Yale School of Management (SOM) invites you to select the one that speaks most to you, so pick the question that you think will allow you to best communicate your character and values. There is no \u201cright\u201d prompt, so be honest with yourself about which option gives you the greatest opportunity to demonstrate your fit with SOM and its values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Via your essay, the admissions committee is trying to get to know you and what matters to you, so be as honest and open as possible, and be sure to tell stories. Your essay should not read as a dry, academic accounting of one aspect of your life, so make sure that you come alive in your writing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For prompts 1 and 2, the information you\u2019ll provide in your essay response will not likely overlap with anything else about you that the admissions committee will be able to glean from the rest of your application. This is a great chance to show the school who you are beyond your resume and transcripts, what makes you tick, and what you are passionate about. Although some information about your most significant challenge might appear on your resume, there will be a lot of gaps for you to fill in, so take advantage of this opportunity. Now we\u2019ll look more closely at each prompt, one by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Table of Contents<\/p>
1. Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it? (500 words maximum)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This essay prompt has been around for a few years (even before the other options were added), though it did not initially have that second line. However, the questions the second line poses were always implied and should therefore have inherently been part of one\u2019s essay answer anyway. It would seem that many applicants did not provide that information, leading the Yale SOM admissions committee to get explicit about these elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way of framing this essay is that the admissions committee wants to know what commitment means to you. So, it is not enough just to name your commitment \u2014 you have to demonstrate how you have followed through with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We encourage you to not think too narrowly in defining \u201ccommitment.\u201d You might immediately think of committing to a person or a goal, of course, but you could also commit to a value, a cause, a lifestyle, a project \u2014 you get the idea. Really run through all the possible options from both your personal life and your career to find the one thing that has captured your devotion above all else. Consider what excites you and what your passion is. If you choose something finite, such as a goal or project, you\u2019ll likely end up sharing a single anecdote in your essay, but if you want to illustrate your commitment to a cause, ideal, or the like, your essay will be more effective if you describe multiple events or situations that underscore your allegiance. That said, with a limit of only 500 words, you will have to be judicious in how you approach describing various examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask yourself why you made this commitment, and convey your motivation in your essay. Also consider any challenges you\u2019ve faced. How has your commitment evolved over time? What parts of your life does it affect (especially if this might not be immediately obvious to an outsider)? You can treat this as a \u201chero\u2019s journey,\u201d taking the reader along a narrative that exemplifies your perseverance. Often, a good structure begins with the \u201cAha!\u201d moment that started you on the path toward the commitment, followed by the trials that nearly took you off the path. But don\u2019t fall into the trap of making this a laundry list of challenges; you need to leave room to describe the actions you took to overcome the challenges and what the outcomes were of your efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, share any lessons you have learned as a result of your dedication. How have you grown personally since making the commitment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n