Yale, located in New Haven, Connecticut, is one of the best universities in the world and has an acceptance rate of only about 4.5%. They receive over 50,000 applications annually, and 68% of students admitted to Yale choose Yale.
As of the time of writing this, the Yale University supplement for the Common App isn’t available on the Common App yet. Why is this the case when the vast majority of colleges released their supplements on or before August 1? Because apparently and in their own words, they don’t think students should be stressed about starting their applications early — you have till fall anyway, they say.
This is, to put it lightly, obnoxious. It ignores how the high-achieving students who are capable of getting into Yale will be super busy come fall of senior year, and how they would benefit from being able to get a head start. However, they have built in a loop-hole: they put the supplement on their website. So, you can’t do the supplement in the common app, but you can still get a head start. They also confirmed to us that the questions on the Yale website are the complete supplement with the correct word limits, although there may be additional “yes or no” style questions when the supplement is released on the Common App in mid-August.
Before we start outlining some supplement strategies, you should know that Yale is test-optional for the 2023-24 application cycle. We don’t believe it is worth submitting your test scores unless you did nearly perfectly — over a 34 on the SAT, or nothing under a 760 on the SAT. Not submitting scores won’t work against you, but submitting lower ones could, and the competition is so tight that you only want to stand out in good ways.
If you’re overwhelmed by the politics of the college admissions process, send us an email. We are pros at this.
As we said, while Yale hasn’t released the supplement on the Common App, they have confirmed that the supplement on the Yale admissions website is indeed the correct supplement for this admissions cycle. Ready to dive in?
Students at Yale have time to explore their academic interests before committing to one or more major fields of study. Many students either modify their original academic direction or change their minds entirely. As of this moment, what academic areas seem to fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Please indicate up to three from the list provided.
This is a really long way of asking you to select three things from a list. There isn’t much to say here except to select things you actually want to study. Every year we have male students who want to study economics ask us, “Should I choose something like gender studies, so I stand out?” and every year our answer is the same. Do not pick things that you do not want to study, and that are not related to your current academic or, if academic routes were not available, personal interests.
For example, you may want to study ancient history and a relevant language, but you haven’t been able to take classes in that language already. That’s ok, and you should still select it as part of your answer to this prompt because it will make sense when the application readers look at your profile overall.
In summation: Don’t make things up. Don’t pick anything simply to “stand out,” as it will backfire. Do answer honestly and to the best of your knowledge at this time, with the understanding that interests shift, and new passions develop — that’s sort of the point of college, after all.
Tell us about a topic or idea that excites you and is related to one or more academic areas you selected above. Why are you drawn to it? (200 words or fewer)
We love this prompt because it invites the type of granularity and detail that will empower you to show off your a) focus b) expertise and c) enthusiasm. You have 200 words, which is a good amount of space, so you should plan to jump into a story immediately, forcing the reader into a moment in your life that embodies that enthusiasm you have for the topic or idea you want to focus on. Ideally, this moment is outside of the classroom, and highlights the intersection of your academic and personal lives around the subject you want to study. For example, if you counted sharks off the coast of Massachusetts for a summer and became deeply interested in cross-species apex-predator interactions, you could write about spotting a dorsal fin from shore and the way that tiny piece of data can inform safer swimming beach shark-mitigation strategies that save lives. Whatever you write about, show, don’t tell. You’re writing about something that excites you, so the reader should feel that excitement viscerally when reading.
What you shouldn’t devote space to here is explaining “why Yale?” as that’ll come next.
What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)
This is the “why us?” supplement, and it’s quite compact. In 125 words, you need to highlight something about the academic program you plan to pursue that makes it a uniquely perfect fit for you and something about the broader culture at Yale, academic or social, that you’re also drawn to. Be specific here. If there is a professor you’d like to study under, stay that. If there is a tradition that you’re drawn to, say that. If you just feel like it’s a fancy school and you want to go to a fancy school, don’t say that. Instead, go to the website and learn more about Yale, then come back when you have something specific to say.
Respond to the following short answer questions, in no more than 200 characters (approximately 35 words):
These are shorter than a social media caption, so keep it succinct and to the point!
What inspires you?
Speak to life, not to the classroom. Wet grass on bare feet. The sound of a kitten mewing. Your younger sibling learning a new word. Beyonce. How tiny technology has become. This is 31 words.
If you could teach any college course, write a book, or create an original piece of art of any kind, what would it be?
You have options here, but however you answer it you should format it as if you are ready to bring it into existence. Structure a college course answer like a listing in a course directory. Format your book idea as a title and the blurb that would be on the back cover. Title the art, and share the medium, size, and where it is being shown.
Other than a family member, who is someone who has had a significant influence on you? What has been the impact of their influence?
First, follow the rules and don’t write about a family member. Do write about someone you know or have at least interacted with in some way — i.e., not a celebrity, politician, or other prominent individual you’ve never met. They don’t care who you list at all, really. What they care about is the influence on you and how it’s changed your behavior. Educators (formal and informal), caregivers, bosses or supervisors, and friends are all good options.
What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application?
Have fun with this one: seriously. Everything that is critically important will be elsewhere in the application whether in your essay, activities list, resume, transcript, or other supplement questions. So, think of this as the “special skills” section at the bottom the resume. You could treat it as a joke, but that would be a waste. Instead, be earnest and share a hobby, interest, or passion that may not fit into your academic plans but that truly matters to you. Maybe you embroider jokes on pillows for your friends. If so, that’s cool and you should write about it.
Respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or fewer:
Below, we break down the approach to each of these prompts. Remember, though, you’ll only need to pick one.
1. Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful?
We recommend approaching this option with caution. If you aren’t careful, responses to this prompt can turn into something akin to when every late-night talk show ran a thousand “we talked to a Trump supporter” interviews as if they’d found a species of dolphin who was able to speak. This “fetishization” of difference can be entertaining to read or watch, but it doesn’t make for a good supplement because you risk getting lost in the mix, overshadowed by the person (or talking dolphin) with an opposing viewpoint. If you do insist on this prompt, we recommend only focusing on a conversation with someone you have an ongoing relationship with, like a family member, mentor, co-worker, or friend. By emphasizing that this wasn’t a one-off conversation, you’ll diffuse the sideshow act-nature responses to this prompt tend to take on.
2. Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected. Why is this community meaningful to you? You may define community however you like.
We love this prompt because it is both broad and focused. By allowing you to define community, it invites you to draw from anywhere in your life, but by focusing in on your experience within that community you’ll stay grounded in yourself — which is good because this is an application focused on you. We advise students to avoid academic clubs, religious communities, or conventional sports teams in favor of less traditional or less obvious choices. For example, you could write about the block you live on, the library where you volunteer shelving books, or the square dance society that practices in the local VFW. Whatever you write about, talk about it through the lens of a particular moment or experience before zooming out to share why membership in the community is meaningful to you.
3. Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?
This prompt is super open-ended, and feels a little like an “additional information,” section inviting you to write about a challenge or set-back. In reality, you can write about almost anything here as long as you reflect, at some point in your response, on how the experience shaped you. This open-endedness is great if there is something you’ve wanted to highlight that you haven’t had room for yet, but if nothing jumps to mind immediately, we recommend choosing option number two instead. If you do pick it, follow the same advice we give for option 2: focus in on a small and specific story before zooming out for reflection and contextualization.
Applying to Yale is an audacious undertaking, and they have one of the longer supplements in the game. This is good, though, as it helps them find what they’re looking for. Through hard work on these supplements, you can raise the chances of what they’re looking for being you.
If Yale is your dream school, send us an email. We have a proven track record of helping students get into the Ivy League.