FAQs
Do you sponsor visas for international Fellows?
Yes; we sponsor J-1 visas. If applicable, Fellows eligible for F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) may instead use this status.
What are the opportunities for taking classes?
We encourage our Fellows to either audit or take for credit one course per semester. You may audit any course at Yale for free, with permission of the instructor. Courses taken for credit cost approximately $3,000 each in Academic Year 2023-24, and this potential expense is accounted for in setting salary for our Fellows.
What are the placement outcomes for Fellows in your program?
Fellows who decide to apply to Ph.D. programs typically matriculate to top economics and business programs at schools such as Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Northwestern, London School of Economics, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, University of Wisconsin, and Yale. Some Fellows decide to pursue alternate career or educational paths such as attending law school or working for a private, public, non-profit, or non-governmental organization. Check out our alumni page for more detail!
What is New Haven like as a place to live?
We are biased, but we think New Haven is awesome. The cost of living is affordable, and there are many places to eat, drink, shop, and experience arts and culture. Yale is located in the geographic center of New Haven, and contributes to the city’s character and culture. Should you want more, it is also very easy to get to nearby cities such as New York (2 hours) or Boston (3 hours) by car or train. The New York Times recently named New Haven as one of its "52 Places to Go in 2023."
What should I include in my cover letter?
Describe your interest in the program and specific faculty projects; the date you are available to start work; whether you prefer to work for one or two years; your familiarity with programing languages (Stata, R, Python, Matlab, etc); your prior experience as a research assistant and with independent research (e.g., a senior thesis); the names, email addresses, and phone numbers for 2-3 references; any other relevant information.
What should I include in my diversity statement?
Provide a short statement (up to 250 words) describing how your personal background and prior academic, professional, or research experience could contribute to diversity and inclusion in our program and to the field of economics.
What should I include in my resume/CV?
Include all relevant education, research experience, work experience, and skills. The Yale Office of Career Strategy provides generalized guidance here.
What kind of writing sample should I submit?
A paper that displays your writing and analytic skills and capacity to execute research. A senior thesis, Master’s thesis, or a term paper are all fine choices. Any length is acceptable.
What kind of coding sample(s) should I submit?
A set of R, Stata, Python, or other code you have written, such as for an empirical project or a class. You may submit more than one sample, especially if applying to multiple positions with different language preferences. A link to your GitHub repository (or equivalent) is also acceptable.