Inside the Yale Admissions Office

by Inside the Yale Admissions Office
183

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.

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Recent Episodes
  • What Yale Looks For: Special Mythbusters Edition
    Feb 13, 2025 – 29:53
  • College Search 101: What’s Important to You
    Feb 12, 2025 – 20:22
  • Mythbusters Live: 2024 Application Deadline Edition
    Oct 24, 2024 – 53:29
  • College Search 101: How to Ask Questions
    Aug 15, 2024 – 29:39
  • Application Update 2024-2025
    Aug 12, 2024 – 34:55
  • Bulldog Days Live 2024
    Apr 25, 2024 – 53:20
  • Bonus Episode: Standardized Tests and the Baseball Analogy
    Feb 22, 2024 – 13:25
  • Standardized Tests: How We Got Here
    Feb 22, 2024 – 38:41
  • Standardized Tests: The Details
    Feb 22, 2024 – 26:06
  • Standardized Tests: The Big Picture
    Feb 22, 2024 – 25:03
  • Mythbusters Live – EA Deadline Edition
    Nov 1, 2023 – 51:47
  • What’s the Deal With That Supreme Court Case?
    Oct 18, 2023 – 26:15
  • Mythbusters Live
    Sep 25, 2023 – 51:23
  • AI and College Essays: Wrong Question, Wrong Answer
    Aug 29, 2023 – 22:43
  • Application Update 2023-2024
    Aug 14, 2023 – 24:50
  • Bulldog Days Live!
    Apr 27, 2023 – 47:27
  • Yield Season
    Apr 11, 2023 – 14:28
  • Reading Reloaded
    Feb 3, 2023 – 27:44
  • Mailbag 2
    Nov 9, 2022 – 18:13
  • Early Admissions
    Oct 17, 2022 – 24:12
  • 2022-2023 Application Update
    Aug 3, 2022 – 25:50
  • Should I Even Apply?
    Aug 3, 2022 – 24:32
  • Final Review
    Apr 29, 2022 – 24:59
  • Lingo Bingo!
    Mar 10, 2022 – 27:34
  • Episode 23: Junior Year Questions & Answers
    Jan 18, 2022 – 22:15
  • Financial Aid 101
    Dec 16, 2021 – 25:04
  • Mailbag
    Dec 15, 2021 – 20:41
  • Senior Year Questions & Answers
    Sep 29, 2021 –
  • The Activities Section
    Jul 8, 2021 – 25:40
  • Mythbusters 2
    Jul 8, 2021 – 19:08
  • The Choices Game
    May 26, 2021 – 24:36
  • Transfer and Non-Traditional Students
    May 19, 2021 – 25:23
  • Dealing with Decisions
    Apr 2, 2021 – 20:42
  • Likely Letters
    Mar 31, 2021 – 12:09
  • What Stands Out
    Mar 2, 2021 – 25:33
  • COVID-19 Update
    Jan 4, 2021 – 24:55
  • Mythbusters
    Dec 16, 2020 – 28:57
  • Supplementary Materials
    Oct 13, 2020 – 26:48
  • Recommendation Letters
    Oct 13, 2020 – 19:18
  • Interviews
    Oct 2, 2020 – 28:24
  • QuestBridge
    Sep 16, 2020 – 26:45
  • Essays: The Little Stuff
    Jul 31, 2020 – 27:24
  • Essays: What Doesn’t Work
    Jul 10, 2020 – 23:52
  • Essays: What Works
    Jun 15, 2020 – 27:05
  • COVID-19
    May 21, 2020 – 21:30
  • Committee
    May 21, 2020 – 23:07
  • Reading
    May 7, 2020 – 22:28
Recent Reviews
  • Rhbber duck
    As entertaining as it is helpful
    Come for the college admissions tips, stay for Mark and Hannah’s wildly entertaining and hilarious personalities.
  • LBD634444
    Extremely helpful
    Great podcast for students and parents, whether applying to Yale or not.
  • NickName123!?$7
    Incredibly helpful with a few flaws
    I absolutely adored this insider look, very entertaining and informative. Only had a few complaints: the stuff about ratings feels very secretive, they say they don’t have them but they also do and refuse to get specific about it. Also I wish they would discuss how Yale differs from other universities a little bit more. This is obviously very Yale centric but they may lead some people astray by saying things that only apply to Yale
  • Rgopalani
    Mostly unhelpful
    These folks are very articulate and the audio is good but the content is drivel. Getting into schools such as these truly is a crapshoot if you’re not a recruited athlete, moneyed legacy, or target demographic. In fact, the tone of this podcast probably gives people false hope. There are far better (and more practical) admissions podcasts out there.
  • Schennkin
    Yale is so approachable!
    It’s really nice to see how the Yale admissions process tries to make their process more transparent and approachable. Applying to college is incredibly stressful partly because so many schools tell you nothing about what they’re looking for or doing behind the scenes. Hannah and Mark make this process feel personal and respectful. Thank you for this!!
  • Sadie685555
    The best advice and information in the entire college process
    Yes, this podcast has its flaws, but I’m giving this 5 stars because it is so, so helpful and honest compared to every thing else in the admissions process. Thank you for actually talking about what makes an applicant stand out and what makes an essay stand out, and for combatting the false information people spew online to make money off of teenage anxiety. This podcast is so informative and calming for high schoolers, and I really hope you continue and find ways to reach more people.
  • Hfhshg
    The for real insider lens
    We can’t afford expensive admissions counselor so this podcast has been so helpful. I help mentor underserved students so what you share helps so many others. The 1/28/22 episode…LOL, Mark. I smashed that subscribe button and here’s my review!!
  • colinlord
    Must Listen For HS Juniors and Seniors
