Yale University's wording, checked October 26, 2026“Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful?”
How to approach it
- 1Choose an issue you care about and a person you respect.
- 2Spend more words on what happened in the conversation than on the issue.
- 3Explain why it mattered to you, which is the actual question.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1The issue and the person, briefly and fairly.
- 2The conversation: what was said, asked, felt.
- 3What made it meaningful, in your own terms.
- 4What you do differently now.
Where the 400 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| The moment or example | about 160 |
| What it shows or changed | about 140 |
| Why it matters, or what you bring | about 100 |
Mistakes to avoid
- A debate summary.
- Making the other person a villain.
The checklist our grader uses for this question
When you check your Yale answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 400 words limit they set its readiness verdict.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| A real difference | The issue and the other person or group are specific, and the difference between their views is stated fairly. |
| How you engaged | It shows the process (listening, questions asked, what the applicant said and did), not a debate won; the applicant need not be the hero. |
| What you learned | It says honestly what changed in the applicant's thinking or way of engaging, even if neither view changed, and how they engage with others now. |
| Yale's ask | Explains why the experience was meaningful, not only what was said. |
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Questions
More on Yale and this kind of question
- Harvard: A time you strongly disagreed · 150 words
- Columbia: A time you did not agree with someone · 150 words
- Duke: Difference of opinion · 250 words
- Johns Hopkins: Engaging across differences · 350 words
- Barnard: A woman who brings people together · 200-250 words
- Wellesley: Working alongside people different from you · 250-400 words