<p>Howdy,</p>
<p>I'm trying to figure out approximately how long the "Why Yale" question is expected to be on the common app and to figure out what level of detail is appropriate. </p>
<p>Are people writing 200 words? 500? </p>
<p>Would it be wise for me to include a short anecdote?</p>
<p>What are they looking for?</p>
<p>My son’s application year it was 500 CHARACTERS, not words. He wrote a very long 500 WORD essay only to have it stop accepting text about 8 sentences in…hope to save you from the same mistake and waste of time and energy if it is still the same scenario (check though, it might have changed). Good luck!</p>
<p>Don’t know how many characters it was, but they wanted a very short answer for class of '16, too. I think the colleges put the “why” questions on the application to find out whether you have bothered to research the school to see what it has to offer and how it may fit your needs.</p>
<p>It’s been 500 characters for a very long time. Personally, I hate this question – I think it causes needless anxiety for applicants.</p>
<p>Heck I graduated from there and bleed blue and white – and I can’t give you a reasonable 500 char reason “why yale”</p>
<p>I would say that “fit” is probably the most important aspect of the holistic admissions process used by schools like Yale. Will you “fit” in? This would include the ability to keep up with the work which relates to SAT/ACT, grades, work ethic, etc. but it also relates to what kind of person you are and the kind of culture Yale values. The “why Yale” question taps your ability to self-reflect and reveals your perception of what you think Yale is all about so that Yale admissions can evaluate how well you would “fit” in.</p>
<p>it is 120 words. I have submitted, and it is 120 words. I put in more and it made me change. other supplement essay cuts you off at 500 words.</p>
<p>now it has changed to 100</p>
<p>Ahhh I can’t fit everything in 100 words…Would it be better to address my personal connection to yale (read a paper about two yale professors that changed the way I view something) or write about research/clubs I want to participate in?</p>
<p>It’s 100 words. Extremely tough. </p>
<p>@SpoolMan… which one relates more closely to why you want to attend Yale?</p>
<p>I think Admissions asks this question because they want to see if students have done their due diligence on the school. </p>
<p>What makes Yale different from say Harvard or Princeton? What specifically does Yale offer that you can not find at another school? Many students think all the ivies are the same, but there are differences in academics, culture and tone. </p>
<p>Here, I’ll give you an example: Yale offers an undergraduate degree in theater, but Harvard and Princeton do not. Going further down that same train of thought: If you were accepted to Yale, what courses would you take that you cannot find at another school? What professors would you want to study with and why? It’s extremely tough to answer this question in 100 words, but the more specific you can be, the better Admissions will feel as though you’ve done your research and belong there.</p>
<p>Thanks silogram and gibby for responding. While my personal connection attracted me initially, I think I will address it in my interview and focus on other things in my precious 100 words hahaha. Thank you both!</p>