Yale short takes examples and inspiration?

I'm working on my applications and got to the Yale short takes section, and honestly, I'm feeling a little stuck. I've heard that these prompts are super open-ended, which makes it kind of hard to figure out what kind of tone or content they're looking for. Does anyone have examples of successful short takes or tips on how to make them stand out?

I'd love any advice on balancing personal stories with creativity without going overboard. If you've already gone through this or have a strategy that worked, I'd really appreciate your insights. Thanks!

I can understand why you'd feel stuck – the open-ended nature of the Yale short takes can leave a lot of room for hesitation. An important thing to remember is the purpose of these short takes is to let the Yale admissions team learn more about you, your interests, and your personal style.

Many students working on these prompts find that a good approach is to showcase different parts of my life in each response. For instance, for the prompt asking "What do you wish you were better at being or doing?" you might share about a desire to improve your piano improvisation skills, which gives an opportunity to share your musical interests.

Another key aspect to bear in mind is to add a personal twist to your answers. For example, instead of simply saying that you like to read Stephen King books for the "What do you most enjoy learning?" prompt, giving a unique perspective, for example, how his books ignite your curiosity about the psychological aspects of his characters, would certainly make your response more unique and engaging.

Remember, the admissions counselors are looking to get a sense of who you are as a person – use these short takes as an opportunity to present some dimensions of your personality that might not come across in other parts of the application. Lastly, keep the tone conversational and natural. You want the writing to feel true to your voice.