Show Notes
In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in two cases about how admissions offices can consider an applicant’s race and ethnicity. Hannah and Mark explain the basics of the ruling and how it affects the work of the admissions office. Special guest Jeremiah Quinlan, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid, joins to share his insights on why the ruling should not affect how applicants and educators approach the college application process, as well as the details of Yale’s strategy for responding to the ruling to ensure that Yale’s student body remains diverse along all dimensions. The ruling changed the court’s interpretation of the law, but it did not change Yale’s values.
More from Inside the Yale Admissions Office
The admissions process can seem like a mysterious black box. Your application goes in one side and, a few weeks later, a decision comes out the other. At Yale, real people make decisions at every stage of review, and every student is admitted by a committee. Hannah and Mark walk through each step in an application’s journey from data download to initial review, area reading, second reading, and committee deliberation. They explain the “who” “what” and “how” of each stage. For a quick overview of Yale’s process visit https://admissions.yale.edu/step-by-step.
Continuing their in-depth review of what Yale admissions officers look for, Hannah and Mark discuss the importance of making a positive impact on others and review how different application components demonstrate students’ support for those around them. The episode explains how officers consider an applicant’s impact on other people and details how Yale’s values and approach to evaluating applications is grounded in a letter written by Yale’s president in 1967. The hosts also shine a light on the shameful history of exclusion that characterized the origins of holistic admissions in early 20th century America.
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 in every application is academic strength. Hannah and Mark share how admissions officers evaluate an applicant’s baseline academic preparation and how applicants stand out as prospective Yale College students. The admissions officers discuss how each part of the application can help demonstrate that an applicant is a strong, compelling, and well-prepared future college student.
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 standardized testing policy, the addition of a new “short take” question, and the elimination of a “Why Yale” question. This episode complements previous annual application update episodes and “Essays: The Little Stuff.”
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 their college application journey – including things they chose to do and things that were completely out of their control. Admissions officer Brynne dazzles the audience with her encyclopedic knowledge of what her admitted students shared in their applications. Hannah and Mark share many more insights from admitted students who considered how they were successful in their college application process.