questions about the short answer and essay

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>Are the short answers very important? Should I spend a lot of time on them, or just focus on the long essays?</p>

<p>Is it okay if my Common app essay is 614 words? Should it be titled and double-spaced?</p>

<p>Also, the Yale Web site (<a href="http://www.yale.edu/admit/faq/applying.html#14%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yale.edu/admit/faq/applying.html#14&lt;/a&gt;) says:</p>

<p>"You will have an opportunity to expand this question into a full essay as part of the Yale Supplement"</p>

<p>Does this mean they expect the Common app short answer and Yale essay to be about the same topic?</p>

2

<ol>
<li>Common app length is ok</li>
<li>Short answers very important - in fact, all essays are very important</li>
<li>No, not the same topic</li>
</ol>

3

<p>
[quote]
1. Common app length is ok
2. Short answers very important - in fact, all essays are very important
3. No, not the same topic

[/quote]
</p>

<p>ah thanks. do you know if common app essay needs to be titled and double-spaced?</p>

4

<p>My personal opinion is
1) Titles make readers want to look for something specific, so they can skip over important details. Titles are often misleading. Titles are often boring. The few words in your title can screw up the whole essay if it doesn't fit.
2) Double-spacing doesn't make it any easier on the eyes. Double-spacing requires readers to scroll more. It's not like the adcoms are going to fix your grammar errors between lines so I don't see the point.</p>

<p>I would, however, like to get a second opinion on this question.</p>

5

<p>I concur
double-spaced is gratuitous, and titles can take away some of the personal voice in your essay</p>

6

<p>ah thanks for the information</p>

7

<p>to the best of my knowledge, admissions officers do not read apps online. I believe they are printed out, so I doubt scrolling is a problem. (it's certainly easier on the eyes to read printouts, given the long nights they spend on it!)</p>

8

<p>Some schools read online. More and more schools are moving to electronic-only. That's why you don't staple. They have to scan in all your hard-copy materials. And even if they did print everything out, single-spacing saves paper.</p>

9

<p>Yes, save the trees!</p>