Yale short takes

I'm working on my Yale application, and I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight into what the 'short takes' are all about? What do admissions officers really want to see from those short responses? Any tips would be appreciated!

The Yale short takes are a section of the Yale application where you're asked to provide brief answers (usually around 35 words or less) to a series of prompts. The purpose of these short takes is for admissions officers to get a quick snapshot of your personality, interests, and values, outside of your academic achievements and long-form essays.

When approaching the short takes, keep these tips in mind:

1. Be genuine: Rather than trying to come up with responses you think the admissions officers want to hear, focus on accurately showcasing your true self, whether that's your favorite book, your dream job, or a personal motto you live by.

2. Get creative: The word limit is quite restrictive, so don't be afraid to think outside the box and use humor, wit, or unique phrasings to make your answer stand out even in this confined space.

3. Show personality: Admissions officers want to learn more about you as an individual, and the short takes offer a chance to reveal aspects of your personality that might not be apparent elsewhere in your application.

4. Use variety: Avoid repeating the same theme or story across all of your answers. This is an opportunity to show multiple facets of your character, so embrace the chance to present diverse interests and experiences. Also be careful not to repeat things admissions officers will already know from other parts of your application—your responses to these questions may need to be short, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take full advantage of them.

5. Be specific: Use concrete examples and details whenever possible. Instead of saying "I like to read," say "I love getting lost in the magical worlds of Harry Potter," which provides a more vivid image of your interests.

6. Edit and revise: It may be tempting to breeze through the short takes because of their brevity, but treat them with as much care as your longer essays. Make sure you've chosen the best possible words and phrases to express your ideas clearly and succinctly.

Remember, the key to a strong Yale short takes section is to stay genuine and let your personality shine. By providing a range of interesting and insightful responses, you'll give admissions officers a better understanding of who you are beyond your GPA and test scores.

And finally, if you want further guidance on how to tackle Yale’s current short-answer questions, you can find a breakdown of each one on CollegeVine’s blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-yale-university-essays. Just be aware that the questions can change year to year, so, while you can use this post to get an initial sense of how to tackle these questions, you’ll want to wait until August 1st to start writing your own responses, as that’s when the prompts for the new application cycle are officially released. You don’t want your hard work to go to waste if the prompts change, after all!

Best of luck with your application to Yale!