Aerial View of Yale University

New Students

If you are a student beginning your academic career at Yale College or the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, welcome! We’ve curated a comprehensive set of student technology resources to ensure you embark on your journey well-prepared and informed.

New Students

Getting Started

Get set up with Yale's technology essentials

We highly recommend completing all six steps in this section. 

Yale assigns all members of the community a unique identifier called a NetID, which you’ll use to access many of the university’s online resources and accounts. You must activate your NetID before accessing any other Yale systems. Make sure you keep your NetID password safe; do not share them with anyone else!

All Yale students receive an “@yale.edu” email account. Accounts for Yale College and most GSAS students are provided via EliApps, Yale’s version of Google G Suite, which includes Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar. Some GSAS students in HIPAA-covered programs or programs affiliated with the Schools of Law, Management, Global Affairs, or the Environment may receive an Office 365 email account instead of an EliApps account.

Access Your Yale Email

After activating your NetID, you can access your email account here. If you have an EliApps account, you can also access your email by visiting gmail.com and entering your Yale email address when prompted to log in.

Add Your EliApps Account to Your Mobile Device

  1. Download the Gmail app onto your mobile device. Open the app.
  2. Tap the “Sign in” button at the bottom of your screen. If you already have an email account linked in the app and want to add another account, simply tap your profile icon in the top-right and then tap “Add another account.”
  3. On the next page, tap “Google.”
  4. Tap “Continue” to allow Google to sign into your account.
  5. When prompted to enter in your email, make sure to type it out fully (e.g. gil.phish@yale.edu). Hit next.
  6. You will be automatically redirected to CAS (Central Authentication Service). Log in using your NetID and password.

Change Your Preferred Name/ Email Alias

If your preferred first name differs from your legal first name, you may request that your preferred name be used. If you do so, you’ll also need to separately request that your preferred name be used as an alias—or alternative—for your university-provided email address.

You can find more information about this process here: How to change your preferred first name and email alias.

To change your preferred last name, contact the Help Desk for assistance.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) protects your intellectual data and personal information in the event that your NetID password is compromised. Yale implements MFA via the DUO Everywhere service; this service is required for all Yale students.  Complete your MFA-DUO enrollment now.

Some events will be conducted via Zoom. All Yale students have a Yale enterprise Zoom account; you will need to download and install Zoom on your device, then use the “Sign In Via SSO” option to access your Yale Zoom account.

Visit the Zoom Quick Guide for setup instructions and more information.

Yale Hub enables academic processes such as registration, financial aid, and transcript orders. Information such as your emergency contacts and mailing address need to be added to the system by you. Log into Yale Hub, then follow the automatic prompts to get started. 

Some of Yale’s digital resources are only available while connected to YaleSecure Wi-Fi on campus. If you are away from campus, you can obtain access to these resources by connecting to Yale’s Virtual Private Network, or VPN. 

Installing VPN

Follow these instructions to download VPN on your device:

How To Use VPN

Once installed, you can connect to VPN at any time using these instructions:

  • Launch the Cisco AnyConnect application
  • Enter the Connect-To (server) address: access.yale.edu
    • If the address field has been changed or is blank, manually type the server name and select Enter
  • Enter your NetID and Password
  • Second Password is used for DUO MFA authentication. Follow the instructions in the Cisco AnyConnect window to authenticate with DUO via push, SMS, phone, or a passcode
    • Approve in DUO for ‘push’, answer the call and press 1# for ‘phone’ or enter ‘SMS’ code from DUO
  • You will then be connected to the VPN
  • When you are finished accessing resources via VPN, simply quit the Cisco AnyConnect application to end your session.

When To Use VPN

Please note that VPN should only be used when accessing Yale applications that require it; VPN is not required or recommended to access Canvas, Zoom, or email. Most students will only need to use VPN when accessing Library Resources, using MyApps Virtual Desktop, and remoting in to Yale computer labs.

Setting Up Your Computer

set up your computer

Complete these four tasks to make sure your computing environment is set up for a successful semester!

