Yale SOM 2009-2010 Application Deadlines and Essay Questions
by Bruce
Despite the common assumption that summers are quiet in academia, June came and went with a flurry of activity here in admissions. The month included lots of outreach and events, starting on the 1st with our first Consortium Orientation Program in Charlotte and ending just last Friday when SOM concluded its inaugural two-week Pre-MBA Leadership Program here on campus (the purpose of which is to expose college students and early professionals who are committed to diversity and inclusion to the possibilities of an MBA education). In between, there was the GMAC Annual Industry Conference, the Forte Foundation Annual Meeting, and meetings with Womensphere, StartingBloc, and a number of other partner organizations. It was a very busy month, and the Consortium OP and Pre-MBA Program in particular were notable as indicative of the importance of diversity here at SOM.
Now that we’ve had a chance to take a quick breath from all these events, I wanted to do a quick post to announce our 2009-2010 application deadlines and essay topics. Here they are:
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Round 1: October 8, 2009 (decisions due by December 18, 2009)
Round 2: January 7, 2010 (decisions due by April 2, 2010)
Round 3: March 10, 2010 (decisions due by May 7, 2010)
ESSAY QUESTIONS
SHORT ANSWERS
Please answer each of the four questions below with a short paragraph of no more than 150 words. This is an opportunity to distill your core ideas, values, goals and motivations into a set of snapshots that help tell us who you are, where you are headed, and why. (600 words maximum)
1. What are your professional goals immediately after you receive your MBA?
2. What are your long-term career aspirations?
3. Why are you choosing to pursue an MBA and why now? (If you plan to use your MBA experience to make a significant change in the field or nature of your career, please tell us what you have done to prepare for this transition.)
4. What attracts you specifically to the Yale School of Management’s MBA program?
PERSONAL STATEMENT 1
Describe an accomplishment that exhibits your leadership style. The description should include evidence of your leadership skills, the actions you took, and the impact you had on your organization. (500 words maximum)
PERSONAL STATEMENT 2
Choose one of the following topics and answer it in essay form. Please indicate the topic number at the beginning of your essay. (500 words maximum)
1. A central premise of our teaching about leadership at the Yale School of Management is that true leadership—leadership that helps to address a significant problem in a new way—is necessarily personal. It is only when personal passion aligns with meaningful aspirations that individuals are able to inspire others to act in support of an important goal or cause. What are you most passionate about, and how have you demonstrated a commitment to this passion?
2. What achievement are you most proud of and why?
3. What is the most difficult feedback you have received from another person or the most significant weakness you have perceived in yourself? What steps have you taken to address it and how will business school contribute to this process?
4. Describe a situation in which you devised and implemented a creative or unique solution to a difficult problem. What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
5. Required for reapplicants: What steps have you taken to improve your candidacy since your last application?
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (OPTIONAL)
If any aspect of your candidacy needs further explanation, please provide any additional information that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (250 words maximum)
I hope this information’s helpful to anyone who wants to get a jump on their SOM application. We will be posting our summer/fall recruiting schedule shortly and the application itself should be live in early August. We will be sure to let everyone know when those things happen. In the meantime, happy writing!
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:56 am
This is great! Thank you so much.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:37 am
Thanks Bruce and Admissions Committee, Yale is so fast this year. We, applicants, will have more time to prepare then.
Cheers,
Trang Nhung
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
If I don’t meet the required GPA to be admitted into Yale School of Management, do it mean I can’t run the MBA program or will I be required to pass any test?
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:24 am
I would like to know the requirements for international students. I am a Ghanaian and wish to join yale hopefully during the third round.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Frederick,
The requirements for international applicants are generally the same as for domestic applicants. To view any additional requirments (such as the TOEFL exam) or get the answers to other possible quesitons, you can go to our FAQ page.
Bruce
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Roy,
We don’t have a minimum GPA for our program. To view class averages for the Class of 2010, you can go to our website. The statistics for the incoming Class of 2011 will be posted shortly and are roughly the same as the Class of 2010.
Bruce
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Erin,
You’re welcome! Best of luck, and be sure to let us know if you have any questions.
Bruce
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Trang,
You’re welcome! We’re hoping to give applicants as much time as possible to work on their applications.
Bruce
July 5th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Dear Bruce,
Thank you for posting. and i want to know , what else should i prepare? for example, the recommendation letter, what kind of person you want? thanks
July 6th, 2009 at 6:02 am
As I know, Yale has business administration major for undergraduate students. Can I finish that major before running MBA program ?
