The Yale Young African Scholars Program (YYAS) is an intensive academic and enrichment program designed for African secondary school students planning to pursue tertiary education and who wish to make meaningful impact as young leaders on the continent.

Participants will enhance their academic skills, receive university admission and financial aid application guidance, and join a network of young leaders from across Africa. Following the eight-day program, students will be paired with mentors who will help advise them throughout the university application process. There are no tuition, meal, or lodging costs for students to participate in YYAS.

YYAS is an official program of Yale University. The Yale Young African Scholars Program is in proud partnership with the Higherlife Foundation and is a member of the HALI Access Network, with additional support from The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale.

Eligibility

• Age: Applicants must be at least 14 years old by application deadline (06 February 2019) in order to be considered. Please note that a typical YYAS student is between the ages of 15 and 18.
• English: Applicants must be able to participate in a rigorous academic curriculum conducted in English.
• Citizenship: Applicants must be a citizen or permanent resident of an African country. YYAS will also accept applications from refugees living in an African country.
• School location: Applicants must currently attend school in an African country.
• Graduation date: If applicants attend school in the Northern Hemisphere, they must be graduating secondary school by earliest May/June 2020. If they attend school in the Southern Hemisphere, they must be graduating secondary school by earliest November/December 2019. Students who will graduate secondary school before August 2019 are NOT eligible to apply.
• If applicants are currently in their final year or term of secondary school, have already graduated secondary school, or are a university student, then they are NOT eligible to apply

Application Requirements 

• Completed application form – The application can be found online and must be filled out by the applicant. Students will be asked to complete one 500-word essay and two short responses, and must provide information on their extracurricular activities and the school that they currently attend.
• Official transcript or grade report(s) – A student transcript is an official document provided by the school and includes the applicant’s list of courses and grades received. Students must upload their official transcript or grade report(s) for each year of secondary school. National exam scores, if available, should also be submitted but are not required. If a student has changed secondary schools at any point, they must include records both from their previous AND their current school. Please refrain from uploading certificates or transcripts from primary school.
• One (1) teacher recommendation – The recommendation must be written and submitted by a teacher who knows the student well. They may do so through a link that will be provided by the applicant on the online portal. Alternatively, the teacher may email a letter of recommendation in PDF (.pdf) format to [email protected] and Yale’s staff will upload it to the student’s application. Letters must be placed on institutional letterhead with signature. Recommendations from parents/guardians, siblings, relatives, family friends, and/or paid private tutors/counselors will NOT be accepted