Calling All Fall 2011 Yale SOM Applicants

They have also allocated $8000 of the budget to personal expenses. I'd be shocked if any other school was close. The gov has to match what Yale says (if you quality for directplus, which I've heard you need literally poor credit to not get), so you can get that $8000 if you want but if you think $16k over two years is silly, don't take it! I think it comes down to $600 wasted on entertainment, clothing, etc. per MONTH and then you still have a few grand for a plane ticket for the int'l experience. That's not even part of the food/rent/utilities bucket. Maybe someone can clear this up but I thought the loan was deposited lump sum into your checking and you had to pay the school. Unless you're flying business, that $8000 can be stretched lightyears. Again, you could borrow it, then after the first year just lock it away and the moment you graduate pay it back. You have to apply or aid each year so the next year just don't take it. Then again maybe there are early payment penalties though - I just filed my taxes yesterday so I'm a bit behind. All I know is, I will be in a ton of debt afterwards. Being in debt is highly underrated!! (jk) Good news is student debt doesn't negatively affect your credit score. Speaking only from experience, I have plenty from undergrad still and my credit score is not bad at all despite the looming 5 figures.

Thanks, nink! Think I could wear basketball shorts with my tie and jacket?

A question on the tuition expenses. The SOM website specifies the tuition + fees to be $53,900 for the first year. It also says that "† Tuition and Fees include the International Experience, student activity fee, and an SOM program laptop."
I take that to mean that we dont have to pay extra for the laptop. But I dint get what part of the International experience is included in the tuition expenses. Nink, can you help out here?

You mean to say that Yale SOM gives out scholarships in the second year too?

everything but the flight?

Laptop is included. Technically, you are paying for it but it's issued to all incoming students. (I kinda convinced myself that it's like buying a textbook, except it's way more expensive and they are buying it for me.....)

Think of cost of International Experience as paying for another class in your 1st yr curriculum. Actually, it is part of the curriculum. It's not simply a trip that you will be taking with your classmates. It's also a learning experience with one of your professor and his/her contacts as tour guide.

So we would need to pay for the tickets and stay part of it(basically the whole trip)? And what is included in the tuition expenses is the cost of the class itself? Just trying to get a better idea.

That published budget is for "borrowing" purposes.

Students will pay for their travel and other expenses associated with the International Experience. For financial aid purposes, the student budget is readjusted to reflect "International Experience" element, and the entire cost can be financed through incremental loans.

Damn, I purchased an HP deal two month's ago and now installed many software from Yale IT through activated Yale NetID. Can I use my own laptop and lower that total tuition expense? Or probably I have to use my own as a backup laptop.

I think people in my class asked this 2 yrs ago and YSOM told them that isn't possible. You will probably use your HP as backup (like I do...but in my case, YSOM laptop is the backup). It sucks paying for the laptop that you might not need but that's the policy.

btw - are you coming to YSOM? Can I mark you BLUE on the roll call pg? I think you are #14 from R1, matriculating.....

Many thanks. I am heading to Yale. So far I had great experience with Yale people and definitely want to be part of the community.

you can mark me as matriculating!

btw any internationals know what they're doing for housing?

I'm on the waitlist from R2 and here's what I've done so far:

- Contacted someone I work with who taught at Yale (not SOM) for some years to write a brief recommendation letter. She wasn't one of my original two recommenders.
- Contacted a current SOM student I know to write a note of support.
- Contacted the waitlist manager to reiterate interest and ask for feedback. She gave me a couple of areas of weakness to address.

I'm now drafting my update letter and will send it in soon. To be honest, I'm struggling to keep it succinct and punchy. Given that the feedback was that my weaknesses from the application were lack of clarity of goals and ambiguity around work history/choices made in the past, it seems like a tough job to address that honestly and clearly while keeping it short and sweet. Still, I will try.

Any thoughts on any aspect of this, particularly what would be an approximate acceptable length for the letter, would be greatly appreciated.

Also, out of curiosity is it completely unheard of for someone taken off the WL late on in the process to be offered a scholarship? I know Yale isn't exactly throwing scholarships around anyway compared to some schools (presumably they divert a lot of their finaid resources into the loan forgiveness) and coming from the WL it would seem like a very big ask, especially given that they state openly that the money starts to dry up after R2. The waitlist FAQs say that it's still a possibility to get one, but I was wondering if there were any real examples?

Thanks in advance for any help

everyone's personal computer should be a mac anyway

Is it possible to be hosted by a student during Welcome Weekend? I didn't see anything mentioned about that, but it would be nice not to pay for a hotel.

There is an option to select that when you fill out your registration form which I believe is no longer active (deadline was the 7th), but if you have a hotel you are one step ahead of all of us since they are all booked at this time.

Does anyone know the dress code for welcome weekend? Biz casual?