Yale School of Management

Ten Questions from Prospective Students

Posted on: October 22, 2009

1. How do you think Yale's broader leadership focus is valued post-graduation compared to programs with a more specific focus?
— Kate from Auburndale, Massachusetts

One of the things that sets SOM graduates apart is their capacity for independent thought and big picture thinking. That’s the type of broad, multi-disciplinary mindset that an SOM education instills. And feedback from recruiters confirms that this type of education has great value to them. They tell us they want SOM graduates at their organizations because they think strategically and bring a fresh perspective to problems, which is an enormous benefit.

2. How does the admissions committee determine whether a candidate “fits” at SOM?
— Penelope from Appleton, Wisconsin

“Fit” is a difficult thing to describe because it’s a malleable term that can mean different things to different people. It’s especially difficult at SOM, because one of the strengths of the SOM community is its diversity. So at one level there’s no hard-wired “fit” we look for. At the same time, I do think that the type of people who gravitate to SOM and do well here are those who enjoy the small, close-knit community; who are cooperative and collegial by nature (and who, as one student put it to me, are “constructively competitive” rather than “destructively competitive”); who are intellectually curious; and for whom the mission of the school holds meaning.

3. As someone who is passionate about healthcare, what are the opportunities available at Yale?
— John from Chennai, India

Yale generally — and SOM specifically — is a great place for healthcare; in fact, that is a growing area here at SOM. Not only do we have strong stable healthcare classes and faculty here at SOM (in fact, we just brought on board several healthcare operations faculty), but there are clubs, conferences, research, and other healthcare-related activities here at SOM. We also reside at a University with strong schools of medicine, nursing, and public health, as well as an expanding medical research campus. Moreover, we have an Executive MBA program for healthcare professionals that brings mid-career healthcare professionals here to SOM, which provides great networking and career opportunities for our full-time students interested in healthcare. And there is a strong biotech community here in the New Haven area, which is another great resource. So there’s a lot happening in the healthcare space here at SOM.

4. As a lawyer specializing in First Amendment and commercial litigation, what specifically attracted you to SOM? What is it about SOM that finally made you take the plunge?
— Juan from Washington, D.C.

I was drawn to SOM for the same reason many students are attracted to the school: its mission. I’ve spent a great deal of time at schools with strong public-service orientations. From my undergraduate work at Brown University to my legal training at the University of Virginia, I have routinely been affiliated with mission-driven institutions that challenge their members to think broadly about the positive impact they can have on society. So SOM’s mission of educating leaders for business and society is something that made sense to me. Plus, the culture of the campus is something that I found comfortable and familiar, which only heightened the school’s appeal.

5. How has the current economy impacted the career prospects of international students?
— Ikshwaku from Gurgaon, India

Our placement efforts have actually not been affected as much by the economy as many people assume. Internship placement remains at 100%, and the three-month full-time offer figure for the most recent graduating class is 92%, which is a little off from last year but we think quite strong given the current economic climate. Although job placement for international students can be challenging in any given year due to visa requirements (true of any business school), we have found that international students at Yale SOM are as successful as their American peers in garnering job offers, and whereas they may not be able to pursue every U.S. domestic opportunity, they often have an edge when applying to overseas offices of major firms. Overseas positions can be wonderful opportunities for both domestic and international students, and we’ve recently brought on board a career development manager who’s dedicated to sourcing new opportunities and helping students pursue these positions, which has been a great additional resource for our students.

6. Does not waiving rights to my letters of recommendation lower their validity, in the eyes of the Admissions Committee?
— Oliver from Zurich, Switzerland

No, we do not take into account whether you waived your rights to your recommendation letters when assessing them.

7. Will my chances of admissions be lower if I apply in the second round, instead of the first? What about scholarships?
— Sophie from San Francisco, California

We calibrate our process so the same application has the same chance of being admitted regardless of whether it was submitted in the first or second round. In fact, the second round is traditionally our heaviest application round. So there is no penalty to applying in the second round, either from an admissions or a scholarship perspective.

8. Does Yale SOM have a cutoff date for extending interview invitations during a round?
— Martin from London, UK

We don’t. We tell applicants that we can extend interview invitations up to the decision notification deadline. That’s not to say that we try to do that — we know that waiting can be frustrating and we want to make sure people know as soon as possible if we wish to interview them. So we try to get interview invitations out as quickly as we reasonably can. But because our application review process is rigorous, there are occasionally times when we extend invitations closer to the end of the round. This doesn’t reflect on the strength of the application, just the fact that it takes time to get through applications. We know it can be difficult to wait but we appreciate people’s patience.

9. Which part of the application carries the most weight in the admissions process?
— Ying from Shanghai, China

No part of the application inherently carries more weight than any other part of the application. We review files holistically, and depending on the profile of the candidate different elements of an application can take on various levels of importance. As a general matter, grades and scores measure an applicant’s intellectual abilities; work experience and recommendations give a sense of the other qualities that might make them successful in the workplace; and essays and activities help us get more of a sense of the applicant as a person. Each of these elements matters, but each will present itself slightly differently depending on the context of the overall application.

10. I just submitted an application for the first round. What are the next steps?
— Charlotte from Atlanta, Georgia

Once an applicant hits “Submit,” the application is processed by our system and prepared for review. When a file is complete (that is, all supplemental materials have been received and matched to the file), it’s sent out for review. Each file is reviewed independently by at least two members of the admissions committee. Most applications are then brought to the full admissions committee for a decision, although some are decided without full committee review. At any point during this process, an applicant can be invited to interview, which is a necessary step to being admitted to the program. We interview roughly 35-40% of our applicants and admit about the same percentage among those we interview. We notify applicants of their decision as soon as practicable, but at the very least by the posted decision notification deadline for the round (December 18 for this year’s first round).

Admissions Office
Yale School of Management
135 Prospect Street
Box 208200
New Haven, CT 06520-8200
203.432.5635, Admissions Office
203.432.6380, Visitor Center
fax 203.432.7004
mba.admissions@yale.edu