DILS Application Process

Deadlines

• The deadline for applications for Fall Semester programs is March 1st at 1:00pm.
• The deadline for applications for Spring Semester programs is October 1st at 1:00pm.

You must submit an online application form during the semester preceding the one in which you plan to study. A selection committee will evaluate all applications, assessing each applicant’s goals and qualifications (including applications from current students who are replying).

Note: If you are a current DILS student wishing to continue with the language that you are currently studying (or have recently studied in DILS), you must reapply at the start of each semester in order to be considered for acceptance for the next semester. When reapplying, be sure to select “Yes” when asked if you are a continuing student on the online application form.

Eligibility

Please review the following eligibility considerations:

• You must be a currently-enrolled undergraduate, graduate, or professional school student in good academic standing, and not studying abroad during the semester of your DILS study.
• You must be applying for a language that is not formally offered for credit at Yale ( Visit the courses directory to view them. ). 
• You must be highly motivated, self-disciplined, self-directed, and fully committed to the program. 
• You must be able to demonstrate serious reasons why you wish to study the language for which you are applying, focusing on your academic and professional goals.
• Recognizing the time commitment required for language study, you should be careful not to undertake DILS in an otherwise heavily loaded semester.

Acceptance

You will be notified of the review committee’s decision usually within six to eight weeks of the application deadline. If you are accepted, DILS program staff will then begin searching for a native-speaker of the language to serve as your language partner. Since a work-eligible language partner cannot always be found, acceptance is not a guarantee that the program will run. 

Expectations

As a student in the program, you will be expected to:

• attend all of your scheduled sessions (two 1-hour sessions per week for 12 weeks) and to notify your language partner ahead of time if you are sick or are leaving town for one of Yale’s scheduled academic breaks; 
• identify, with the help of your language partner and CLS staff, the language study materials that you will be using (students are responsible for purchasing their own study materials);
• take responsibility for your own learning through goal setting and session planning with your language partner; and
• engage in daily self-study, introducing yourself to new material using a text or other learning resources.

More Information

For further information about the DILS program, please contact dils@yale.edu.