A common application and Yale supplement must be completed online or sent by November 1 for single-choice early action, and December 31 for regular decisions. An application fee (or request for fee waiver), two teacher recommendations, a school transcript, a counselor recommendation, test results and a mid-year report must also be included.
A committee of Yale admissions officers, faculty and deans select applicants who show exceptional engagement, ability and promise. Reviewers consider transcripts, test scores, essays and recommendations.
Out of 26,003 applications, 7.5 percent were accepted for the 2009-10 Yale freshmen class. Successful applicants came from a range of backgrounds and were all in the top quarter of their graduating class. SAT scores (25th to 75th percentiles) ranged from 700 to 800 for verbal, 700 to 780 for math and 700 to 790 for writing. ACT scores were between 30 and 40.
Undergraduate tuition at Yale is $38,300 for the 2010-11 school year, with room and board costing $11,500. For the 2008-09 school year 50.6 percent of freshmen received need-based scholarships or grants from Yale sources.