When you think of Yale University, you might picture Ivy League grandeur, mind-boggling academic achievements, and a whole lot of tweed jackets. However, Yale is also home to the heartbeat of civic culture in American higher education. It has produced some seriously famous alumni who’ve shaken up the world in incredibly meaningful ways — even the celebrities! Sure, some of them are Nobel laureates and Supreme Court justices, but there are also plenty of rock stars, actors, and oddballs. Let’s stroll down memory lane and meet a few of Yale’s most notable alumni.

Well Known Yale University Alums

1. Meryl Streep

If you’ve ever watched Meryl Streep and thought, “Wow, she’s so talented, she must’ve studied something super boring like linguistics,” you’d be. . . wrong! Meryl Streep graduated from Yale’s School of Drama, where she perfected her ability to make you cry, laugh, and wonder why your life isn’t as glamorous as hers. With over 20 Academy Award nominations and a reputation as one of the greatest actresses of all time, Meryl is pretty much a walking masterpiece. At Yale, she wasn’t just learning drama; she was creating it in every conversation, even if she was just ordering a sandwich at a hole in the wall in New Haven.

2. Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster is another Yale alumna who really knew how to balance brains and glamor. Not only did she star in the classic movie Taxi Driver at a ridiculously young age, but she also graduated with a degree in literature from Yale. She’s the ultimate overachiever: an Oscar-winning actress, a director, and an intellectual powerhouse. If you ran into Jodie on the quad, you’d probably feel embarrassed to talk to her. But hey, she’d probably just smile modestly and ask you about your research on the socio-economic impact of medieval tapestries, or whatever it is that Yale students study these days.

3. Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper, the smooth-talking CNN anchor with a knack for looking extremely professional while reporting the world’s most tragic stories, also hails from Yale. He majored in political science and interned at the CIA (because, of course, he did!). But did you know that Anderson was a coxswain on the lightweight crew team? Guess the rowing team was just a good networking tool for his career in broadcasting. But, truly, Anderson Cooper might just be one of the most eloquent individuals on TV — and he has Yale to thank for all of this characteristic polish!

4. Hillary Clinton 

With a law degree from the university, political powerhouse Hillary Clinton went on to make history as the first woman to win the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. She also met her future husband, President Bill Clinton, at Yale — proving that even in a place full of future Supreme Court justices and political heavyweights, romance is still possible, including romances that go down in history as the most powerful and ambitious out there!

5. John Kerry

Ah, John Kerry. The man who served as Secretary of State ran for president and looked cool doing it. Before all the international diplomacy and windsurfing stunts (yes, he windsurfs!), John Kerry graduated from Yale in 1966 with a degree in political science. Kerry made history when he was a key figure in ending the Vietnam War — oh, and he’s also an expert in delivering speeches with dramatic pauses that make you think he’s about to announce he’s solving world peace right there and then. Are you starting to get what we mean when we say Yale is the civic center of American higher education?

Ivy Coach’s Assistance With Yale Admission

The Yale acceptance rate has dwindled closer and closer to 0% in recent years — but not for Ivy Coach’s clients. We’ve helped 78% of our package clients earn admission to Yale over the last ten years because we’ve mastered the art of assembling highly competitive applications.

If you would like our team of former elite college admissions officers to help your child optimize their odds of admission to Yale University, fill out our complimentary consultation form and we’ll be in touch.