Yale Law School is committed to equal opportunity and accessibility to all candidates who show great academic and personal promise irrespective of citizenship status. Yale Law School evaluates applications without regard to a student’s citizenship or immigration status, and all students are eligible for the Law School’s need-based financial aid. These policies include undocumented students living in the U.S., whether they hold DACA status or not.
While we strongly prefer that you apply in the year in which you plan to attend, we recognize that some of our admitted students receive other exciting opportunities. To that end, Yale Law School grants a limited number of one-year deferrals. In exceptional cases, such as 2-year fellowships or foreign academic scholarships, we may grant a two-year deferral.
More information about deferrals is included in the materials sent to admitted students. Transfer applicants and applicants admitted from the waitlist are not eligible for deferrals.
If you receive an offer of admission or a scholarship offer from another law school before hearing from Yale Law School, please be aware that LSAC's Statement of Good Admission and Financial Aid Practices provides member law schools with best practices for law school admission and financial aid programs.
First, law schools should allow applicants sufficient opportunity to consider other offers before requesting a commitment of any kind.
Second, each school should allow applicants to freely accept a new offer from another law school even though a scholarship has been accepted, a deposit has been paid, or a commitment has been made to their school. Thus, law schools should never ask you to withdraw your application to Yale Law School before YLS has made a decision on your application.
In addition, please note that Yale Law School will consider applications from individuals who have accepted admission through deferred admissions programs for college sophomores and juniors.