YYGS Solving Global Challenges (SGC)

About the Program

Solving Global Challenges (SGC) is designed to equip students with innovative and cross-disciplinary strategies to address the most pressing global issues of the 21st century. Guided by the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the program covers a broad range of critical topics, including global health, gender equality, poverty alleviation, and environmental sustainability. SGC provides students with the tools to translate technical knowledge into effective solutions. By integrating diverse academic disciplines—from STEM and social sciences to the humanities and arts—students develop and refine their skills in critical analysis, problem-solving, and creativity as they work towards sustainable solutions to the complex issues that will shape our future.

Verified November 4, 2026 against Yale’s 2027 session schedule, application deadlines, tuition and aid, eligibility, and required components. Each of the three listed dates is an alternative two-week session. Early Action was October 15, 2026; Regular Decision is January 6, 2027. Offer acceptance and tuition payment are due December 16, 2026 for Early Action and March 15, 2027 for Regular Decision; all four cutoffs are 11:59 p.m. US Eastern Time. Financial aid must be requested within the application, and scholarship consideration requires the completed application and aid section by January 6, 2027.

Eligibility

Applicants must be able to participate in a rigorous academic curriculum conducted in English and be a first-time participant in YYGS. Applications are reviewed holistically, with essays and short answer responses being important parts of the application. Required components include an activities list, essays and short answers, official school transcript, and one recommender. English fluency test scores are optional. Need-based financial aid is available and requires completing the financial aid section of the application. Be between the ages of 16-18 years old by July 18, 2027 (first day of Session III). No exceptions can be made. Be a current high school sophomore or junior (or international equivalent), graduating in May/June 2028 or 2029 in the Northern Hemisphere, or November/December 2027 or 2028 in the Southern Hemisphere.

Eligible Countries

How to Apply

Review the 2027 eligibility criteria and sample application, then complete the online application with an activities list, one 400-word essay, one 200-word response, two fast takes of 280 characters each, school transcripts covering courses and grades from age 14 to the present, and one recommender who completes the online YYGS Recommendation Form. Written recommendation letters are not accepted. English fluency test scores are optional. Request need-based aid within the application; there is no later opportunity after admission decisions. After submitting, pay the non-refundable application fee ($85 Early Action or $100 Regular Decision) through the Applicant Status Portal, or request a need-based fee waiver that a school official must complete. An approved waiver reduces the fee to $0; if denied, the fee must be paid before review. Check for the confirmation receipt.