Yale Young Global Scholars – Politics, Law & Economics (PLE)

Overview and Key Takeaways

Politics, Law, & Economics (PLE) is a session aimed at students with an interest in understanding diverse economic theories, the values and practices of government, and legal frameworks in historical and comparative perspectives. (https://globalscholars.yale.edu/politics-law-economics)

Yale Excellence & Global Reach

  • Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) is an academic enrichment program for outstanding high school students from around the world. Each summer, students from over 150 countries (including all 50 U.S. states) participate
  • Students were selected from a record-breaking pool of over 10,000 high school sophomores and juniors who submitted applications in 2024
  • 1,800 students residing at Yale’s campus this summer. This includes 150 students attending each of our twelve sessions, and a 12:1 student-to-instructor ratio

Third-Party Validation & Prestige

  • The Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) program is quite selective, with the acceptance rate varying each year depending on the applicant pool, but it has been reported to be around 15-25% in past years
  • Due to the marked selectivity and reputation of YYGS, this is one of the few programs that makes a significant impact on college applications
  • Of all the students he stayed in touch with from the program about 30% ultimately got into Yale according to parent testimonial

Academic Structure & Components

  • Seminars are interdisciplinary standalone classes (typically 10-15 students each) that are designed and taught by undergraduate and graduate student instructional staff
  • Yale faculty lectures on topics like international law, market regulation, constitutional frameworks
  • Over the course of the two-week program, students will also work in Capstone project groups (4-5 students each) to identify problems in a specific topic, conduct rigorous background research
  • Weekly symposiums and breakout discussions to explore policy implications

Program Statistics (The Below May Change)

  • In 2024, more than 10,000 students applied, and only around 1,800 got in. That’s roughly an 18% acceptance rate
  • In 2024, of all admitted students who applied for financial aid, we met 99% of their requests in full, and YYGS distributed over $3 Million USD in need-based financial aid
  • Three sessions offered each summer (June/July) with identical content
  • Electronic certificate of completion provided (no college credit)

Administrative Details (The Below May Change)

  • Age: Be at least 16 years old by July 21 of program year
  • Duration: 2 weeks (residential)
  • Locations/Modality: On-campus at Yale University, New Haven, CT
  • Cost: $6,500 (all-inclusive except travel)
  • Acceptance Rate: 15-20% (varies by year)
  • Refund Policy: Non-refundable after enrollment confirmation

Zenith Experience (Ratings)

Overall: 4.5/5 – Elite global experience with strong college impact

  • College Application Value: 5/5

    • Sub-20% acceptance creates meaningful differentiation; Yale brand exceptional

  • Program Prestige & Recognition: 5/5

    • Top-tier recognition alongside RSI/TASP; one of few programs that moves the needle

  • Faculty/Instructor Quality: 4/5

    • Yale faculty lectures excellent, though seminars taught by grad students

  • Accessibility: 4.5/5

    • 99% of financial aid requests met; truly need-blind for international students

  • Administrative Experience: 4.5/5

    • Professional organization, clear communication, seamless logistics

  • Value for Investment: 4/5

    • High cost but exceptional financial aid; no college credit limits value

Which Families Is This Program For?

This program represents the gold standard for students interested in interdisciplinary social sciences with a global perspective. Unlike single-subject programs, PLE weaves together economics, law, and political science in ways that mirror real-world policy challenges. The truly international cohort—with students from 150+ countries—creates discussions impossible to replicate elsewhere.

The financial aid commitment is unmatched among elite programs. YYGS distributed over $3 Million USD in need-based financial aid equally to domestic and international students, making this accessible to talented students regardless of economic background. This need-blind approach for international students is virtually unique among top-tier programs.

However, families should understand this is enrichment, not acceleration. You won’t earn college credit or produce individual research. The value lies in the Yale brand, the global network, and the intellectual experience. For students genuinely interested in Yale, anecdotal evidence suggests participants have significantly higher admission rates, though causation versus correlation remains unclear.

