The Yale Young African Scholars Program is a selective program for high achieving African students entering their penultimate (second to last) year of secondary school (see further eligibility details here). Successful applicants will demonstrate high academic achievement, leadership potential, and strong interests in the program content, in addition to pursuing an undergraduate degree in the United States. Applicants should also be able and willing to work openly and effectively with peers. All applications will be reviewed holistically, and there are no minimum grade or standardized exam score requirements. However, a high level of English proficiency will be expected.
Required application components include:
- Completed application form – The application can be found online and must be filled out by the applicant.
- One teacher recommendation letter – The recommendation letter must be written and submitted by a teacher through a link that will be provided via email. Alternatively, the teacher may email the letter to [email protected] and we will upload it to the student’s application. Applicants should ask a teacher at their school who knows them well and has taught them in an academic subject to write the recommendation letter.
- Applicant’s official transcript – The student may upload their own transcript (or for Zimbabwe, their O-level exam results) to their application. A student transcript is an official document provided by the school and includes the applicant’s list of courses and grades received.
We would like to thank all teachers, in advance, for taking the time to write the recommendation letter for your student(s). We place great importance on the teacher’s recommendation letters, as we understand the important insight teachers have into the aspirations of their students. To ensure sincerity, we ask that you please refrain from sharing your letters with the students.
