Image Credit: YYGS website The Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) program is one of the world’s leading globally-diverse summer high school programs for outstanding students.

In this post, we provide a comprehensive overview of YYGS, including its acceptance rate, key dates, application requirements, and tips and tricks for how to get in.

What is Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS)?

YYGS is a 2-week residential summer high school program hosted on the campus of Yale University.

Each year, the program welcomes 2,000 students from 150+ countries to New Haven.

With a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary academic exploration, students have the option to participate in a STEM, humanities, social sciences, or cross-disciplinary track for the duration of the program. "Yale Young Global Scholars empowers the next generation of leaders by building a global community and designing interdisciplinary programs that foster intellectual curiosity, deepen understanding and inspire creative action across all borders. " All quotes are from the YYGS Website.

The typical day for YYGS students includes lectures, seminars, small group breakout sessions, and time spent on a capstone project.

The program is split into three Sessions (I, II, III) for students to apply to that are spread out over the summer.

Session I: June 23

- July 5 Session II: July 7

- July 19  Session III: July 21

- August 2 Image Credit: YYGS website Attending Yale Young Global Scholars comes with a hefty price tag of $6,500 USD.

The tuition covers housing, meals, and curriculum materials; however, travel costs are not reimbursed.

Additionally, students have the option to apply for need-based financial aid. "YYGS is proud to be one of the only pre-college programs in the world that provides need-based financial aid equally to both domestic and international students, which is offered as a tuition discount (up to 100% of tuition). " Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) Eligibility Like any summer program, YYGS has its set of requirements.

Make sure you fit the eligibility requirements for YYGS to ensure your application is considered.

See the full list below:  Be 16-18 years old by the first day of Session III (July 21 for the 2024 year) Have the ability to engage in a rigorous academic program delivered in English  Be in grade 10 or 11 in high school at time of application (or international equivalent)  Graduation date: May/June of the year after time of application from the Northern Hemisphere; graduate in November/December in the current application year or the year after in the Southern Hemisphere Be a first-time YYGS participant (if you applied in previous years and were not admitted, you are encouraged to try again) Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) Acceptance Rate As a high school program run by Yale University, it’s no surprise that the name-brand prestige attracts much interest and of course, applications, each year.

In the 2023 application cycle, the YYGS acceptance rate was about 28%.

The program admitted 2,400 students out of 8,500 who applied.

What are the YYGS Application Requirements?

To maximize your chances of getting in, it's important to make sure your application includes all required materials to ensure it will be thoroughly reviewed.

See the list for all application components below: Activities list detailing extracurriculars/work experiences outside of school 2 Essays—one 400 words and one 200 words 2023 prompts: What can you do today that you did not think you could do a year ago? / Please tell us about something that has influenced you and articulate how it has shaped you.

Two Short Answer responses (280 characters each) 2023 prompts: Please tell us about something that has influenced you and articulate how it has shaped you. / What would you be willing to wait in a really long line for?

Why?

Official school transcript One recommender to complete recommendation form  Optional: English fluency test scores and financial aid application  How to Get Into Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS)  Now that we’ve established that YYGS is highly competitive, you need to have an exceptional application to distinguish yourself in the applicant pool.

If you’re a YYGS hopeful, make sure you follow these steps to get in.

Start early.

Giving yourself ample time to prepare your application will reflect on the overall quality of your application.

For competitive programs like YYGS, it’s best to start on your essays and short responses weeks before the deadline so you have enough time to reread and revise.

In addition, starting your YYGS application early ensures that your recommender and school counselor have enough time to prepare their materials on your behalf.

The rule of thumb is to ask for letters of recommendation or transcripts at least two weeks in advance.

See the YYGS application timeline below for the most recent year.

Note that there are two application cycles to YYGS: the Early Application round and Regular Decision round.

Early Action round:  Early October: Applications open.

November 1, 2023: Application deadline.

Pay $70 application fee.

December 20, 2023: Notification of admission decision and financial aid offer.

January 4, 2024: Deadline to accept/decline offer and pay tuition.

Regular Decision round:  January 10, 2024: Application deadline.

Pay $85 application fee.

March 10, 2024: Notification of admission decision and financial aid offer.

March 15, 2024: Deadline to accept/decline offer and pay tuition.

Early Action applicants will either receive an offer of admission or be deferred into the Regular Decision applicant pool, just like the application system for many colleges.

Those deferred will receive their decision along with other Regular Decision applicants.

Highlight your personality and achievements.

Second, utilize your application to your advantage.

Make sure to personalize your essays as much as possible in order to hammer home who you are as a person and why you deserve a spot in the program over everyone else.

In addition, the extracurriculars you describe in your application are just as important as the character you showcase in your essays.

Determine which cohort you’re applying to (STEM, humanities, social sciences, or cross-disciplinary track) and cater your application to fit that niche.

Make sure to showcase how you’ve explored your field of interest and what role it has played in your life.

Fulfill all application criteria.

Lastly, make sure that you’ve fulfilled all requirements prior to the deadline.

Do not risk a void application because of late or missing materials.

Concluding Remarks Attending YYGS is an excellent way to get a head start on exploring your fields of interest and get a taste of what college life is like.

Additionally, it can be highly rewarding to attend academic programs like YYGS where you can learn about subjects beyond the classroom setting.

Lastly, don’t forget the community!

You’ll be studying with the brightest minds in the world and live with an extremely diverse cohort of students for two whole weeks.

However, summer programs have their own cons and often are extremely competitive, so and don’t worry if you don't happen to get into one.

Ultimately, these programs are just one way to spend your summer break.

Check out the below video for the tell-all on how to snag independent internships instead to enrich your summer. https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=zqqtdxsCBT0&t=132s.