<p>^yup, that’s what I was afraid of. looks like I’m not headed to New Haven next year haha.</p>
<p>HonorsCentaur…sadly I think the same thing as Stupefy :(. However, I’m sure it won’t go against you THAT much considering that Yale has a pretty damn high yield as it is, and your other essays were probably better.</p>
<p>HonorsCentaur- I liked your answer very much! I’m not an adcom, though, just a mom.
In fact, I haven’t read anything on this post that doesn’t sound just fine.
I don’t think they’re looking for anything particular in this short answer- it’s just another chance to get to know who you are. So, whatever you put is probably fine. 
One of my kids graduated Yale a few years ago. I remember when she was finishing her application, she had the same experience as one of you, having waited until right before the deadline to write her short answer. She actually consulted me on this- the first time she wanted my advice. I had none. I just asked, “Well, when did you KNOW that you wanted to go to Yale.” She said, “After our tour. I just loved the tour guide- he was so cool, and I thought, if this is the kind of person who is there, then I know I’d like it.” Well, she wrote something to that effect, although she probably wrote it with a bit more wit and grace, as she’s a born writer. It’s kind of a superficial reason, but they didn’t care.
There are so many applicants and so few spots. My daughter’s year they told the incoming class that they could have filled an equally talented class with an entirely different group of people.
There’s a lot of luck involved, so please don’t beat yourselves up over whether you had the perfect answer, or wonder why you didn’t get in, if that happens. You must be pretty terrific students to even be seriously applying. Good luck, all.</p>
<p>@Honors, i like your answer too, like you i focused my question more on the environment and people at Yale, because yes, obviously Yale is an amazing school academically and facilities wise, but so what! So are all the other Ivy’s and top schools. So for me that’s not what made Yale stand out, for me it WAS the people, the Yale campus and student body seems to encompass this magical aura that i can’t quite define, just something extra. You all probably know what i talking about…yes…no. Anyways that’s why i chose to apply to Yale over Harvard, Princeton and several schools that are just as good. I agree with Honors, Yale is unique.</p>
<p>woohoo the last two responses made me feel much better
can anyone else comment on my why yale?
i think i should have written “student” instead of “freshman” at yale, because freshmen drinking is illegal but oh well</p>
<p>Why Yale?</p>
<p>Stark contrast. You will bring me a clashing setting, ornate spires at odds with dirty industrial city. Conversely, we students thrive on the cooperation you facilitate. I will give you a torn individual, groping for scientific discovery, but itching to write a satirical column for the Yale Daily. You will whisk me from one end of the continent to the other, placing me furthest from home. Yet, I will find a new abode and new friends, all within integrated communities. This is what we will share.</p>
<p>^^^very eloquent, imo, albeit a bit flowery.
like it!</p>
<p>It’s pretty good, but I think contrasting the pretty campus with the “dirty” city was unnecessary. I wrote about the cognitive science program and how it relates to Yale as a whole. Don’t feel like dragging it up, but it was definitely the sincere reason that pushed me to apply to Yale.</p>
<p>Actually I lied before. I feel like I should since I said something about someone else’s.</p>
<p>What in particular about Yale has influenced your decision to apply?</p>
<p>The cognitive science program. I want to experience the breadth of 34 laboratories and faculty from Yale Law, and the depth of self-directed course selection with an integrative senior project. I could move forward without limites. I would love to work with professors like Laurie Santos-an evolutionary cognition researcher who has co-authored papers with undergraduates. The best part is that this program is not unique on campus: breadth, depth and openness are what Yale College is.</p>
<p>Wow, reading this again I realize it’s far too many facts about the school and not enough me. Oh well, I think it fits with the rest of my application.</p>
<p>^^^Thanks for the feedback. I actually felt it was a really vague response, but I believed what I wrote. In response to wombatsoup, I did have doubts about my use of “dirty” in my description of New Haven, but in the end, I felt that when one compares the city to Yale, the contrast is distinctly clear. This is all the more important considering that my reason for applying to Yale is its “stark contrast”. I wanted to demonstrate that the environment around campus can really play a vital role to students and that I was not just absorbed in the campus. </p>
<p>I did admittedly write the short answer before visiting, but over the winter break, I had the opportunity to see the campus and I still maintain that it is a rather trashy (sorry Yale) area. Nevertheless, it seems to be a decent spot for college kids (a good number of venues - tried the Vegan restaurant) and the campus did take my breath away.</p>
<p>^There are definitely places in New Haven you do notttt want to be walking through late at night, but the college town area, especially Broadway, is a great “college town” atmosphere. And very clean. Lol.</p>
<p>My why yale response is terrible now that I think of it… I had looked up all these professors, but then I deleted them last second and replaced them with gossip girls and project runway…</p>
<p>I think the new one sounds much more interesting :)</p>
<p>^Aznjunior, that doesn’t necessarily have to be bad! Depends on how exactly you approached the essay! How did you address GG and Project Runway though? Yale has some unique fashion opportunities so it wouldn’t be terrible to mention Project Runway</p>
<p>Since it was so short, it was really choppy… but I connected it to my intended major (psychology)</p>
<p>Well that’s the bright side! :]</p>