Test-Optional Policy for One Year
Yale is temporarily suspending its requirement that first-year applicants submit results from the ACT or SAT, in response to the widespread disruptions caused by the pandemic. My colleagues and I understand that students will have many priorities when schools eventually reopen; completing standardized tests this fall should not be among them. Please review these notes regarding the change:
- Applicants who are unable to complete an exam or who choose not to report exam scores will not be disadvantaged. We expect that some applicants will have completed exams and received scores they feel reflect their strengths and college preparedness. Others may be disappointed in their performance but face barriers to registering or preparing for an additional exam date. Some students will simply be unable to complete any exam prior to the application deadline. The policy is designed to give all seniors a straightforward application option: report ACT or SAT scores if you wish.
- SAT Subject Tests will not be considered during the 2020-2021 admissions cycle. Students who have completed AP Exams, IB Exams, or AICE Exams prior to submitting their applications may opt to self-report scores in the application, but there is no expectation that students enrolled in academic-year courses associated with any of these tests complete exams this spring or summer.
- These new testing policies apply only to students who will graduate in the 2020-2021 academic year. The change reflects the extraordinary circumstances that students, families, and educators are currently facing. Transfer applicants and students who intend to apply for admission to enroll in Fall 2022 or later should plan to complete the ACT or SAT by the appropriate deadlines.
- For all applicants, Yale remains committed to a whole-person review process that considers every applicant's unique context and circumstances. Whether an applicant chooses to report standardized test results or not, the Committee will pay close attention to a student’s high school transcript, letters of recommendation, and demonstrated academic drive and commitment.
Change to QuestBridge Match Policy
Yale is a proud partner with QuestBridge, a national non-profit organization that helps low-income students applying for admission and financial aid at selective institutions. Yale allows students selected as QuestBridge Finalists to use their completed QuestBridge application to apply through single-choice early action, regular decision, or the QuestBridge National College Match. Yale has no preference for any application platform, and no application option increases a student’s chances of admission or the size of their financial aid offer. Yale meets 100% of every family's demonstrated financial need with an aid package that does not require loans.
Beginning this year, Yale will join most other partner schools in adopting a binding policy for the QuestBridge match. Students who match with Yale in early December will receive an offer of admission and Yale’s most generous financial aid award (including a $0 parent share, hospitalization insurance coverage, and a $2,000 “startup” grant). Matching students will withdraw all other applications and matriculate at Yale.
Students who do not match will automatically be moved into Yale’s regular decision round for continued consideration. Regardless of the application platform they choose, all students admitted through single-choice early action or regular decision will continue to have until May 1 to reply to an offer of admission and may decline. All families may request a review of their aid offer before replying to an offer of admission.
For more, please review the QuestBridge page on our website.
New Podcast: Inside the Yale Admissions Office
Finally, I invite you to learn more about my team's work in a new podcast, Inside the Yale Admissions Office, co-hosted by Associate Directors Mark Dunn and Hannah Mendlowitz. Each episode is designed to increase transparency and reduce anxiety by giving an inside look at the selection process with firsthand accounts from admissions office staff, including me.
The first episodes are available now and cover application reading, the Admissions Committee, and the office’s response to COVID-19. Upcoming episodes will provide in-depth discussions about essays, letters of recommendations, and interviews. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Android Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Episodes are also posted at admissions.yale.edu/podcast.
Our Shared Commitment
The current circumstances are enormously challenging, but my colleagues and I are responding by remaining committed to the thoughtful student-centered principles and practices that have guided our work for decades. We know you are equally committed to serving your community, and we look forward to working with you this year. Thank you for providing guidance, care, and support, and thank you for sharing the information in this message with your school community.
Jeremiah Quinlan
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions & Financial Aid
Yale University