The Application Process
Applying to the School requires applicants to complete an online Application Form. While completing this form, students will be asked to supply information regarding themselves, their education, and their references; upload their transcripts, personal essay, and curriculum vitae (résumé); and pay an application fee. In addition, applicants for the M.Arch. programs will be required to submit a portfolio, both online and separately in hard copy. Applicants for the M.E.D. program will be required to upload a research proposal. See below for more detailed information on each required component of the application process.
Since all required admissions materials must be uploaded to the online Application Form, applicants should not send any materials, other than the hard-copy portfolio (if required), to the School. Any materials, other than the hard-copy portfolio (if required), received directly from an applicant will not be added to the applicant’s admission file
The online application can be accessed at here, when it is available. Applications and required portfolios for programs beginning in the 2012–2013 academic year must be submitted no later than January 2, 2012. Applicants will not be allowed to submit applications after the deadline has passed.
Once an application has been submitted, applicants can track the status of their application and the receipt of required supporting materials (such as test scores, portfolios, or recommendations) online. Applicants are encouraged to log into the Web site frequently in order to check the status of their application materials and to view correspondence from the admissions office.
Application fee Applications will be considered only when payment of a nonrefundable application fee has been received. For the 2012–2013 academic year the application fee is $85. This fee cannot be waived and cannot be credited to tuition or other accounts upon admission. The only acceptable method of payment of the application fee is by credit or debit card, a transaction that is made within the online application. Wire transfers cannot be accepted.
Transcripts A transcript or academic record indicating degree earned or anticipated is required from each college or university attended and listed in the Academic Record section of the online application. Applicantswill need to upload, rather than mail, a scanned copy of the applicant’s official transcript or academic record to the application (please ensure that the scanned copy is legible). Refer to the detailed instructions within the online application regarding transcripts/academic records and uploading. Do not mail in a copy of a transcript or academic record that has been uploaded to the application.
Applicants who have attended international institutions must submit transcripts or certified attestations of study. If such documents are not written in English, certified English translations are required. Once translated, the original transcript as well as the certified translation should be uploaded to the online application.
Applicants expecting to graduate this academic year but still attending their college or university must upload their current college or university transcript to the application.
Applicants who are offered admission and who accept that offer will be required to have their respective institutions submit directly to the School final, hard-copy official transcripts that, if appropriate, also indicate the degree awarded.
Standardized examinations All applicants, including international students, are required to take the General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Program of the Educational Testing Service. For information regarding this test, test dates and locations, and/or to arrange to take the test, visit www.ets.org/gre. Although the test may be taken at any time, it should be taken no later than the preceding December.
Beginning August 1, 2011, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) will implement the GRE revised General Test. For detailed information on this new test, visit www.ets.org/gre. ETS will provide the School with the ability to compare, on an equivalent basis, scores between the old and new tests. Therefore, applicants satisfied with results from tests taken prior to August 1, 2011, do not need to take the new test.
The Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English, regardless if the applicant’s prior education was at an institution where English was the primary language of instruction. If the TOEFL iBT is not available in the applicant’s area, the TOEFL that is available plus the Test of Spoken English (TSE) will then be required. If an applicant has submitted an older, non-Internet-based TOEFL score from a test that did not include the TSE and is applying for the 2012–2013 academic year, this must be supplemented with the TSE. For further information regarding these tests and/or to arrange to take the test(s), visit toefl.org The TOEFL must be taken by no later than the preceding December. Applicants whose native language is English are not required to take a TOEFL test.
Applicants must include their required examination scores on the application for each test date taken. Please do not send hard copies.
The Yale School of Architecture institution code number for the GRE, TOEFL iBT, and TSE is 3985. Please note that this is different from other Yale University code numbers. Unless 3985 is used on the test form, applicants’ scores may not reach the School.
Personal essay An essay, not exceeding one page, that includes a brief personal history and reasons for applying is required and must be uploaded to the online application.
The School of Architecture seeks to draw students from all racial and ethnic groups in society. Applicants who wish to identify themselves as a member of a minority group should do so in this essay.
Curriculum vitae A curriculum vitae (résumé of academic and employment experience) is required and must be uploaded to the online application.
Letters of recommendation Three letters of recommendation are required and must be submitted by no later than January 2, 2012. At least one letter of recommendation should be from a person with direct knowledge of the applicant’s professional potential and academic ability.
Recommendations must be submitted by an online process that will require applicants to supply the e-mail addresses of their recommenders in the online application. Once the e-mail addresses are submitted, an automatic e-mail will be sent to the recommenders indicating how to submit their recommendations. Recommendations submitted prior to the submission of the online application will be automatically received at the School when applicants submit their online application.
Portfolio (for the M.Arch. programs only) Two identical versions of the portfolio are required (one printed, hard-copy portfolio version and one digital [.pdf] portfolio version). The hard-copy portfolio (not to exceed nine by twelve inches by one and one-half inches thick) must be sent directly to the School and received by no later than January 2, 2012. The digital portfolio must be a single .pdf document optimized not to exceed 64mb and will need to be uploaded to the online application. The digital portfolio will be viewed on computer screens, so resolution above 150 dpi is not necessary.
The portfolio should be a well-edited representation of the applicant’s creative work. Portfolios may not contain discs or videos. Anything submitted that is not entirely the applicant’s own work must be clearly identified as such.
For the M.Arch. I program, the portfolio should demonstrate the applicant’s drawing skills and three-dimensional aptitude. Work represented may include drawings, paintings, sculpture, sketches, furniture and architectural designs, or other materials.
For the M.Arch. II program, the portfolio should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to pursue advanced work in architectural design.
Use the following addresses for submission of the hard-copy portfolio:
via U.S. Postal Service/Air Mail:
Office of Admissions
Yale School of Architecture
PO Box 208242
New Haven CT 06520-8242
USA
via Express Delivery or Courier Services:
Office of Admissions
Yale School of Architecture
180 York Street
New Haven CT 06511-8924
Use the following phone number for express service envelopes or packages: 203.432.2288.
Due to the large number of portfolios submitted, receipt of your hard-copy portfolio may not be reflected in your online application status until after January 14, 2012.
Research proposal (for the M.E.D. program only) A full and specific description of the applicant’s research proposal is required, including a statement of goals, a proposed study plan, and anticipated results. This submission is weighted heavily during the application review process and is considered in the assignment of faculty advisers. The research proposal will need to be uploaded to the online Application Form.
Preparation of the proposed study plan is an important part of the application process. As a guide to applicants, the following themes should be included in the proposed study plan:
- Define a specific topic area and the goal of the study plan. List the prior work, publications, or other key references that provide the background or basis of study in the topic.
- Define the key questions that might be answered or the important issues that would be addressed by the study. Describe proposed study methods and expected results.
- List the Yale courses that will support the study. Include a tentative schedule or plan of study over the four terms.
- Describe prior work relevant to the proposed topic, as well as career expectations in undertaking the study. Include examples of written papers, reports, and other documentation that illustrate a capability to carry out the proposed study.
Applicants are invited to submit a draft of the study plan to the M.E.D. program director well in advance of the application deadline, in order to receive comments on it prior to the final application.
Verification of application credentials It is the policy of the School of Architecture to verify all credentials, such as transcripts, recommendations, and standardized test scores, as well as other information submitted in support of an application. By submission of an application, applicants automatically grant consent for such verification. Should it be determined at any time that any credential or other information submitted during the application process has been misrepresented, the University reserves the right to rescind the offer of admission and to prevent registration.