Here is summary of the recent live chat with Yale Admission Director - Maria Derlipanska. Those who want to view full chat transcript can download it from this post. Good luck!
What are some "watch-outs" for the Yale interview?Yale_Maria: Just be yourself, answer the questions. Do not talk about what you prepared and what YOU want the interviewer to hear - be attentive to their questions. Again, make sure to address is in the optional essay.
How much interaction is there between the full time students and say the healthcare executive program?Yale_Maria: The Exec MBA group meets over the weekends so there isn't a whole lot of interaction.
Maria, can u name clubs, initiatives etc. dedicated to healthcare? I intend to pursue career in pharma after my MBAYale_Maria: Sure! Here is the complete list of clubs - you can see the healthcare-related ones:
https://som.yale.edu/our-programs/mba/st ... mbassadors Feel free to reach out to our Admissions Ambassadors - they'll be happy to hear from you.
I am an international applicant and hence more interested in global career opportunities, especially in Europe. How powerful is Yale brand in those countries?Yale_Maria: The Yale brand is very strong in Europe. Our newly-admitted students from Europe just started an EuroSOM Club. I am happy to put you in touch with them.
How does Adcom view a gap in studies, such as gap of a year in between higher studies and starting of undergraduation? Will it have negative impact?Yale_Maria: A gap is ok but make sure to take advantage of the optional essay and explain the gap - do NOT leave the committee guessing what happened.
Other than GPA, do you use any other measures to determine 'academic preparedness' for the rigors of a Yale SOM education?Yale_Maria: The test scores: GMAT or GRE. Also, all transcripts and all courses - we look at whether you challenged yourself academically and intellectually
I wish to know about the silver scholar invite statusYale_Maria: We are in the process of reviewing the Silver Scholars applications. We have extended a few invitations and will be extending more. We do this in waves throughout the round, as we cannot review all the applications all at once.
How would you view an applicant who already has a MBA from another country but is applying to Yale for a second master's degree?Yale_Maria: That's ok with us. One would be disqualified only if that MBA is from another institution in the US.
Maria, does Yale look at the new Integrated Reasoning section scoresYale_Maria: We are still in the process of collecting data and figuring out how to analyze it so no need to worry too much about it at this point.
Could you please shed some light on impact of H1B lottery system on career prospects of international students at Yale?Yale_Maria: I know that it can be a challenge because the School has absolutely no control over it. That said, our students have been successful in securing both internships and full-time jobs on multi-year contacts. I would think that our Career Development Center would have a better sense.
Are off campus interviews weighed the same as on-campus interviews?Yale_Maria: Absolutely - all interviews are evaluated the same, whether it's on campus, in hub cities around the world and skype.
Maria! Are the interviews with adcoms blind?Yale_Maria: The interviews are conducted blindly - your interviewer would have only seen you CV!
What is one thing about Yale that prospective students will NOT get to know from online resources like the college website or chat rooms?Yale_Maria: I would say how incredibly special our community is! As you research schools and programs, please take the time to get to know the community that you might be joining. Reach out to various members of our community to get a sense of what they are like. Come for a campus visit and meet some of our current students - talk to them, get to know them, see if you can imagine being in class with them and having them as your friends. You will be committing yourself to a two-year program so it is important to understand whether you would feel comfortable in that environment.
Please give me some insight about the scholarshipsYale_Maria: About the scholarships - all of them are merit-based. Students also take on loans - the same requirements are in place for US and int'l students. That means that int'l students do not need a co-signer or a sponsor. Also, we have a very generous Loan Forgiveness Program - anyone that goes into gov or non-profit work after graduation gets 100% of their loan forgiven.
Chat TranscriptAttachment: