Inside the Yale Admissions Office

What Yale Looks For, Part 1: Academic Strength

The first in a new mini-series giving an in-depth look at what Yale admissions officers look for when evaluating applications. The first and most important consideration

Application Update 2026-2027

At the start of a new application cycle, Hannah and Mark share the annual updates to Yale’s first-year application. Admissions Officer Dara joins to discuss a change in s

Bulldog Days Live 2026

For their fourth annual Bulldog Days Live episode, Hannah and Mark ask four recently admitted students visiting campus to reflect on the factors and forces that affected

International Admissions

Hannah and Mark discuss the exciting work of the admissions office’s “I-Team” with colleague and director of international admissions, John. The officers review the proce

Mailbag 3

Hannah and Mark respond to the latest questions sent in by podcast listeners. Admissions officer Amelia joins to discuss summer programs, high school course rigor, Yale’s

Interview with Jimmy Hatch ’24, The Ivy League Insurgent

Hannah and Mark interview Jimmy Hatch, a recent Yale graduate and 26-year US military veteran who is the host of the new podcast, The Ivy League Insurgent. As a former Na

Selecting High School Courses

A prospective student’s high school transcript is the most important individual component of an application. Hannah and Mark discuss what admissions officers look for whe

Application Update 2025-2026

At the start of the new admissions cycle, Kenan joins Hannah and Mark for the fourth annual application update episode, highlighting changes to Yale’s first-year applicat

Bulldog Days Live 2025

For their third annual Bulldog Days Live episode, Hannah and Mark interview three recently admitted students about how they chose to spend their time in high school. The

What Yale Looks For: Special Mythbusters Edition

In the latest installment in the Mythbusters miniseries, Hannah and Mark discuss examples of reasonable—but ultimately inaccurate—beliefs that some applicants have about

College Search 101: What’s Important to You

The second episode in a mini-series about the first step in the admissions process: deciding where to apply. Hannah and Mark emphasize the importance of beginning the col

Mythbusters Live: 2024 Application Deadline Edition

With Yale’s first application deadline approaching, Hannah, Mark, and special guest Alfie hosted a special live virtual event for students planning to apply in the curren

College Search 101: How to Ask Questions

The opening episode in a mini-series about the first step in the admissions process: deciding where to apply. Samantha — the admissions office’s new senior assistant dire

Application Update 2024-2025

At the start of the new admissions cycle, Karen joins Hannah and Mark for the third annual preview of the questions that will appear on Yale’s first-year application. The

Bulldog Days Live 2024

Recently admitted students in the Class of 2028 join Hannah and Mark for the second annual Bulldog Days Live episode, recorded during Yale’s three-day campus preview prog

Bonus Episode: Standardized Tests and the Baseball Analogy

To help listeners better understand what test scores can and can’t say about a student’s relative strengths, Mark outlines an analogy he devised that connects standardize

Standardized Tests: How We Got Here

Part 3 in a 3-part series on Yale’s test-flexible policy. Over four years, Yale’s admissions office went from requiring the ACT or SAT, to being fully test-optional, to a

Standardized Tests: The Details

Part 2 in a 3-part series on Yale’s test-flexible policy. Hannah and Mark reveal the details of Yale’s newly announced test-flexible policy, which goes into effect for fi

Standardized Tests: The Big Picture

Part 1 in a 3-part series on Yale’s test-flexible policy. Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jeremiah Quinlan shares his thoughts on the role and value of tests generally,

Mythbusters Live – EA Deadline Edition

With just days to go before Yale’s early action deadline, Hannah, Mark, and special guest Moira hosted a special live virtual event for students preparing their Yale appl