July 6th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Great! This certainly gives us enough time to shape up our essays for the R1 application.
July 6th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Thanks for kicking off the Admissions process running up to the Class of 2012! As someone who has worked in an emerging market in the consumer products sector as a marketing professional, I view Yale as a stepping stone to learning great general management skills while at the same time building on functional competencies.I see myself moving to leadership positions in the public or non-profit sector in the long term. How often is it that the applicant pool reflects these aspirations and does Yale provide a non-profit track?
July 6th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Bruce,
Is the best to apply during the first round?
I mean if I apply during the second round the admission opportunity will be slimer than I do during the first round, will it?
July 7th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Thanks to the entire Admissions department for working so diligently this summer!
July 7th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Bruce,
Thank you for putting up the essay questions early.
I am a prospective student from India and intend to apply to the Yale school of management in Round 1.
I will be in the US for a short business trip end of July. Would it be possible to contact any students or faculty during that time when I visit your campus?
Anila
July 7th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
This was very helpful. Thanks for making this information so easy to find!
July 7th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Thanks Bruce- this is great!
Also, could you recommend a good time to visit the Yale campus?
July 7th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Hello Bruce
just wanted to know if the fall 2010 application start allready
When I got on the application site, all i got was 2009
Thanks for your help
Ran
July 7th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Thanks, Bruce. I see many questions that I’m very happy to answer.
I am a Chinese applicant working in U.S. right now and I will definitely apply in the first round. My question is: are you going to have any kinds of events in Washington DC area? I wanna be the first person who reserves a ticket.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:25 am
Elsa,
Thanks for your question. The FAQ page on our website should hopefully answer a number of the key questions having to do with how to apply and what else to prepare. We’ll be updating the page in the next few weeks. In additon, we’ll be holding a series of webinars this summer and fall that deal with the application process and provide some tips for applying. So keep an eye out for those on our events page. If you want to get automatic notice of these events without having to seacrh for them, you can also sign up for our enewsletter. I hope this is helpful.
Bruce
July 8th, 2009 at 5:29 am
Van,
Yale does not actually have an undergraduate business major — economics is the closest thing to it the University has. But it’s true that we do require that candidates finish their undergraduate degree before doing the MBA program.
Bruce
July 8th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Nikhil,
That’s great! Our full application should be live in early August, so keep an eye out for that. And we do plan to have some application tips sessions so hopefully that will be helpful as well. In the meantime, happy writing!
Bruce
July 8th, 2009 at 5:40 am
Vinay,
Thanks for your comment. We do see quite a few people who are interested in the public and non-profit sectors — either coming from them or going to them or both. This type of multi-sector approach is actually one of the strengths of the school. And we are quite well-know for non-profit and public management. There are many places to go to find this strength in non-profit and public management, but one place might be the Program on Social Enterprise website, which gives some sense of the things happening in that space at SOM. That is just one place to look, though — I would suggest exploring the main SOM website to get a true sense of all the activity in this area.
Bruce
July 8th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Yi,
Your chances getting admitted are the same if you apply in the first or second round. I would suggest applying when you can submit your best application. That said, I would suggest avoiding our final (third) round if possible. That’s where space can become an issue.
Bruce
July 8th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Thanks, Julian! Good luck!
July 8th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Anila,
Our students won’t be back on campus until August and classes don’t start up until closer to September — which is when our formal campus visit program begins again. If you visit in July, there may well not be any students or faculty around (due to faculty vacation schedules). We would certainly be happy to give you a tour and show you around, but it will be much less robust a visit than if you were to come when classes are in session. That said, if that’s the timing that works for you, then we certainly welcome your visit. Just note that we’re closed on Fridays during the summer, and please just call ahead (203-432-6380) so we can be ready for you.
Bruce
July 8th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Adam,
That’s great to hear. We do our best!
Bruce
July 8th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Shaurya,
Our formal campus visit program — which includes a tour, classes, and visits with students and an admissions committee member — begins again on September 14 and runs every day classes are in session. You can learn more and sign up for a visit on our website. The visit schedule and sign-up will be available later this summer when the class visits are closer to starting.
Bruce
July 8th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Ran,
The upcoming year’s application will be available in early August. We’ll announce it when it’s live.
Bruce
July 8th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Lee,
We will definitely be in DC for recruiting events. We will be posting our event schedule shortly; you can see them when they’re up on our website. You can also subscribe to our enewsletter, which will have information about the events as well once they’re announced. But we will definitely be in DC this fall and look forward to seeing you there!
