We're excited you're thinking about applying to Yale Summer Session! Before you apply:
Tip: Please refer to Dates & Costs for all of the relevant deadlines. All supporting documentation must be received on or before the application deadline. Below the requirement list, we provide further explanation about some of the requirements.
Note: Be sure to read about Yale Summer Session's immunization requirements for students in in-person courses.
Students who will be entering their senior year of high school (their final year) are eligible to apply. You also must be 16 years of age or older by their program start date. Pre-College students have some additional requirements listed below:
TOC:Further Details about Requirements for International Students
Take courses with Yale faculty. Make new friends and expand your horizons with Yale Summer Session.
Note: The CDC has a useful webpage with information about requirements for international travel to the United States.
An unofficial transcript or academic record in English is required as part of your application to Yale Summer Session. The online application enables you to upload an unofficial copy of your academic transcript.
Tip: All academic transcripts must show the name of the institution, dates of enrollment, and the subjects or courses taken, together with the units of credit or time allotted to each subject and the final grade.
Applications are evaluated holistically, therefore, we do not have a GPA requirement.
Yale Summer Session will purchase U.S. based health insurance for you if you receive an I-20 from our office. You will be billed for this insurance along with your other Yale Summer Session fees. The health insurance fee can be found here.
U.S. citizens whose primary residence is outside of the United States may purchase our health insurance during your in-person study at Yale Summer Session.
If you choose to take Yale Courses for Credit you must be able to express yourself fluently in spoken and written English. If you are not a native English-speaker and have not had at least two years of secondary education or university instruction where English is the medium of instruction, we require taking any one of the proficiency tests listed below. English proficiency scores are not required if you will be participating in a Certificate Program for International Students.
Applicants may submit the Duolingo English Test (DET), which combines an English proficiency test with a brief video interview. Duolingo’s technology and format allows applicants to complete the test at any time or place with internet access. Yale’s most competitive applicants have DET scores of at least 120.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), is offered in two formats and requires pre-registration for available testing dates. Yale Summer Session requires:
The results must reach Yale Summer Session by the application deadline date relevant to the program. Yale Summer Session will not accept TOEFL's "My Best Scores".
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) offer proficiency tests in locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale Summer Session requires applicants to have an IELTS scores of 7 or higher.
The Pearson Test of English (PTE) offer proficiency tests in locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale Summer Session applicants must have a Pearson Test score of 70 or higher.
Studying with us in-person generally requires entering the United States on a valid F-1 visa. You may not attend Yale Summer Session on a B-1 or B-2 (tourist visa). If you are in the United States on another visa category, you will need to upload your current US entry documents with your Summer Session application, and we will review it to determine whether you need to apply for an F-1 visa.
Upon admission to Yale Summer Session, our office will process the Form I-20 and email it to you with instructions for proceeding to obtain your F-1 visa. You will receive the emailed I-20 about 3 weeks after you are admitted to the program.
After receiving the I-20, you'll need to pay the SEVIS fee online and make an appointment to visit the local US embassy or consulate for the F-1 visa. Visa appointments in some countries have a wait time of a few weeks. All new students on an F-1 immigration status, other than those already studying in the US, must pay a SEVIS fee at least three days prior to the visa interview. Students will have the opportunity to print out their receipt at the end of the payment process. Students must bring one of the SEVIS receipts to the visa interview. Click here to learn more about it and to pay the SEVIS fee online. Please apply early so that you have plenty of time to get your visa and book your flights. Summer is a time of high demand for the airlines, too.
When you arrive on campus for Summer Session, you are required to check in with the Office of International Students & Scholars to be registered with the SEVIS Department of Homeland Security.
International students taking only online courses from their home country will not be issued an I-20. To waive the requirement of a statement of financial support, please contact us.
Canadian citizens require an I-20 to participate in Summer Session, so their application process is the same as other international students, and they are required to be in a full-time course of study (2 course credits). But they do not need to get a visa stamp on their passports. Click here to read more.
Students who decide to withdraw their Yale Summer Session application must inform Yale Summer Session immediately so that Yale can cancel the I-20. Check the Office of International Students and Scholars website for more information about visas.
A non-refundable visa processing fee is required at the time of application submission to Yale Summer Session. Please note that the SEVIS and visa processing fees are two different fees. There will also be a separate visa fee for the F-1 visa.
After admission, you will be required to upload proof of vaccinations if you will be attending classes in-person. You will be emailed a link and information about where to upload their vaccination records. You will need to be vaccinated against: MMR, Varicella, Meningitis, Tuberculosis, and COVID-19. All required documents are due three weeks before a program start date. For a list of COVID vaccinations that Yale accepts, click here.
Please visit our pre-college page for further information and requirements for international high school students.
Question: Please contact us if you have further questions about attending Yale Summer Session!