/general
General Member
Attend workshops, hackathons and speaker events, contribute to our blog, and build projects with other members.
100% acceptance · every skill level
Applications open · reviewed on a rolling basis
Come build with y/cs.
We are Yale's largest collective of software developers, product designers and computer science enthusiasts. Everyone who applies becomes a member.
- acceptance for general members
- 100%
- acceptance for general members
- student developers & designers
- 80+
- student developers & designers
- products live on campus
- 7
- products live on campus
- applications, open year-round
- Rolling
- applications, open year-round
01 — Ways to join
Three ways in. Pick your pace.
Start as a general member, then apply to a product team or Catalyst whenever you're ready. You can grow from one to the next.
/dev
Software Engineer
Develop one of y/cs’s current or upcoming products. Work with your team every week in a startup-like environment.
Selective · application + product challenge
/catalyst
Catalyst Developer
Hone your skills in a beginner-friendly program designed to prepare you to work on one of our products.
No experience needed · selective
02 — How it works
Short and sweet.
General membership is open year-round. Product team and Catalyst applications open at the start of each semester, and we keep the process as short as possible.
01 / 03
Written application
Tell us which divisions or teams you’re interested in, share a bit about yourself, and why you want to join y/cs.
02 / 03
Interview & challenge
For y/cs Development, you’ll complete a short product challenge that shows us how you think about building software: explore our products, find what you would improve or add, and tell us what you want to work on.
Selected applicants then meet with Development team leads to talk through their ideas, experience, interests and how they might contribute to a team.
03 / 03
Team placement
Based on your written application and interview, you’re placed on a y/cs team within weeks of the application deadline, as space permits.
- What do you mean by “100% acceptance”?
Exactly what it sounds like. Everyone who applies is accepted as a general member, whatever their technical background. General members contribute to the y/cs blog, attend events and hackathons, work on projects with other members, and can opt in to our internship recruitment pipeline.
Our development teams (CourseTable, Yalies and more) and the Catalyst program are sub-divisions that general members can apply to join. For purely logistical reasons, they are more selective.
- Do I need prior experience?
Not at all. Catalyst is designed for beginners who want to learn development. For more advanced roles experience helps, but enthusiasm and willingness to learn matter just as much.
- What is the time commitment?
It depends on the role. Development teams typically meet 2–3 hours a week, plus time for individual work. Catalyst asks for 4–6 hours a week.
- Do I need to be a CS major?
No. We welcome students from every major and background. Many of our most successful members come from outside CS but share a passion for technology.
- When will I hear back?
We typically review applications within 1–3 weeks of the deadline. You’ll hear by email about interviews and final decisions.
Ready to build with us?
Join a community of developers, designers and tech enthusiasts. General membership applications are open year-round.