Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS) is an intensive academic and enrichment program designed for African secondary school students planning to pursue tertiary education and who wish to make meaningful impact as young leaders on the continent.
Participants will enhance their academic skills, receive guidance on university admissions and career path options, and join a network of young leaders from across Africa.
Summer 2025 Offerings:
In 2025, YYAS will offer two programs…
Online College Prep Workshop (17 – 22 July 2025)
Residential Leadership Summit in Kenya (9 – 17 August 2025_
There are no tuition costs for participation in either program. Students can only be admitted to ONE of the programs (not both).
This year the residential summit will take place on a host campus in Nairobi, Kenya. There are a limited number of need-based Travel Grants available for students who are offered admission and live outside of Kenya. All applicants will automatically be reviewed for Travel Grant eligibility based on their application. All students who do not receive/qualify for a Travel Grant must be able coordinate and pay/fundraise for their travel to and from Kenya.
Eligibility:
In order to apply to YYAS, applicants MUST fulfill all of the following requirements:
Age: You must be between the ages of 14-18 years old on the program dates in 2025 in order to be considered (i.e. born between 18 August 2006 and 17 July 2011). Please note that a typical YYAS student is between the ages of 16-17.
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.
Grade Level: You must be a current 10th or 11th grade student (or the international equivalents).
Graduation date: If you attend school in the Northern Hemisphere, you must be graduating secondary school by earliest May/June 2026 and no later than May/June 2027. If you attend school in the Southern Hemisphere, you must be graduating secondary school by earliest November/December 2025 and no later than November/December 2026.
Application Process
All students must submit the following application components:
Completed application form – The application can be found online and must be filled out by the applicant. Students will be asked to complete one 500-word essay and two short responses, and must provide information on their extracurricular activities and the school that they currently attend.
Official transcript or grade report(s) – A student transcript is an official document provided by the school and includes the applicant’s list of courses and grades received.
One teacher recommendation – The recommendation must be filled out via the Online Recommendation Form that will be sent to a teacher’s email after the student provides their contact details.
