Yale University's wording, checked October 26, 2026Students 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.“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?”
How to approach it
- 1Narrow from a field to a question: not "biology" but why some trees in your street drop leaves weeks earlier than others.
- 2Show how you pursued it: what you read, tried or asked.
- 3End on what you still want to know; that is why you are drawn to it.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1The idea, named precisely in your first sentence.
- 2Where it came from: one moment, text or problem.
- 3What you did with it beyond class.
- 4The question still open for you, and how it ties to the areas you selected.
Where the 200 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| The moment or example | about 80 |
| What it shows or changed | about 70 |
| Why it matters, or what you bring | about 50 |
Mistakes to avoid
- Summarizing a field.
- Choosing an idea that has nothing to do with the areas you picked.
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 200 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. |
| One specific idea | It names one specific topic, question or idea early, narrower than a whole subject. |
| Evidence you pursue it | It shows what the applicant read, built, asked or tried on their own, beyond required class work. |
| Your own thinking | The reader sees how the applicant's mind works on it: a connection, an opinion, a question still open. |
| Yale's ask | Ties the topic to one or more of the academic areas the applicant selected, and says why they are drawn to it. |
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Questions
More on Yale and this kind of question
- Stanford: What excites you about learning · 100-250 words
- Northwestern: Dream up a class or project · 200 words
- Caltech: Process: the thought behind the outcome · 200 words
- Caltech: Learning: a STEM rabbit hole · 200 words
- Caltech: Pursuing: sustained intellectual engagement · 200 words
- Carnegie Mellon: A successful college experience · 300 words