<p>Just thought I'd ask because I'm curious about all you bright young minds... what were your answers to Yale's notoriously difficult-to-answer-in-25-words-or-less Short Takes?</p>
<p>To jog your memory, they were (not verbatim, but close enough):</p>
<p>If you could witness any moment in history, what would it be and why?
What is something about which you have changed your mind in the past 3 years?
What is the best piece of advice you've been given in the past 3 years?
What do you wish you better at being/doing?
What would you do with a free day tomorrow?
And of course, the less-short-but-still-not-long-enough Why Yale?</p>
<p>I'll share if you do!</p>
<p>Also, good luck to all RD and SCEA-Deferred applicants! :)</p>
<p>I’m too lazy to copy/paste all of mine, so:</p>
<p>1.) first use of communicable speech by humans (linguistics <3)
2.) I don’t remember…I hated this one
3.) Basically, calm down and breathe
4.) see #2
5.) go jogging in the rain while listening to Barber’s Adagio for Strings (I had some other stuff in this one too, but it’s a bit personal/nerdy)</p>
<p>In my “Why Yale” essay, I basically talked about it’s engineering program and it’s music ensembles. I also mentioned the Directed Independent Language Study Program and how I’d love to take part in it. My CommonApp essay went into a bunch more detail on language stuff, so I think it works.</p>
<p>1) Buddha’s enlightenment (anthropology and religion yeahhhhh)
2) fitness, I finally got off my lard ass and got in shape
3) keep working on hard problems
4) singing, love music, but was cursed by god with the worst voice ever
5) bike old trails with my cousin</p>
<p>1) Building of the pyramids
2) Being capable of making the women’s varsity 8 (crew)
3) “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t” - Bill Nye
4) My handwriting/penmanship (It’s terrible… you have no idea)
5) Paint the river I row on at sunset</p>
<p>My 'Why Yale" essay was very plain but I told the truth; I was really taken with the admissions viewbook I got in the mail, especially the freedom of customization I saw that Yale gives students with their education. My essay was mainly centered around that.</p>
<p>To be honest, I forget most of my short takes. I do remember I did the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press for the moment of history and the best piece of advice was “Do what you love, and you won’t work a day in your life.”</p>
<p>I was pretty specific in my “Why Yale.” I’m a political nerd, so I talked about their Political Union (which to me seems like the best of any college’s), one of their political science professors who has deeply influenced my views, and the Residential Colleges. </p>
<p>Even though I didn’t apply to Yale SCEA, it’s been my top choice all along.</p>
<ol>
<li>Emancipation of slaves</li>
<li>used to believe in wishful thinking. but realized that that wishing and doing are two separate concepts </li>
<li>to get off of facebook lol. it wastes time haha</li>
<li>coming up with good comebacks in the moment. I always think of the perfect response when its too late haha</li>
<li>play tennis with my tennis buddies and hang out with friends.</li>
</ol>
<p>lol i might get rejected bc of the facebook response but its so true haha</p>
<p>Thought I would share since after all I made the thread!</p>
<p>1) Isadora Duncan dancing (there’s no video footage of her)
2) Politics
3) “Once you find something you really like, stop looking”
4) Articulating myself pithily (tried to be a little funny here)
5) Tackle a new dish like French macarons because I love to cook and bake</p>
<p>I wrote my Why Yale on why I think Yale is a good fit for me/why I appreciate it. I focused on tradition, excellence and the lasting impact of a Yale education (I’m a legacy.)</p>
<p>Wow lol compared to you guys mine sound very cheesy. Rest assured, though, they came from the heart</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Anne Frank, the day before she was caught</p></li>
<li><p>At first I thought city people were way too caught up in their own little world to notice the plights of other people, but that opinion changed after a certain person, down on his luck, was randomly speaking out in public and almost everyone passing by stopped to listen.</p></li>
<li><p>Basically, don’t fear anything.</p></li>
<li><p>Singing</p></li>
<li><p>Play hide-and-seek with my cousins and drink tapioca</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My “Why Yale” essay was about the residential colleges. That’s probably the most attractive aspect of Yale, in my opinion.</p>
<p>I kept mostly a light tone in my short takes, but kept proper grammar and sentence structure and all that good stuff. Here’s the gist of them:</p>
<ol>
<li>Men’s 4X100m freestyle relay in the Beijing Olympics in person.</li>
<li>Being correct isn’t always most important.</li>
<li>Breathe with your stomach, because it helps with basically everything.</li>
<li>Being satisfied with my efforts i.e. not being a perfectionist all the time.</li>
<li>Self-directed art (painting, writing music)</li>
</ol>
<p>In the Why Yale essay/short answer I talked mostly about how Yale cares for all of its students, not matter their background, and its dedication to helping high-achieving low-income students pursue higher education. Idk if that is really what they want, but it is a big part of what attracts me to Yale.</p>
<p>1) The French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, to see people’s reactions and the crafting of a new political culture</p>
<p>2) My intended career, from journalism to policy/politics</p>
<p>3) “Learn from the past, it foretells the future.” My 10th grade World History teacher</p>
<p>4) Being less of a procrastinator </p>
<p>5) Listen to music while reading an interesting book or Wikipedia articles on a subject that interests me</p>
<p>Yale’s status but unique character that differentiates them from similarly regarded institutions. I noted that it lacks those universities’ hubris and stuffiness, and has a charm and commitment to its individuals unparalleled among similar schools. The asterisk is a metaphor for the school itself: something extra beyond the usual.</p>
<p>For the one asking “what would you do with a free afternoon?” I answered something similar to: hang out with my talented sister, and pretend I’m Simon Cowell while she sings. She’s always “brilliant.”</p>
<p>I’m not sure they’ll look favorably on mentioning “Simon Cowell”, but honestly, that’s what I would do, so I just went with it!</p>
<p>@musicislife73 So this is completely a chance occurrence, but we answered almost exactly the same for the first prompt. I said something along the lines of witnessing several independent moments in history–the evolution of linguistics in different locales. I was so proud of how unique it sounded. Oops.</p>
<p>On a free afternoon, I put I was going to go on a date with my girlfriend. Come on, I know you all want to spend time with your significant other ;)</p>
<p>Free Afternoon: Spend it with a young lad who’s mother wouldn’t be home on New Years.
Change of heart: Now Pro-Gay Marriage (“ooooh-aaaah”, shut up.)
Quote: Let us always remember we were once children.
Quality improvement: Assertiveness, as it is eclipsed by my “democratic” personality.
Day in History: Spending the Night in Henry David Thoreau’s jail cell in Concord when he was arrested.
Why Yale: Halloween Concert similar to the one in my hometown.</p>
<p>uhhhhh not sure I’m reading your first one correctly etg, but did you tell Yale that you would spend a free afternoon having sex…? can’t tell why else his mother would matter.</p>
<ol>
<li>When the apple fell on Newton, I stink at physics and could use some firsthand exposure. </li>
<li>Academics - it’s not all about the grade, but about progress. </li>
<li>English teacher quote about humility. </li>
<li>As a teenage guy, wish I was better at understanding girls. </li>
<li>Dream about impossible feats (cure cancer, lead government, acceptance to Yale) then wake up and work out.</li>
</ol>
<p>uni, that cracked me up! I THINK etg meant that the boy would be lonely because his mother wouldn’t be there and so he’d keep him company, but I like your version, too. It takes a dirty mind to edit a clean college essay. ;)</p>