It is highly recommended that all Yale College students have a personal laptop* to attend class, complete assignments, and participate in campus life. If you are looking to buy a new laptop, check out these tips for choosing a new laptopYale College students with demonstrated financial need may be able to request emergency funding support through the SafetyNet program

*Recommendations for Graduate Students will vary; check with your department for more details. 

The Yale Software Library provides a range of free and discounted software for students, including: 

  • Microsoft Office
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Matlab 
  • Mathematica
  • Endnote
  • SPSS 
  • ArcGIS

Visit the software library. 

To keep your computer safe, Yale highly recommends having antivirus software installed on your computer and running the most up-to-date version of your operating system. Antivirus software recommendations are available at cybersecurity.yale.edu/malware.

It is highly recommended to keep your files safe by regularly backing up your data in case your computer becomes damaged, lost, or compromised. You can choose from several methods to keep your work safe:

  • Use your computer’s native method of backing up your work to an external device: Time Machine (Mac OS X) or Backup and Restore (Windows). Yale students can use their Yale email address to purchase an external drive from Western Digital at a discount.
  • Sync your files with your Yale OneDrive account (unlimited storage) or Google Drive (up to 5GB).
  • Use another cloud-based data backup service available on the web.

Accounts And Tools

Get acquainted with some tools you will frequently use at Yale!

Get acquainted with these five important resources, which you will use frequently while at Yale!

Canvas is the digital hub for your Yale classes. Through Canvas, you’ll attend Zoom classes, turn in assignments, see grades, and more. Read more about Canvas.
 

You can browse and select Yale courses via Yale Course Search. Visit Yale Course search. 

Yale Connect allows you to stay up to date with events and announcements from departments, organizations, and centers on campus. Events and deadlines for incoming students are currently posted on Yale Connect as well. Visit Yale Connect.

Yale provides you with a wide variety of online educational materials. Students have unlimited access to Yale’s Library Resources. In addition, free subscriptions to online news publications (such as The New York Times , Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post) are available with your university email address. Students also receive a free subscription to LinkedIn Learning, (previously known as Lynda) providing access to instructional skill-building video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills.

MyApps at Yale is a comprehensive desktop and app virtualization service. It provides access to a Windows based environment containing Yale licensed software from both personal and Yale owned devices.

Action Recommended

  • To access the new environment, please download remote desktop software and follow the Getting Started Guide.
  • Access to the MyApps at Yale environment is also available through the web.
  • Your existing Yale email address and NetID password will provide access to the system.

Note: All students with an active Yale email address will be licensed to access the MyApps at Yale service via their personal devices.

On-Campus Services and Support

Connect to the internet and find on-campus computing resources

Once you arrive on campus, you’ll need to take some additional steps to connect to wifi, connect your smart devices, use campus printers, and more. 

Our media equipment check-out service works closely with Bass Library and adheres to their circulation desk hours of operation. Details will be posted on our Reservations site as they become available.  More information is available on our Bass Media Equipment Checkout page.

STC Studios provides free graphic design support to the Yale Community. See design samples and learn how to submit a design request.

Printing will be possible in most* locations through the use of Papercut Mobility, which allows students to print and release a print job from a BluePrint queue using an Android or iOS mobile device. Find details about STC’s Campus Printing and Computing Resources and Review essential print information at YPPS BluePrint Essential Resources.

*Some exceptions apply for areas of campus handling sensitive information. 

Once you arrive to campus, you’ll need to take some additional steps to connect to Wi-Fi , connect your smart devices, and more.

  • Wi-Fi for students: YaleSecure is available for students; always use your NetID and password to connect. Learn more about YaleSecure,  including troubleshooting tips and instructions for connecting Android and Chromebook devices. 
  • Wi-Fi for guests: Yale Guest is available for visitors without a NetID and password.
  • Eduroam: Offers cross-university Wi-Fi for guests from other institutions and Yale students while on other campuses. Learn more about Eduroam
  • Wi-Fi for devices that do not allow Wi-Fi usernames: Learn more about Yale Wireless and Wi-Fi for smart devices.  
  • Ethernet: Most dorm rooms are equipped with ethernet jacks. Ethernet provides the fastest connection. Register your computer to work with Ethernet.

Need Additional Help?

We’re here to help, 24/7! A complete list of your tech support options is available at helpme.yale.edu.