Bruce
July 10th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Got cha, thanks!
July 10th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Bruce,
Im looking forward to applying to the Silver Scholars Program starting fall 2010. Reading through the discussion board I found out that “it’s not possible to apply to the Silver Scholars program if you’ve already graduated”.
In my particular case, I will graduate from Material Engineering in november; in this case, is the first round my only chance to apply?
Thanks.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Hey Bruce,
I am Bosco from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I hold a Master Degree of Arts in project planning & management.I would like to have more detailed informations abouth the Phd programs in Management related courses. I am intending to join your college sooner or later.
July 13th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Hi Bruce,
I was reading the Yale Curriculum class description for State and Society and found it both fascinating and inspiring. I would love to take this class. I feel it would enrich my world view and my ability to conduct business. However I am pursing my masters degree at another college. Is there any way I could possibly take this one class?
Thank you,
Michelle
July 13th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
That´s such a great thing to receive all the essays already by July.
I´ll try my best to apply for the 1st round. Thanks in advance!
July 14th, 2009 at 4:23 am
dear sir
i am interested for your course of economic and business, specially accounting.
i want to continue my studies in your university for doing the bachelor of economics and business for the academic year 2009-2010.
i am hearing you for getting a satisfied answer.
sincerly
July 14th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
[...] Yale SOM 2010 Essay Questions [...]
July 15th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Hi Bruce,
Thanks for this post. Perhaps I missed it, but is the required Consortium essay for SOM posted somewhere? Thanks!
Lauren
July 16th, 2009 at 8:53 am
wel thnx 4 application deadlines………………………………………….
is dis deadlines for getting admission for 2010 batch……………
plz specify m confused………….
July 19th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Dear Bruce,
With my Master’s GPA being 2.9 from Central European University, Budapest, do i have chances to aquire another MA at Yale?
thanks,
susan
July 20th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Hi,
I’m a French student. I graduated my Bachelor ( 4th year), and I would like to join Yale University for the year 2009-2010, to finish my Master’s degree.
I did the TOEIC test. Can tou give me some information about the admission?
Thanks in advance
July 21st, 2009 at 5:51 am
where can i find the MBA admission requirements?
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:41 am
Hi,
Regarding the essays, I heard that Yale forbids the applicants from getting any help with essay writing (editing or consulting services).
Is it true? What are Yale’s instructions on this subject?
Thank you.
July 27th, 2009 at 8:18 am
i would like to know the procedure for joining business administration (BA)?
July 27th, 2009 at 9:42 am
When are the classes starting in 2010?
How many intakes do u have for a year and which month?
July 28th, 2009 at 10:28 am
I am a Ghanaian and will like to knoe the admission requirements for MBA, since I’m willing to join Round two.
July 31st, 2009 at 12:00 am
[...] Bruce DelMonico was kind enough to reach out recently and let us know that Yale has posted it application essays and deadlines for the coming season. It looks like Yale has significantly overhauled its essays for the coming [...]
July 31st, 2009 at 4:24 am
Hi Bruce,
Many thanks for your post!
I’m a Chinese applicant and bachelor of 2007. I have two-year full time working experience in government. Prior to my full time, I had internship and part-time in a state new agency, BNP Paribas Hong Kong branch, a local tech company and a law corporation. In addition, I grew up in a business family and was invoved in business at the age of 7 by helping my grandmother selling fruits.
I noticed from the class profiles that many successful applicants have at least 4-5 years full time working experience. So my question is this: will I be too young for Yale?
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
August 2nd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Thank you very much!
Bruce and Admission Committee members.
I have started my essay writing and other application materials preparation.
Looking forward to the online system’s opening soon.
August 2nd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Dear Bruce,
I am a 41 year old Indian Army officer. Following my graduation in 1987, I joined the army and have had no civil education since then. Going through the profiles of current students I noticed that the average age and work experience of students was much lesser than mine.
Will my age and work experience be a hindrance to my chances for admission?
Levis
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:21 am
I had log on to apply online, since I missed the deadline the last time, but the system said all application deadline has passed. Please explain.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
I am very interested in your MBA program at Yale, and I would like to know more about the requirements. I got my undergraduate studies in political science and sociology (double major) and I would like to pursue my further studies in MBA. Is there anything that I can do best to fit in this program and also meet the dateline? Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
William
August 10th, 2009 at 9:21 am
i am an indian student. i heard a lot about yale. I have done b.pharmacy and wish to do a mba in yale. I have no work experience. could you tell me the requisites for an admission into this university?
