Help with YYAS essay

College Essays
1

Hey guys so for the YYAS program I want to apply to later. There are 4 prompts:

  1. We would like to know more about you and the context in which you have grown up, developed your goals, and earned your academic achievements. Please describe the factors that have most influenced you and your hopes and dreams. How have they shaped you? (500 words max.)
  1. Explain what values are most important to you and why. (200 word max.)
  2. Why do you want to become a Yale Young African Scholar (200 word max.)
  3. Each Yale Young African Scholar benefits from, and contributes to both the program and the wider YYAS community. What contributions will you make? (100 word max.)

For the first one, can I write about my family and my school.
The second, should I have 3 paragraphs for each important value?
Then the 3rd and 4th, can someone please give me guidelines to follow - PM if possible.

A lot of help is needed. Thanks in advance and I really want to get in.

2

For the first one, you should write about whatever factors have influenced you and your hopes and dreams. If your family and your school are those factors, then go ahead and write about them.

As for your second question: no. There’s no way you can fit even three good paragraphs into a 200-word limit… that’s about 66 words per paragraph. I’ve probably already typed more than 66 words just in this reply. A 200-word “essay” should probably just be one big paragraph. Focus less on formatting and more on your message, and the formatting will come naturally.

I don’t have any experience with YYAS, so the best advice I can give is to just be honest. Focus more on writing what’s true in a way that answers the prompt and less about what the program wants to hear. Good luck!

EDIT: Also, make sure you know how many essays the application wants you to write. Does it want you to answer all of the prompts, or just one/two/three?

3

First of all, thank you and the program is similar to YYGS, but this is for Africans. I have to write on all four of the essays.

Anyone else available to help?

4

Bump!!!

5

Anyone else with ideas???

6

I know I can’t help; I’m swamped right now.

But I’m not sure anyone can help until you give them a little more to go on.

7

Oh
Okay. Thanks

8

OK, before I transition to mom and wake the girls up:

Essay 1 has a 500 word max. So you have lots of room to explain what factors made you who you are. Stop for a minute and list them-- family? religion? teachers? a strong group of friends?

  1. Only 200 words, so you'll need to be more concise. Lots of people value different things-- honesty, hard work, time with family, academics, sports-- what things do you value most?
  2. I have no idea-- why are you applying for this award?

4.Again, only you can answer this one.

OK, gotta run and be mom. Good luck.

9

Thank you so much