Tips to Get into Yale SOM
Applying to the Yale School of Management (SOM) is a journey that requires thoughtfulness, self-awareness, and preparation. Bruce DelMonico, Yale SOM’s Assistant Dean for Admissions, has shared invaluable advice through his Inbox Application Insights email series. Below, we’ve distilled some of his “greatest hits” to guide you through the process and boost the odds you will get into Yale SOM.
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Nailing the MBA Essay
The Yale SOM application features one required essay with three prompt options:
- The biggest commitment you’ve ever made.
- The most meaningful community to you.
- The most significant challenge you’ve faced.
DelMonico emphasizes the importance of choosing a topic that resonates deeply with you: “We have no preference among the prompts; you can focus on personal or professional experiences.” The key is to go beyond the surface and describe your behaviors and actions. As DelMonico advises, “Point to the specific actions you have taken relating to your chosen commitment, community, or challenge.”
The challenge used in this essay should be significant, and the story should show growth for you. If the result was not entirely what you wanted, that’s completely fine. In that case, perhaps you learned something that was applied in a more successful result later. Remember that being yourself and sincerely describing who you are and what matters to you is the goal of this essay.
And don’t stress about linking your essay to your MBA goals—DelMonico notes, “You don’t need to explain how the topic connects with why you want to get an MBA.” Finally, remember the golden rule: proofread!
Strong Rec. Letters Will Help You Get Into Yale SOM
Recommendations offer a window into your professional character and achievements. DelMonico says, “We care more about the quality of the relationship you have with your recommender than the title they hold.” A supervisor who knows you well can provide the most impactful perspective.
He suggests preparing your recommenders by reflecting together on key experiences: “It’s a good idea to have a conversation with your recommenders to prepare them and reflect on some of your experiences together.” A recent former supervisor is the next best choice if a current supervisor is not an option. Entrepreneurs or family business employees should seek recommendations from clients, board members, or other professional contacts.
For your recommenders:
- Be specific about what you need: Provide your recommenders with a clear outline of the key traits and examples you’d like them to emphasize. For example, ask them to highlight your leadership, problem-solving abilities, or capacity for teamwork.
- Choose recommenders who align with your narrative: Consider how your application positions you as a candidate. If your application emphasizes leadership development, choose a recommender who has witnessed you lead projects or teams.
- Follow up without micromanaging: After your initial discussion, check in periodically to ensure your recommenders have what they need, but avoid micromanaging the process. Respect their time and expertise.
- Provide context for Why Yale SOM: Share details about Yale SOM’s values, such as its mission to educate leaders for business and society. This can help your recommenders tailor their responses to create recommendation letters that will help you get into Yale SOM.
Showcasing Your Academic Profile
Yale SOM evaluates your academic readiness through undergraduate transcripts, standardized test scores, and its unique use of the Behavioral Assessment. The BA is an online tool that asks applicants to respond to a series of situational questions that typically involve scenarios that assess key attributes such as:
- Leadership ability: How the candidate navigates and takes charge in leadership situations.
- Collaboration and teamwork: How the applicant works with others, especially in group settings or during challenging interpersonal dynamics.
- Problem-solving and decision-making: The thought process behind making decisions, particularly under pressure or ambiguity.
- Emotional intelligence: Understanding and responding to the emotions of others, as well as managing one’s own emotions in a professional context.
The responses are scored based on behavior patterns and used to evaluate traits essential for success in the MBA program and beyond. While the Behavioral Assessment is not a make-or-break component, it helps Yale SOM get a more rounded view of applicants and their potential fit within the school’s collaborative, team-oriented culture.
DelMonico reminds applicants that these are just pieces of the puzzle, not the sole determinants: “We look at your entire application holistically and don’t assign a fixed weight to any element.”
While many applicants focus on median test scores, DelMonico advises against overemphasizing them: “By definition, half the class is below the median, so using it as a benchmark can be misleading.” Instead, he encourages applicants to pay attention to the range of scores and present their best selves across all application components.
Stacy Blackman’s consulting team consists of consultants from every top school, including Yale SOM. Meet Kevin, who has served on the admissions committee at Yale School of Management.
Highlighting Work Experience
Your professional achievements and growth are critical to your application. DelMonico describes the résumé as “an excellent one-page encapsulation of your candidacy, especially your professional experiences.” Quantify your impact and achievements whenever possible, such as ‘increased sales by 30%’ or ‘led a team of 10 to complete a project ahead of schedule ‘. For less well-known organizations, provide context in your résumé.
He also suggests strategically using the Work Experience section: “The Reason for Leaving section can showcase the thoughtfulness and intentionality behind your career moves.” For Silver Scholars, Yale SOM’s deferred MBA program, internships and other professional opportunities are essential to demonstrating readiness for the program.
Articulating Career Interests
Yale SOM asks about your post-MBA career interests, but DelMonico reassures applicants: “Admissions decisions are not based on them.” Instead, focus on showing self-awareness and reflection. “A good response will include not just your post-MBA goals but also the origins of these goals, how you’ve developed them, and how you’re positioning yourself to achieve them,” he explains.
DelMonico notes that your career interests will likely arise during your interview, offering another opportunity to elaborate on your aspirations.
Ready for January 7th
As the Round 2 deadline approaches, take DelMonico’s advice to heart. These tips can help you stand out, from crafting a compelling essay to securing meaningful recommendations and showcasing your holistic candidacy. As DelMonico reminds us, “We look at your entire application holistically,” so ensure every element reflects your unique strengths and aspirations. Embrace your uniqueness and let it shine through in your application.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs. From our All-In Partnership to interview prep, essay editing, resume review, and much more, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
