The Yale School of Management: Everything You Need to Know

 

The Yale School of Management, or Yale SOM, as it is known to its students, has a mission of “educating leaders for business and society.” The program focuses on preparing leaders who will have an impact in areas at the intersection of business and society, including sustainability, asset management, health care, education, financial stability, the role of women in business, and global leadership.

Yale SOM achieves its mission through its comprehensive, integrated curriculum, designed for MBA students to understand the whole organization. Yale relies on an innovative case study method that includes “cooked” and “raw” case studies. Cooked case studies are the kind typically seen in the traditional case study approach that several top MBA programs use. Yale School of Management also pioneered the raw case study method, in which information is presented from various angles and in multimedia formats, and students must identify what elements are actually relevant to the case—much like in real life. Among top business schools, Yale SOM is the most connected to its parent university, which is also a draw for many candidates. Compared with peer institutions, Yale School of Management has a much higher percentage of joint degree students, specializing in such areas as forestry, environmental management, law, global affairs, and public health while also working toward their MBA.

Although the Yale School of Management was previously thought of primarily as a “finance school,” the largest proportion of graduates tend to enter positions with a consulting function. Of the Class of 2022, 53.6% did so, while 24.0% accepted finance function roles, 11.4% marketing/sales, and 4.2% general management.

 

The Yale School of Management Insider’s Guide

The Yale School of Management Insider’s Guide

After consulting with Yale School of Management students, admissions committee members, and alumni about their experiences, we have prepared our Insider’s Guide to the Yale School of Management. We take an in-depth look at life at Yale SOM, highlighting how the school’s location, class size, curriculum, teaching methods, facilities, alumni involvement, and rankings all affect its culture and MBA experience. Then we delve into Yale SOM’s faculty and professional student clubs, revealing how they facilitate the careers of Yale SOM students. Through our guide, you will learn more about the Yale School of Management’s integrated curriculum and raw case format, as well as hands-on experiences such as the Net Impact Case Competition and the Integrated Leadership Case Competition. Yale’s high-caliber finance faculty offers more than 40 courses, and the International Center for Finance supports research in this area. As one of the first top MBA programs to require an international component for graduation, Yale SOM offers exceptional resources in international business and general management, and in other areas, such as marketing and health care.

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The Yale School of Management Interview Guide

The Yale School of Management Interview Guide

Yale School of Management interviews are typical MBA behavioral interviews and are often described as “friendly and conversational.” Yale SOM wants to get a sense of whether the applicant is a good fit for the school’s values, approach, and culture. As a result, “Why Yale SOM?” is a common question. The Yale School of Management wants to know that you understand not only how and why the MBA program is right for you but also how and why you are right for Yale SOM. You will need to be ready to share why you are a good fit for the school, offering particular reasons your post-MBA goals can be best served via the Yale School of Management’s resources. For sample interview questions and commentary from past students, check out our Yale School of Management Interview Guide.

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Yale SOM Essay Analysis, 2023–2024

The Yale School of Management (SOM) is one of the few top business schools that give candidates just one required application essay with which to make their desired impression on the admissions committee. The Yale SOM requires applicants to expound on a significant commitment and its underlying impetus and meaning. The essay has a 500-word maximum, so you need to be clear, direct, and rather succinct in your response, without much preamble or extraneous text. If you feel the required essay’s topic does not allow you to share a particularly important or compelling aspect of your profile, or if you have an issue in your candidacy that would benefit from further explication, you can use the “optional information” space to fill in the blanks. The program asserts that this is “not an additional essay,” however, and that “most candidates do not need to complete this section.” Also, the submission is limited to 200 words, so you must again be concise in conveying the necessary details.

Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (500 words maximum)

The question evolved from a conversation with Professor of Organizational Behavior Amy Wrzesniewski, who noted, “Reading about future plans is helpful, but actions speak louder than words.” In your response, we are looking to learn about how you have approached a particular commitment, whether personal or professional, and the behaviors that support it. You should be less concerned about what we want to hear and instead focus on being honest with yourself in selecting and describing the commitment that has been most significant to you.