    I wish this podcast had been around when I was applying to colleges. There’s a ton of wonderful insight here even if you aren’t applying to Yale or another Ivy League school.
  • smokejumper2014
    Probably not worth your time
    There are some interesting discussions, but it’s highly polished and mostly surface level stuff. Yale is not going to reveal how they actually make the sausage.
  • elpcreek326566swdw
    background music is…too much
    The background music is really out of place and unnecessary. It has a bad quality and cheap feel, with no production value added. It takes listeners’ attention away from the interesting content. So one star off, otherwise a five star podcast.
  • Danannananannana
    Not helpful
    The admissions officers honestly just sound condescending and this podcast is no help to college admissions.
  • bananabreadbaker
    Kudos to you !!
    All around excellent balance of content and tone, hosts (love Hannah’s laugh) producing , And last but certainly not least , Andrew Brick Johnson’s music .
  • NicknamebecauseIcan'thinkofone
    10/10 Obviously Just Applies to Yale
    Great podcast for those looking to get an inside view on the Yale admissions process, don’t listen if you think these episodes will apply to all application essays.
  • Mommy7520
    I’d have given one more star but
    ...it’s my pet peeve when people pronounce the t in often. This podcast had great information but I felt they were very full of themselves and kind of annoying.
  • Abby2107
    Thanks, y’all.
    Never thought that a college admissions podcast would be interesting, but here I am...again. Appreciate the info.
  • MyNameIsInFactJesse
    Egos on parade
    This podcast is about the grandeur and exaltation of Yale and only Yale. Its lessons and conclusions are applicable only to Yale. The stereotypes of Ivy League ego are on the fullest display. After suffering through three episodes, I want nothing more than to spare you this slog through perky people wallowing in their own self-images of exclusive excellence.
  • Jdub#
    I like it
    I enjoy this podcast. The participants come across as really nice and it could help applicants feel less intimidated and more informed.
  • Love this apppp!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Thank you
    THANK YOU to these kind admissions officers for opening up what before was a mysterious world with humor and kindness. (Who ever thought a podcast on admissions could make you laugh?) Any student applying anywhere should listen to this, not only for technical advice on completing the application but also for worldly advice on searching yourself to decide what matters in a university and in life. Admissions officers everywhere also should thank them as the reason for fewer essays this year that just don’t work. The podcast on Questbridge is invaluable; I will share it with those students unfamiliar with but eligible for the awesome program; this podcast describes in such an easy-to-understand way. Oh, and keep up the Boggle references!
  • MichaelSteiner2020
    Helpful
    This podcast gives great advice for students in the college admissions process. It is worth listening to, if you are aiming at the best universities.
  • ophiesay
    Actually interesting and insightful
    But not in the way you would expect for an “admissions” podcast. First this podcast is really well-produced - it sounds like Radiolab, WNYC podcast with the audio lead ins, good audio, calm NPR-ish voices, music and guests. I also love how they weave in random (but interesting) facts (eg gymnastics scoring). The admissions directors are unexpectedly chill. Lol
  • Dexter Fowler
    Sound Quality
    You may wish to turn down the background music. At times it’s hard to hear the person speaking
  • Warb19azh
    Full of half-truths and spin
    A rose-colored perspective is peddled heavily from the start. In one episode the hosts declare applications aren’t “scored” yet a quick online search reveals articles of admitted students reviewing their Yale admission records (ferpa laws), and guess what? The student files are PACKED with numerical rankings. Spoiler: you better pray you’re a 6/9 or higher! This podcast teeters on fake news. It is strategically edited at juust the moment something insightful—and dare I say unflattering about the admissions process—is revealed. Too much pixie dust and half-truths to deem reliable. Hard pass.
  • Jen_Listens
    Cringe
    The creepy background music played over people speaking makes this podcast unlistenable. Skip it.
  • hongcaitlin
    Really Clarifying
    As a prospective student for this upcoming school year, this podcast has been really reassuring. It’s definitely relieving to hear that the focus in judging applicants is still the same. I look forward to listening to future segments.
  • Adam Walker 0417
    AMAZING!
    So far, this series has been really helpful to admissions. I plan on applying to Yale in the future, and I think this will give me a head start. Giving me tips into their admissions office, and strategies when approaching the application. If you plan on applying, you should listen too!!
  • Ndjcbsbskfn
    Pretty neat
    Interesting look into the admissions process. Curious to see where the rest of the series goes
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