Yale requires letters of recommendation for home-schooled applicants, including two from academic teachers and one from the ‘school counselor.’ Please do not present letters written only by your parents. The Committee requests objective evaluations from educators who have interacted with you - perhaps a teacher from a course you took at a local college, someone who has mentored you in a tutorial, the local librarian with whom you’ve discussed books over the years, someone in whose lab you have done research, etc.

The Committee will look closely at the list of subjects in a student’s high school program, but Yale does not specify the number of years an applicant must spend on any particular subject. Admissions officers look for strength in all the major disciplines across the high school curriculum. Many home-schooled students pursue some coursework at a local college or high school; these grades and recommendations can be strong additions to an application.

The Committee looks for evidence of social maturity from all applicants and especially from home-schooled students. An applicant’s personal statement, interests and activities, and letters of recommendation should speak to the student’s ability to integrate well with other students and communicate academic and non-academic interests.