August 11th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Hello Bruce,
I’m very interested in applying to Yale SOM to pursue my MBA. I’ve recently learned of The Consortium and would like to apply through the program. I understand that the application deadline for this coming semester has passed, however, if possible, I would like to jumpstart the process for the next semester. Can you offer me any advice as to what would make me more competitive for acceptance into the program and Yale SOM?
Thank you,
Katherine
August 17th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
hello,
Hello Bruce,
I have graduated with a bachelor in business administration and am pursuing to get into the mba program offered at Yale for Fall 2010. However, I have close to no work experience, when compared to Yale’s class profile, and was wondering if this criteria alone would screen out my application. In other words, are there students who got into this program with no experience? If so, what criteria were used in assessing their applications?
Thank you,
Yasmin Ali
August 19th, 2009 at 6:21 am
Hello Bruce, I just have one question, I am taking the GMAT test on October 2nd , is it too late to apply for the first round? I think I will have the results on October 9th, but they will send the results directly to you… do you think this will be a problem??
August 19th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Hello Bruce,
My question is in fact similar to that of Yasmin. Is there a minimum length of work experience Yale SOM require applicants to have before they can apply? If yes, how long?
Much appreciated,
Ferhana
August 20th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Hello Bruce,
I’m an international Student from Saudi Arabia. I graduate from my B.S. in July 2010 and I would like to start right away with the MBA program in September. Is it possible? hence my complete transcript won’t be sent not even in round 3. But my 3 years and 1 semester could show you that I am an honor student. Do you take that into considerations?
Thanks
August 21st, 2009 at 8:11 am
Hi Bruce,
I have a GMAT score which completes its 5 years on Oct 3, 2009. Am I eligible to apply for the SOM session 2010-12? I can apply before the 1st deadline of Oct. 8.
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:30 am
hello
I am an Indian.i just completed my engineering in mechanical(4 year) and now i want to persue MBA from yale. what is the criteria. i have just started with my first job. will u guide me when should i apply for mba.
thank you
mukal sharma
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Hello, my name is isaac uchenna from nigeria. I will like to come in contact with a good student there for further informations. Here is my email ucsweetangel@yahoo.com or +2348068548083. I strongly wish to study at YALE school. Love you people.
August 24th, 2009 at 12:05 am
Hello Bruce,
I am from pakistan and completed my Bsc( hon) in economics in 2008. Since then i have been working full time and previously have taken up other partime assignments. Just wanted to know if my experience would be enough to apply to Yale’s Mba program?
Thank you
muneeb
August 24th, 2009 at 10:50 am
respected sir
i just want to know what is the criteria for transfers to any management undergraduate course. i am currently in ma third semester doing BBA. i would be very thankful if you could help me with ma question
thank you
taimur jang
email: taimur_rulezzz@hotmail.com
August 25th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Hello Bruce,
Does Yale require only Official GMAT scores by their deadlines? Ideally I would like to apply in the 1st round but since it takes 20 days for official scores to be sent it looks like I may miss the deadline, and need to apply 2nd round.
Also, is it the same regarding Official Transcripts from college and other classes I took from other schools?
Much thanks
August 26th, 2009 at 8:43 am
2. What are your long-term career aspirations?
My main aspiration is to serve the poor students in education in chain manner. i will briefly explain about this. suppose i am taking any 10 th school student, after 10 th because of his poor family conditions he is unable to study further.then i will take care of that student i will spend what ever money needed for his/her education. after completed his/her education he will pay that money monthly wise. this money will be spent to another students, like that i want to develop one good student society. this will be useful for society. society happiness is my ultimate aim
August 28th, 2009 at 2:52 am
Hello Bruce,
I am an applicant from China. My question is about TOEFL. I want to apply in Round 1 while due to limited seats in TOEFL, I have to take it on Oct 10. Is it acceptable that I submit other materials before Oct 8 and submit my TOEFL score later than Oct 8? Could I still be treated as Round 1 applicant? Thanks!
August 29th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Dear prof:
I am a MBA student of University of Bridgeport, can I transfer to Yale in the
admission round? And how?I really want to have the best education in Yale,
Much thanks
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:03 am
I am working with Mercedes-Benz India in procurement department since last 3 years.
By qualification I’m an Mechanical Engineer and would like to do MBA from YALE.
Could you tell me the requisites for an admission into this university?
