<p>Ok, so when I started applying to schools, I thought of applying to Yale maybe but then I decided not to because it is really hard to get into. Though I am a good student and will graduate with an Associate's degree, I still think I have a very small chance of getting into Yale. </p>
<p>I told my mom about my decision and she got really mad at me because she really wanted me to at least try (because "you never know" and "I have potential"). </p>
<p>So, now I am applying to Yale and I'm stuck with the "Why Yale" supplement. I'm thinking of just being honest and saying "My mother encouraged me to apply...". But I don't know if this will look bad.
Or should I just (sort of) lie and say I am applying because of the program, city, food, etc of Yale? </p>
<p>Should I even mention that I don't compare to the average Yale freshman (ex: "I don't have a 4.0 GPA or 2400 on my SAT, but I am awesome because....")? </p>
<p>“My mother encouraged me to apply” would not be a good response. Spend sometime looking through Yale’s website and find things that you might enjoy there – i.e. something with a potential major, the residential college system, some clubs, etc… make it specific.</p>
<p>@supahstressed, first, try not to live up to your username – relax.</p>
<p>A rule of thumb is to substitute another school’s name in your “Why Yale” essay, and if it still makes sense, you need to be more specific. </p>
<p>Another rule of thumb is that Adcoms are pretty good at sniffing out BS – be authentic and honest. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t mention that you don’t compare well to the average applicant. Leave that determination (or not) to the Adcoms. </p>
<p>Yale is a wonderful school. If you apply, it should be because it resonates with you. Read enough, and you’ll have a better reason to apply than your mother telling you to do it, and the essay will be easier to write. Or, if you just can’t get the sense that Yale would fit you, apply elsewhere. </p>
<p>I don’t know you or your Mom, but I’d bet that it’s not that she wants you to apply to Yale as much as she doesn’t want you to limit yourself by an overly harsh self-assessment. </p>
<p>Hi! I wouldn’t mention your mother at all, and I also wouldn’t mention the fact that you might not be the typical 2400 Yale student. It doesn’t have anything to do with the prompt. It would be best to talk about unique programs at Yale that really suit and interest you. Is there a class or professor you really want to study with? Does Yale have a strong department for your major?</p>
<p>you can’t be self-deprecating in these things, that always hurts you. be confident, but not cocky—find something you like about Yale to write about, not how your mother told you to apply. </p>
<p>If you don’t want a shot at Yale, go ahead and put the ‘mother made me’ in the Why prompt, then you can at least tell your mother you applied when the rejection comes in. Otherwise if you want a shot at Yale, why would you have to lie? Is there really nothing interesting about it to you? You have to dig deep to think of the food? Is the food special? No one thinks the city is special so if you really thought so that might actually be unique, but you would need to get specific. Really this prompt is about the programs and opportunities that Yale offers and how you would take advantage of them and how you might contribute to those activities the college offers that you are interested in. I think it is worthwhile to take care with your responses as long as you are applying. But you are right to be realistic that there are more students denied than accepted by a long shot. But take your shot at least, unless you really wouldn’t want to be in the position of turning them down because of your mother.</p>
<p>No, no, no. Colleges want amazing essays and applications, especially a school like Yale. Your essay can really make up for other, not as superb factors. In your essay, talk about something unique about you that will make you stand out from the crowd. Don’t talk about a relative, unless they swam to America from Cuba and lost two limbs to sharks. Make your essay unique, but definitely do not point out your flaws. Saying that your schools are low or that you didn’t try in high school makes you look very bad. Make your essay the thing that gives you a needed boost.</p>