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Yale SOM MBA Class Profile (Class of 2024)

Class Size 347
Median GPA 3.69
GPA Range (Middle 80%) 3.34–3.90
Median GMAT 725
GMAT Range (Middle 80%) 690–760
Median GRE (Verbal) 164
Median GRE (Quant) 166
GRE Verbal Range (Middle 80%) 159–169
GRE Quant Range (Middle 80%) 160–170
Average Years of Work Experience 4.7
Women 43%
LGBTQ+ 12%
International Passport Holders
(includes U.S. permanent residents and dual citizens)
48%
Countries Represented
(including the United States)
48
U.S. Students of Color
(percentage of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who identify as Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Islander, or Multiethnic)
54%
U.S. Underrepresented Students of Color
(percentage of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who identify as Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Islander, or Multiethnic)
24%

Yale SOM Rankings

The Yale School of Management has done quite well in recent MBA rankings. In the Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2022–2023 domestic survey, the SOM was in tenth place. The program was also ranked tenth internationally and seventh domestically in the Financial Times’ 2023 survey. The school was ranked eighth in the 2022 Poets&Quants survey of U.S.-based MBA programs. Finally, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023–2024 rankings, the business school was in eighth place and was also listed in the following specialty rankings: nonprofit (1), management (7), international (14), executive MBA (17), finance (19), marketing (31), and accounting (40).

Yale SOM Deadlines (2023–2024)

Round 1 Application Deadline
September 12, 2023

Round 1 Decisions
December 5, 2023

Round 2 Application Deadline
January 4, 2024

Round 2 Decisions
March 26, 2024

Round 3 Application Deadline
April 9, 2024

Round 3 Decisions
May 16, 2024

mbaMission Testimonials from Yale SOM Applicants

Great Advice, So Helpful!

Michael [Guttman] was an invaluable help throughout the entire application process. He gave me thorough and incisive feedback on essay drafts—both line-by-line commentary and big picture strategic direction.

Michael’s suggestions for where I should apply were quite helpful as well. He met with me and did a complete mock interview before one of my interviews, which really helped me to refine and improve my messaging. Most importantly, Michael was always prompt to respond to ad hoc, stream-of-consciousness questions that I had throughout the process, which was immensely valuable.

Thanks to Michael’s help, I was admitted to two of my top choice business schools, Dartmouth and Yale. I couldn’t be happier with how this process played out and would recommend any other prospective applicants to use Michael’s consulting.

Go with Susan [Kaplan]!

I worked with Susan on the start-to-finish package for four schools, was admitted to three of them, and used all of the self-reflection and tools that Susan provided me with to apply to and get accepted at three additional schools.

I didn’t have many friends who had applied to business school, nor did I have a great understanding of the application process, and Susan was a true partner and guide throughout the whole process. I tend to be quite verbose as a writer, and sometimes I struggle to concisely make a clear point. While I knew why I wanted an MBA and what in my past experience made me qualified, I was having trouble articulating it clearly in my essays. Susan was a tough critic and pushed me to write at a much higher level than I would have on my own. I appreciated that she didn’t just say “good job” when my applications were “good enough.” She pushed me to the next level, and I don’t think I would have as many acceptances and scholarships to top programs without her!

Despite her pinpointed and sometimes tough feedback, Susan was a warm and caring coach who truly cared about my journey and who was rooting for me throughout the process. She made me feel proud of my accomplishments and was such a great cheerleader. With her help, I was admitted to Kellogg, Tuck, Columbia, Darden, and Yale SOM, all with scholarships, and to Wharton as well! I can’t recommend Susan enough!

Katy Lewis is the absolute best—highly recommend her!

As many prospective students will quickly find out, top MBA programs really want to hear your story, and there is no better person than Katy to help you with the introspection process. She has this unique ability to get to know you as a person and help get that authentic self across to the admissions committee. Together, we were able to brainstorm specific themes of my life, how they were important to me, and communicated those in my essays.

Through all of her help, I was able to secure R1 interviews at six top programs—Stanford GSB, HBS, Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, and Yale. She spent a lot of time prepping me for my interviews and provided her perspectives on each of the different programs.

Because of Katy’s help, I was able to secure multiple offers and ultimately accepted my offer to attend Stanford GSB. I truly cannot recommend Katy enough as an admissions consultant and now as a friend!”
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