From the Director of Admissions: Inside the Admissions Process

Thanks to everyone who submitted an application by the first-round deadline earlier this month. Those of you working on a second-round application or still learning about the school may want to note that we recently added a few more upcoming events to our schedule, including online chats, which are a great way to get a feel for the Yale SOM community and connect with students, faculty, and staff.

Whether you've already applied or are planning to do so, you may be wondering what happens to your application once you hit the "Submit" button. Here's a glimpse inside our process.

What We're Looking For

Applications are reviewed by two different members of the Admissions Committee and then discussed by the entire Committee. We take a holistic approach in our review; no single aspect of an application is determinative. We are looking for candidates with strong academic backgrounds, professional experience, and leadership potential who also have the qualities that make Yale SOM students distinctive: the broadmindedness and intellectual curiosity to leverage our unique integrated curriculum and the other resources available through the greater Yale community, the ability to think rigorously and act purposefully, and the constancy to navigate uncertain situations. Our goal is to bring to the Yale community 250 students who will benefit from each other's diversity of backgrounds, experiences, interests, and aspirations.

Interviews

For many applicants, an interview is the next step in the application process. Interviews are by invitation of the Admissions Committee. We invite applicants to interview throughout the round. At the moment, we have extended roughly one-third of the total invitations we plan to offer for the round; more invitations will be coming in the next few weeks. While an interview invitation is certainly a positive sign—it's not possible to be admitted without one—it should not be viewed as an indication of your final decision. We typically interview roughly 30% of our applicants, and a little more than half of those interviewed are ultimately offered a place in the class.

At the interview, we will ask you questions about your past experiences and decisions, in order to get a better sense of how you act and think. The best way to prepare for an interview is to know your résumé, re-read your application essays, and have a good sense of what you have done well—and not so well—in the past, and why.

Admissions Decisions

All first-round candidates will receive a decision by December 13, 2012; if you apply in our second (January 8) round, you will hear from us by March 28, 2013.

If you have any questions during the application process, please feel free to email us at mba.admissions@yale.edu. In the November issue of the admissions newsletter, you'll learn more about what diversity means at Yale SOM.



Bruce DelMonico
Director of Admissions
Yale School of Management 
mba.admissions@yale.edu
203.432.5635