Meet Yale SOM’s MBA Class of 2017

Members of the Class of 2017 at Yale School of Management

When the 326 students in the Class of 2017 arrived on Yale University’s School of Management for orientation on Aug. 17th, they became part of a school with formidable momentum.

Last year, the school cracked the top Ten of both the Bloomberg Businessweek and The Financial Times rankings. The school, which had been scattered throughout several old mansions on Hillhouse Ave., is now housed in an ultra-modern building called Evans Hall.

The size of this year’s incoming class was the largest ever, up from a class of just 231 who graduated three years ago, with a record number of women and international students and the highest average GMAT scores in Yale’s history. Indeed, for the first time, SOM has divided the incoming first years into five cohorts, up from four last year, to bring them closer to 65 students each from 80-student sections last year.

THE BEST CLASS OF THE LAST 10 YEARS          

Yale School of Management admissions chief Bruce DelMonico

“Individually, they are as strong as any class I have admitted in my 10 years at Yale across the range of metrics you would look at,” says Bruce DelMonico, the assistant dean for admissions. “We are simply thrilled to have them at Yale.”

Academically, the incoming class has already surpassed the previous class. Average GMATs have risen to 721 from 719 (higher than Berkeley Haas, Columbia, and Michigan Ross). Average undergraduate GPAs have also climbed from to 3.6 from 3.5 (equal to Northwestern Kellogg and Chicago Booth), with GPAs ranging from 3.23 to 3.88 within the 80th percentile.

APPLICATIONS JUMP 20%

Yale SOM has also grown more desirable – and selective. Over the past year, applications have jumped over 25%, to 3,449 from 2,756. At the same time, the school’s acceptance rate has dropped from three full percentage points to 20.7% from 23.7%. Overall, 68% of the class received some form of scholarship or financial aid.

The school’s demographics have become progressively more female and international. The percentage of women in the 2017 class, for example, increased to 40% from 37%. What’s more, international students now comprise 40% of the class – its highest percentage ever (and a bellwether for a school that prides itself on its widespread global partnerships). U.S. minorities represent another 22% of the class.

Experience-wise, 32% of first-years earned undergraduate degrees in the humanities, nearly equal to the previous class. Another 25% held business degrees (up 9%), followed by engineering and information sciences (16%), economics (16%), and math and sciences (12%). The largest segment of the incoming class – 20% – previously worked in finance, followed by non-profits (17%), consulting (12%), technology (7%), government (6%), and consumer products (6%). The class also includes 11 veterans (up four from the previous year) and 17 Silver Scholars (Students admitted directly from an undergraduate program who complete a three-year MBA program). Even more, 17% of the class – 57 students – are pursuing joint degrees, another reflection of just how deeply connected the School of Management is to other programs at Yale.

Go to next page to access student profiles of this year’s incoming class.