Inside the Yale Admissions Office

Hosted by Inside the Yale Admissions Office

Business Careers Education Society Culture

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Admissions Officers Hannah and Mark share the complex and dynamic work happening inside the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The podcast gives firsthand accounts of how officers read applications, make decisions within the Admissions Committee, and collaborate with other offices and resource centers. Yale College receives more than 35,000 applications annually for a first-year class of 1,550 students. Hannah and Mark give an inside look into the strategies and processes that enable admissions officers to attract promising applicants from around the world, consider every applicant through a whole-person review process, and build a class filled with strong students from an amazingly diverse collection of backgrounds. Recorded inside the Office of Undergraduate Admissions on Hillhouse Avenue, this new podcast pulls back the curtain to reveal some of Yale’s most fascinating and rewarding work.

Listen to episodes

57 recent

October 13, 202630 min

What Yale Looks For, Part 2: Supporting Others

Continuing their in-depth review of what Yale admissions officers look for, Hannah and Mark discuss the importance of making a positive impact on others and review how different application components demonstrate students’ support for those around them. The episode explains how officers consider an applicant’s impact on other people and details how Yale’s values and approach to evaluating applications is grounded in a letter written by Yale’s president in 1967. The hosts also shine a light on the shameful history of exclusion that characterized the origins of holistic admissions in early 20th century America.

September 1, 202636 min

What Yale Looks For, Part 1: Academic Strength

The first in a new mini-series giving an in-depth look at what Yale admissions officers look for when evaluating applications. The first and most important consideration in every application is academic strength. Hannah and Mark share how admissions officers evaluate an applicant’s baseline academic preparation and how applicants stand out as prospective Yale College students. The admissions officers discuss how each part of the application can help demonstrate that an applicant is a strong, compelling, and well-prepared future college student.

August 17, 202621 min

Application Update 2026-2027

At the start of a new application cycle, Hannah and Mark share the annual updates to Yale’s first-year application. Admissions Officer Dara joins to discuss a change in standardized testing policy, the addition of a new “short take” question, and the elimination of a “Why Yale” question. This episode complements previous annual application update episodes and “Essays: The Little Stuff.”

April 28, 202649 min

Bulldog Days Live 2026

For their fourth annual Bulldog Days Live episode, Hannah and Mark ask four recently admitted students visiting campus to reflect on the factors and forces that affected their college application journey – including things they chose to do and things that were completely out of their control. Admissions officer Brynne dazzles the audience with her encyclopedic knowledge of what her admitted students shared in their applications. Hannah and Mark share many more insights from admitted students who considered how they were successful in their college application process.

March 2, 202634 min

International Admissions

Hannah and Mark discuss the exciting work of the admissions office’s “I-Team” with colleague and director of international admissions, John. The officers review the process of applying to Yale as an international student and share how officers evaluate applications from every corner of the globe with a holistic understanding of students’ diverse contexts. Hannah and John share their favorite experiences from traveling internationally and provide advice for students interested in studying in the United States.

February 27, 202631 min

Mailbag 3

Hannah and Mark respond to the latest questions sent in by podcast listeners. Admissions officer Amelia joins to discuss summer programs, high school course rigor, Yale’s new fly-in program, and planning for the college admissions process early in high school.

September 16, 202549 min

Interview with Jimmy Hatch ’24, The Ivy League Insurgent

Hannah and Mark interview Jimmy Hatch, a recent Yale graduate and 26-year US military veteran who is the host of the new podcast, The Ivy League Insurgent . As a former Navy SEAL, Purple Heart recipient, and nonprofit founder, Jimmy became Yale’s oldest freshman at the age of 52. In their interview, Jimmy reflects on his remarkable story, the importance of connecting with those who are different, and how the humanities have shaped his understanding of what it means to be a “better human.”

August 18, 202536 min

Selecting High School Courses

A prospective student’s high school transcript is the most important individual component of an application. Hannah and Mark discuss what admissions officers look for when reviewing transcripts and how transcripts demonstrate an applicant’s academic preparedness and academic resourcefulness. They share advice on building a high school course schedule and how to navigate the challenges that inevitably arise when students are unable to enroll in their preferred courses. The hosts share answers to some of the most frequently asked questions and give their advice on how to keep a healthy perspective on often-fraught topics such as mathematics placement and maximizing advanced courses.

July 31, 202524 min

Application Update 2025-2026

At the start of the new admissions cycle, Kenan joins Hannah and Mark for the fourth annual application update episode, highlighting changes to Yale’s first-year application. The admissions officers discuss a revised Yale-specific question and changes to two parts of the Common Application that invite applicants to share additional information. This episode is an update to episodes titled “Essays: The Little Stuff” and “Application Update 2024-2025.”

April 25, 202548 min

Bulldog Days Live 2025

For their third annual Bulldog Days Live episode, Hannah and Mark interview three recently admitted students about how they chose to spend their time in high school. The students share their insights on balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, social life, work, family, and everything else on their path to applying to college. Admissions officers Skylar and John discuss how the admissions office produces an action-packed three-day campus preview program, including two world-class performance showcases. Hannah and Mark also share dozens of pearls of wisdom submitted by audience members about prioritizing commitments and finding balance.