Yale SOM Sets New App Deadlines

The new home of Yale University ‘s School of Management – photo by Chris Choi

Yale University’s School of Management has moved up its round one deadline for MBA applications for its Class of 2020 by a single day this year to Sept. 13th. For candidates who complete their applications by that date, SOM is promsing a decision by Dec. 6th.

The announcement makes Yale only the third of the highly ranked schools to release their new 2017-2018 application deadlines and essays. Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and Columbia Business School previously made announcements.

The essay promp requiring a 500-word answer will remain the same as it was last year: “Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made.” This is the second year SOM is using the essay which had been developed in collaboration with Amy Wrzesniewski, a professor of organizational behavior at SOM. “In asking this question, the Admissions Committee is interested not just in the commitment itself but also in how you approach the commitment and the behaviors that support it, wrote Bruce DelMonico, assistant dean of admissions.

“The reference to Professor Wrzesniewski’s is a great hint for applicants,” says Betsy Massar, founder of Master Admissions, a leading MBA admissions firm. “It underscores how much Yale values emotional intelligence in its assessment of emerging leaders. They see your values and commitment as part of the same measure of your character.”

ROUND TWO & THREE DEADLINES

The school said its second round deadline will be Jan. 4, with a decision date of March 27, while the third and final cutoff date to submit an application will be April 18, with decision expected on May 17.

With a 13% increase in the latest admissions cycle, Yale SOM has for the first time received more than 4,000 applications, or roughly 4,114 applicants, for its 340 seats. There are now more applicants per classroom seat at Yale, 12.3 candidates for every available classroom slot, than Harvard (10.4), Columbia (9.9), Kellogg (9.6), Wharton (7.8), or Chicago Booth (7.0).

“We’ve also decided to maintain our unique sliding-scale application fee structure, which ties your application fee to your annual compensation,” adds DelMonico. “The sliding-scale fee helps us attract diverse applicants from all over the world, including those from geographies and industries where compensation tends to be lower.”

APPLICATION FEES RANGE FROM $225 TO FREE

At SOM, the standard application fee is $225. For applicants earning less than $20,000 a year, the application fee is $175. For applicants earning less than $10,000 a year, it is $125.

“We will continue to offer fee waivers for current and former Peace Corps volunteers, as well as current staff and alumni of Teach for All programs (such as Teach for America, Teach for China, and Teach for India). The application fee is automatically waived for active U.S. military or U.S. veterans, current Yale graduate students, and Yale undergraduate students applying to the Silver Scholars Program.”

To apply to SOM, applicants must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent and must have taken either the GMAT or the GRE. Applicants must also fill out the online application form (including an essay), provide transcripts from every college or university attended, submit two professional recommendations, complete video questions, and pay the application fee.

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