The application for the 2018 Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS) Program is now available! Entering its fifth year, this intensive program brings together African secondary school students between the ages of 14–18 for a cost-free, intensive academic and residential program. Next year YYAS will be held in two locations, Rwanda and Ghana, and take place between late July and end of August.
YYAS is the flagship program of the Yale Africa Initiative and is designed to introduce secondary school students to the demanding university and financial aid application processes and requirements, as well as to make higher education more accessible to Africa’s most talented student leaders. This past July and August, YYAS brought together 300 secondary school students from 216 schools and 33 African nations.
Administered by the Yale Young Global Scholars Program and building off that model of interdisciplinary academic exploration, YYAS participants will attend lectures led by prominent Yale faculty as well as seminars developed and taught by Yale graduate and undergraduate students. Participants will also engage in several experiential activities focusing on leadership and teambuilding and have a chance to interact directly with admissions officers from North American, African, and European universities.
YYAS offers daily workshops on different components of a university application, such as the ins-and-outs of the Common Application and how to craft a personal essay. By the end of the program, students will have a plan and timeline for submitting their applications, as well as abundant resources for further research and mentorship. In addition, students will receive both individual and group lessons for standardized tests, designed specifically for African test-takers new to exams like the SAT.
YYAS 2018 Application and Eligibility Requirements
Prospective applicants must be current secondary school students in Africa who will have to complete at least one full academic term after August 2018. In addition, applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of an African country. Selected participants will be self-starters who have an interest in pursuing post-secondary level education, are in excellent academic standing, and demonstrate leadership potential.
To make the program accessible to students of all financial backgrounds, there is no cost for students to participate in YYAS. In addition, YYAS offers a limited number of travel grants for admitted students from low-income backgrounds and who demonstrate the need for financial assistance to offset the costs of airfare between African countries.
To apply, students must submit the online application form including one essay, three short-answer responses, an official school transcript or grade report, and one teacher recommendation letter. The application portal is now live. The deadline to submit is February 06, 2018 at 11:59pm EST.
YYAS is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Higherlife Foundation as well as by contributions from The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale.
For more information, please email african.scholars@yale.edu or visit YYAS online. You can follow YYAS on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on all program news and announcements.