How to Apply for the Yale Silver Scholars Program
Silver scholars bring their students directly to the program unlike Harvard and Stanford’s. There is a benefit that the Silver Scholars get; they can complete their internship by taking a year off and complete their MBA within three years instead of leaving their course and keeping it incomplete. Thus, Yale Silver Scholars have a three year program comprising of:
1: Core curriculum
2: Internship
3: Electives
Other than the three year time period that Yale Silver Scholars get to complete their MBA; the application, course outline as well as the degree they get on completion of MBA are same.
The Silver Scholar’s format of MBA replaces the requirement for work-experience before enrollment with the one-year internship and help freshers to proceed in their career at a faster pace than usual by making them capable of completing MBA within three years of passing from college. If a candidate is very much goal oriented and is very clear of what he wants from his future then the Silver Scholars program is a perfect fit for the student. If the candidate has some prior experience that demonstrate leadership qualities and managing skills then he must pursue this program. On the same note, if a student is focused on a specific goal as well as prefers to work while studying, they may opt for an executive MBA, which may also be suitable for working managers. In that regard, if you are interested in learning more about the difference between an MBA and an EMBA, you can read informational articles (similar to those found at Fortuna Admissions) online.
Who can get the chance?
They are very choosy when it comes to enrolling Silver Scholars. In 15 years they have celebrated only 100th Graduate and this very much gives an idea on how much selective they are.
From prior experiences we can say that Silver Scholars are chosen even more strictly than Yale MBA Scholars. Some of the traits they are looking for in the candidates are as follows:
– The candidates should be academically strong. The average marks of a Yale SOM student are 3.63 undergraduate GPA and 720 GMAT. The cut offs are same for the Yale Silver Scholars too. Thus we can say that the selection process is equally, if not more, tough.
– As Silver Scholars are taken as freshers they like to asses if the candidate has some leadership skills as it is one of the most important qualities of a manager.
– Work experience. Silver Scholars have relative advantage in this as they mostly look for the internships and part-time jobs that they might have done.
– Area of interests. Though all the students get employed in various type of works, they have a clear road map of their career and goals.
– Reasons to choose MBA. People don’t generally go for MBA programs right after college. So if you are planning to do so, you must have backed it up with a good reason. This basically sums up to having a clear understanding of what you want in your future. That’s what the admission committee is looking for in you.
– Both domestic and international students.
How to apply?
The application process is very similar to that of Yale MBA program; there is not much difference in it. As the Silver Scholars program is the road less taken and a unique opportunity there are some complications in the application.
Only the graduate senior students are eligible for applying in this program. Students from different countries who have similar rules with slight changes in program are also eligible.
The silver scholars have less work experience and thus, they are asked to provide academic as well as employer recommendation instead of two professional recommendations. If the candidate has no work experience then they can present a letter from volunteer organization in place of employer recommendation
Finally, the selected applicants, in the next round will be invited to do an interview with at least one member of the Silver Scholars Committee. The interviewer will want to know about your goals, interests and academic experiences.
Advantages of Applying to Yale Silver Scholars
Most of the advantages of Yale Silver Scholars are perceived when viewed from a different perception. The Yale Silver Scholars program gives the enrolled student a less work experience than that of students enrolled in Yale MBA programs. If the student has a clear road map of his career and the growth path then one can definitely go for this program.
The Silver Scholars program also provides personalized plans for the students to proceed in their career.
The Silver Scholars get a chance to mingle with two batches which can help them build more connections along with the already existing smaller Silver Scholars group.
