YYAS Announces 2021 Application Opening
Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS) is excited to announce that the 2021 application is now available online!
About YYAS Scholarship
YYAS is a high-intensity academic enrichment and leadership program that brings together outstanding secondary school students from across Africa. Students are exposed to the rigorous university admission and financial aid processes, attend college-style seminars led by Yale University students, and build a network of peers from across the continent. New this year, students will also participate in career guidance workshops in their field of interest: communications, technology, entrepreneurship, or public health.
Now in its eighth year of programming, YYAS has served more than 1,600 students and has brought together young leaders from more than 40 countries across Africa. To keep everyone safe during the global pandemic, the YYAS 2021 program will be held online from 25 July to 31 July. Admitted participants will access pre-recorded videos before the start of the program and attend live sessions with specially curated leadership and development content during the week-long event.
Eligibility Requirements
- You must be current secondary school students in Africa who have one term to one full academic year left to complete after August 2021. Students should be between 14 and 18 years old. In addition, applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of an African country.
- English: You must be able to participate in a rigorous academic curriculum conducted in English.
- Citizenship: You must be a citizen or permanent resident of an African country. YYAS will also accept applications from refugees living in an African country.
- School location: You must currently attend school in an African country.
- Graduation date: If you attend school in the Northern Hemisphere, you must be graduating secondary school by earliest May/June 2021. If you attend school in the Southern Hemisphere, you must be graduating secondary school by earliest November/December 2020. Students who will graduate secondary school before August 2020 are NOT eligible to apply.
Selection Criteria: A typical YYAS participant has:
- Excellent academic records
- Demonstrated leadership potential
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- A desire and ability to work cooperatively with peers
- Persistence and determination when facing challenges
- High standards of personal and professional conduct
- The ability to read, analyze, and reflect on large quantities of difficult material in English
- Interest in engaging in discussions about intellectual, moral, and political issues in Africa
Number of Awardees: Not specified
Value of Award:
- To make the program accessible to students of all financial backgrounds, there is no cost for students to participate in YYAS.
- YYAS is a proud member of the HALI Access Network and gives admissions preference to high-achieving, low-income (i.e. “HALI”) students who do not have university guidance in their schools or communities. To increase accessibility, there is no tuition cost for any student.
How to Apply
To apply, students must submit an online application that includes one essay and two short-answer prompts. Students must also upload an official school transcript or grade report as well as provide the contact information for one teacher who knows them well enough to fill out an online recommendation form.
Apply Now: https://africanscholars.yale.edu/admissions/how-apply
Application Deadline: 16 February 2021 at 11:59pm EST.
Visit Scholarship Webpage for details
Cost of Application:
- There is no cost to apply for, or participate in YYAS.
For more information, please email [email protected] or visit the scholarship website. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date on all program news and announcements.
