Yale SOM 2012 - Calling All Applicants (Class of 2014)

Solb22 - I had a complete change of heart from what I wrote on my business school application and entered my first year with an open heart and an open mind. Although I aspired to pursue finance, I looked into a bunch of fields before deciding to do investment banking. I interned at a major investment bank this summer.

In terms of banking, the recruiting at Yale SOM was very strong last year. Out of 230 students, 40 did investment banking internships and about 30 did it at bulge bracket banks. The previous year's interns also boasted a high internship rate and a robust array of top bank placements... Key advantages were that we have: (1) a very loyal alumni base; (2) a small class size, allowing a higher percentage to land internships; and (3) the close proximity to New York, allowing us to do a lot of informational interviews.

Regarding your question in the post above mine - I would simply apply when you are ready. I know the response is trite but it is the truth. The decision would be based on at what stage your essays / recommendation letters are... Logistically-speaking however, you might want to apply R2 if you haven't visited the campus (since imo, visiting Yale SOM definitely helps you contextualize the culture / special feel of the place here). On the other hand, from a strategic point of view, R2 might also see an abnormal increase in application numbers since the economy took a nosedive in August, which may have prompted a lot of future applicants to rush & jam through their application for R2 of this year...