The Yale Young Global Scholars Program

By Aria Falcone, JIF ‘17

Participants in the YYGS program, summer 2017

As summer program application deadlines begin to approach, the task of choosing where to apply may seem daunting. Not to fear, Aria is here! In this post, I will share with you my experience at the Yale Young Global Scholars Program, which I attended during the summer of 2017, and I will also give you tips for the application process.

June 19th, 2017, I woke up very early in the morning to catch my flight from Detroit, MI to Hartford, CT, where I would then take a shuttle to a place that is known for its academic excellence, rigor, and prestige. I had never flown by myself before, and I was incredibly nervous. As I boarded the plane, I was so terrified that we would crash. Eventually, those fears gave way to more realistic ones. What if the coursework was too rigorous for me? What if I failed? What if I made a fool out of myself? What if everyone was smarter than me? As soon as the plane landed in Connecticut, my fear was replaced by excitement. I called my mom while I was waiting for the shuttle, and we made plans to FaceTime later that night. When I set foot on campus, my fears melted away.

The beautiful architecture of Yale made me feel like I was in a palace. In a suite with five girls, I had my own room! I got to know my suitemates, and I was very excited for what was to come.

I participated in the Sustainable Development and Social Entrepreneurship (SDSE) session. The first day of classes came, and I fell in love. The first course of the day would be a lecture with all of the SDSE participants. Then, we would split off into small groups to discuss the lecture for our Discussion Sections. After that would be lunch, and then our Seminars. Seminars had about 12-15 participants, and prior to the start of the session, we chose our seminars. Both the seminars and lectures had required reading beforehand. Each day would be a different seminar and a different lecturer. We would usually have a break for about an hour. Then, we would meet with our Capstone Groups, where in groups of about 4 we developed a research project. We would have dinner, then another Capstone meeting, which would finish around 8pm, and then we would be free to do what we wanted at night.

Aria (right) on Yale's campus

Every single day, I fell deeper in love with the Yale campus, and with all that Yale taught. The lectures were given by Yale professors, and the seminars were taught by Yale students. I was so thankful to Joyce Ivy for giving me this wonderful opportunity. However, I was surrounded by so many intelligent people my age that I kept returning to my initial fears. I felt like I wasn’t smart enough to be there, and that everyone was more intelligent than me. I realized, though, that intelligence didn’t matter. What mattered was that I have a passion for learning and a drive to make the world a better place.

I had my on-campus admissions interview during my time at Yale. I was so nervous for that day to come, but when it finally did, it was filled with excitement instead of nerves. The interview was like a conversation, and I simply shared about my life, who I am, and what I want to do in the world. I felt confident coming out of it, and very much relieved.

YYGS was one of the best experiences I have ever had in my entire life. Yale felt like home to me, and I dreaded leaving. I made friends from across the world, and I discovered so much about myself and my interests. Everyone was so welcoming, and a newfound confidence came over me about the college application process.

So, you might be wondering, “how do I apply”?

The Yale Young Global Scholars Program offers six different sessions with different topics. Each session is two weeks long. Two sessions occur simultaneously. The application deadline is February 6, 2018. The application process is very similar to the college application process, so I would start preparing these things ASAP.

Here are the requirements:

-       Two letters of recommendation (ask your recommenders soon because it takes a while to write a letter of recommendation!)

-       One 500 word essay (prompt given)

-       Two 200 word essays (prompts given)

-       Official school transcripts

-       Resume or activities list (if you aren’t familiar with these, you can Google them and find templates)

-       $60 application fee (but I think there are fee waivers available)

-       If you have standardized test scores, you can submit those as well

           

Since there are quite a few application requirements and not much time until the deadline, start now! Ask your recommenders very soon so that they have enough time to submit what they need.

The Yale Young Global Scholars Program is truly amazing. I felt so at home at Yale, that I decided to apply there for college, and I was accepted. I look forward to returning to Yale and living there for the next four years! However, if you do attend the program, try not to focus on the fears and insecurities I experienced, because those were a waste of energy. Just enjoy your time, and learn all that you can!

For additional information, please visit: https://globalscholars.yale.edu/apply-now