+ Recommended for: Students passionate about global issues who thrive in discussion-based learning. Perfect for those considering international relations, law, economics, or public policy careers. Ideal for students needing financial aid—this is the most generous elite program. Best for those who value diversity and want truly global perspectives.

× Not recommended for: Students seeking college credit or individual research projects—this is collaborative learning only. Not suitable for those wanting deep specialization in one field. Also not ideal if you prefer lecture-based learning or need highly structured curricula. Skip if domestic programs meet your needs at lower cost.

Pros & Cons

Alternatives to Consider

TASP (Telluride Association Summer Program)

  • Advantages: Completely free including travel, more selective (<5%), six weeks duration, seminar-style learning
  • Limitations: No specific law/economics focus, limited locations, much smaller cohort, less global diversity

Stanford Summer Humanities Institute

  • Advantages: Three weeks, Stanford prestige, more course options, West Coast location
  • Limitations: Less selective, humanities focus only, minimal financial aid, no global emphasis

Princeton Summer Journalism Program

  • Advantages: Completely free for eligible students, journalism skills applicable to law, Princeton prestige
  • Limitations: Limited to low-income students, journalism focus only, less interdisciplinary

LSE Summer School (London School of Economics)

  • Advantages: Actual college credit, longer duration, London location, specialized economics courses
  • Limitations: Much more expensive, less selective, primarily lecture-based, limited financial aid

Hear what other parents just like you think of us. Here are just a few of the thousands of parents we’ve worked with all across the United States and internationally!

Alex

Alex has been so happy with his relationship with Zenith that he’s looking forward to signing up his younger kids when they’re old enough.

Alex’s daughter was in the 7th grade when she began her college prep guidance with Zenith Prep Academy. Although Alex attended a Top 30 university in the US himself, he realized how challenging the admissions process had become, and was unsure of what classes, activities, and competitions would help his daughter best explore her passions and find her area of interest. He was looking for a highly customized strategy for his daughter to build the right extracurricular profile so she’d be able to stand out from the tens of thousands of other students with similar academics. Alex has been so happy with his relationship with Zenith that he’s looking forward to signing up his younger kids when they’re old enough.

Lana

Lana’s son joined our program in the 7th grade.

Lana had quickly realized her son’s school wasn’t challenging or engaging enough for him. He was a very bright, driven, and articulate student who had specific fields that he was interested in. He and Lana wanted to know how he could further his interests in these fields through more advanced classes and different competitions, projects, activities,
and more.

Robert

Robert’s son joined our program during his 10th grade.

Although Robert attended high school and college in the US, given that his son went to a hyper–competitive high school (ranked top 100 in the United States), he wanted a highly customized strategy and plan for their son to further his academic interests and build the right extracurricular profile to stand out from his peers in their high school and in the college applications.

Rajesh

Rajesh’s son joined our college consulting program in 8th grade.

Given that his son was doing well academically, Rajesh wanted guidance on resources, programs, and classes that could provide his son with exposure to different fields and majors – in turn helping him identify his interests and turn his passions into activities, helping him attract the attention of his choice universities.

Manisha

Manisha’s daughter gained acceptance into her dream university.

Manisha’s daughter was an 11th grader when they started working with our college counseling team. A first–generation parent, she turned to Zenith to guide her daughter toward how to best use the one year they had left before college applications, highlighting her daughter’s strengths and interests to ultimately help her shine on college applications. With Zenith’s help, Manisha’s daughter gained acceptance into her dream university.

Victoria

Victoria’s daughter joined our college counseling program in the 9th grade.

Victoria's daughter was a 9th grader who, apart from her involvement in sports, hadn't engaged in any academic or extracurricular activities. Although Victoria went to a top 15 university herself, she realized how much college admissions had changed over the years and turned to us for guidance and our expertise in helping her daughter discover her true passions, nurture her interests, and develop a competitive profile for the top universities she was looking to attend.