for future generations.”
How do you see yourself aligning with this mission and these values? What parts of your story demonstrate that you have already worked toward these things, and that Yale is the place for you to take your next steps? How will you and the Yale community make great partners in trying to solve the world’s problems?
How else can you demonstrate that you and Yale fit together? Think about your answers to these questions:
How have you demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to work with others, and how can you showcase this in your application to Yale?
In what ways have you pursued academic or personal interests outside of the classroom, and how do these align with Yale's values and offerings?
How have you overcome challenges and setbacks, and what have you learned from these experiences that would contribute to the Yale community?
In what ways have you expressed your creativity, and how might this creativity manifest itself at Yale?
How do you value diversity and inclusion, and how have you engaged with individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives?
How do you prioritize your mental and physical health, and what steps have you taken to maintain balance in your life?
Yale Application Deadlines
The Yale application deadline for regular decision is January 2. Yale also provides an alternative form of application in addition to regular decision: single-choice early action. The application deadline for Yale’s single-choice early action is November 1. Below is a table showing the deadlines for each of the steps of the Yale admissions process.
| Notification Plan | Application Material | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Choice Early Action | Submit Application | November 1 |
| Testing deadlines | The last possible test dates are: SAT - October ACT - October TOEFL - November |
|
| Submit Financial Aid Application | November 10 | |
| Admissions Decisions Released | mid-December | |
| Regular Decision | Submit Application | January 2 |
| Testing deadlines | The last possible test dates are: SAT - December ACT - February TOEFL - January |
|
| Submit Financial Aid Application | February 25 | |
| Admissions Decisions Released | by April 1 |
Yale’s Single-Choice Early Action Policy
If you would like an admissions decision by mid-December, you may apply under Yale’s Single-Choice Early Action program (otherwise known as Restrictive Early Action). The program is like other non-binding plans in that candidates who are admitted early need not respond to the offer of admission until May 1, and may apply to other schools for Regular Decision. Being admitted to Yale early would, for example, still allow you to compare offers of financial aid in the spring.
Yale’s Early Action plan is unlike many other programs in that if you apply for Single-Choice Early Action at Yale, you may not simultaneously apply for Early Action or Early Decision to any other school with a few exceptions (see [Yale’s policy here]). If you apply early to Yale, you are indicating that the only Early Action/Early Decision application you intend to file is Yale’s, unless another early application is covered by one of the exceptions listed [on Yale’s website].
For Single-Choice Early Action, the deadline to submit the Common Application or Coalition Application, along with the application fee or fee waiver request is November 1. Students will be notified of the admissions committee’s decision in mid-December. Admitted students will have until May 1 to accept an offer of admission.
Yale Supplemental Essay Prompts
To complete Yale’s supplemental essay requirements, applicants must answer a handful of short answer questions, as well as one 400 word essay. Their prompts are below and the Yale supplemental essay guide that they were sourced from can be found here. Consider checking out Yale's application advice along with their podcast, which delves into effective and ineffective strategies for applying to the university. You can also check out our comprehensive guide to these essays here.
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)
200 character responses:
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?
Essays
Applicants are required to respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or fewer:
Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful?
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.
Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?
How to get into Yale—Essay Tips
Let’s look at the short answer questions one at a time. As said above, you can check out our more in-depth guidance on writing your Yale application essays here. Below, we’ll offer some big-picture guidance.
Consider paying particular attention to the, “What does Yale look for in Students?” section of this post (above): Supplemental essay prompts are perfect opportunities for you to showcase how a different aspect of who you are fulfills something the school looks for.
In particular, a lot of schools use supplemental essays to get a sense of how you and the school “fit” together. This is especially important for things like “Why Us” essays, but you can demonstrate ways you and the community and academic programs fit together via other supp essays.
Any time a school has multiple supplemental essays, be sure to use each to focus on a different aspect of what you value and what you bring to the campus and community. Linked to that, try to avoid repeating anything covered in your personal statement—use these prompts to help the readers see new sides of you.
Though you’ll want to be mostly focusing on specific examples of yourself and your life in these essays, having a clear understanding of Yale’s mission and vision will give you a direction for your reflections in your essays. (Semi-pro tip: for any school, just search for “[school name] mission and vision” and you’ll quickly find what you’re looking for)
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.
You can keep this short and sweet. Just do look through that list they provide you with to find three areas you’re actually interested in (in general, be wary of applying to a school just because of its reputation if it doesn’t actually offer the things you’re interested in exploring).
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)
This is a pretty standard “Why Major” prompt. Your goal is to use a story to quickly and engagingly convey your informed interest in something that you may want to study at Yale. A tried and true way to approach this kind of essay is to think of it as a kind of “quick origin story.” You might ask yourself: if I were to create a mini-movie of the moments that led to this interest, what would be the major scenes?
From this question you can get a bullet-point outline going, and then expand on your story with precise, specific examples from your life.
What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)
This is a pretty standard “Why us” prompt, with an added wrinkle of brevity (125 words is not a lot of space). So, you’ll need to be precise and efficient with your sentences. Given that you don’t have a lot of wiggle room, it’s important that you understand this essay not solely as a focus on why Yale is The Greatest School of All Time, but instead focuses on why you and Yale are a perfect fit for one another.
This means that you’ll need to do significant research about Yale to really clarify why you’re interested in applying (many have found success using this chart to keep track of their research). Then, consider writing an essay that focuses on either 3-5 of Yale’s offerings that are uniquely compelling to you, or an essay that focuses on one core value that you feel you and Yale both share.
Okay let’s look at the prompts for the last essay now:
Applicants are required to respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or fewer:
Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful?
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.
Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?
Each of these is essentially is a variation on the standard “Community Essay” or “how will you contribute” essay, so you can check those guides for examples and analysis. The basics: Show how your background and experiences will add to the richness of the college community.
Nick Muccio
Rather than candy, Nick (he/him) went searching for people’s vacuum cleaners when trick or treating. He’s since found other ways to help people clean, usually involving their essays (though he has great ideas on carpet maintenance, too). He earned a degree in Psychology from Bates College, where he rowed boats and acted in plays. Teaching high schoolers English for seven years taught him about the importance of presence and knitting sweaters. He sweats a lot, usually on purpose, and usually involving running shoes, a bike, or a rock climbing harness. His greatest fear? Heights. His greatest joys? Numerous, though shared laughter is up there.