September 9th, 2009 at 4:08 am
I study Industrial Engineering at Turkey and this is my last year. I want to study MBA at your school. But my GPA is low. It is 2.7. I can increase it to 3.00 this year. Is it impossible to study for me at Yale
September 10th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Hello Bruce,
I am very interested in Yale MBA, I am currently reside in D.C.. Will you be come to D.C. MBA tour on Sept. 20th? Can I schedule a personal information talk with you if you will come?
Thank you
September 13th, 2009 at 4:46 am
Sir,
Your questions say
“SHORT ANSWERS
Please answer each of the four questions below with a short paragraph of no more than 150 words. This is an opportunity to distill your core ideas, values, goals and motivations into a set of snapshots that help tell us who you are, where you are headed, and why. (600 words maximum)”
Which word limit do we adhere to. 150 words or 600 words.
Thank you
September 14th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Hello
am mohammed am teach asistant in king abdul aziz university in saudi arabia
and i have scholership from my goverment with highr GPA and am intersitng to study in yale University i need admission for MBA
please tell me how many GMAT score the university need and now i study English and Amarican culture in arizona state University please help me for admission in MBA
thank you
September 15th, 2009 at 3:57 am
Sujay,
There are 4 questions, each of which should be no more than 150 words. This equals to 600 words max. This is my assumption.
Regards,
Ferhana
September 17th, 2009 at 3:22 am
Very interesting …. but …. Does Yale has a minimum requirement for GMAT and TOEFL score since I’m come from Indonesia ?
September 19th, 2009 at 8:44 am
I have applied in SOM MBA programme, but I have not been able to forward my Transcript. Please if i don’t meet the dead-line of October 8th, can i shift to second sesion?
Francis,
Nigeria.
September 25th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Hello Bruce,
I want to apply to Yale for MBA.
I am an international student.I want to apply for the first round- 8 October but have not gotten my GRE and TOFEL. Is it compulsory that i submit the results during my application ?or can i present them after the dealine? I would also want to know when the first session is starting?
Thanks.
Ifeoma,
Nigeria
September 26th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
hi Bruce. do international students have to show their bank account to apply for your university ?
October 5th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Hello Bruce,
I am an international student. I want to pursue an MBA from Yale SOM in General Management. I have a question for you. Statistics for Class for 2011 shows that average GMAT score is 715 with mid 80% GMAT verbal score ranging from 35 to 47. My GMAT score is 670(Q: 49 V: 31). Relative to the class average score in GMAT verbal my GMAT verbal score is quite low. How does this affect my application? Does my application get rejected right away?
Thanks in Advance!
Manish,
India
October 7th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Hello Bruce,
I have two questions for you.
1. There is a buzz around that US B-schools are going to reduce their intake of international students for the class of 2012. What are Yale’s (full-time MBA) plans along these lines?
2. Because of high RIFs, there are people who are studying full-time for GMAT and then there those who are left on the job working extra hours to fill in for people affected by RIFs and studing for GMAT. Does Yale’s admission committee takes this inot consideration while looking at GMAT scores?
Thanks!
Rachna
BS-India, WE-US
October 20th, 2009 at 12:18 am
I wanted to know more about the international students and their accessability to get sholarships from your university.
And I also wanted to know if we have to take the tests SAT or ACT,knowing that we don`t have them in our countries(At least mine).
sincerely
Hafida
October 21st, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Hi Bruce,
I have went though the Yale website which provides details on how to apply for the MBA Fall Program 2010. On the list of requirements given, the essays you have mentioned were not on the list. Do I submit these essays along with the rest of application requirements? Would appreciate your reply regarding this.
Thanks!
Namitha
Seattle, WA
October 28th, 2009 at 12:04 am
I have graduated with a bachelor in international business and spanish and am pursuing to get into the mba program offered at Yale for Fall 2010. However, I have close to no work experience, when compared to Yale’s class profile, and was wondering if this criteria alone would screen out my application. In other words, are there students who got into this program with no experience? If so, what criteria were used in assessing their applications?
October 28th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
i want to if you a minimum score for the gmat to be considered for admission to your MBA program.
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 am
Bruce,
I am an aspirant from India. I have a gmat score of 720 and a cgpa of 3.4. However, one limiting factor is that coming from Merchant Navy (engineering side), I only have technical experience.
On the website I saw that candidates coming from an engineering backgroud form a substantial part of a class, however, will my purely technical work experience somehow lessen my chances of getting admitted.
Will applying to Yale be a good decision for me.
Thanks