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Yale College Undergraduate Admissions

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Go inside the admissions process. 

Admissions Officers Hannah and Mark share the complex and dynamic work happening inside the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The podcast gives firsthand accounts of how officers read applications, make decisions within the Admissions Committee, and collaborate with other offices and resource centers. Hannah and Mark give an inside look into the strategies and processes that enable admissions officers to attract promising applicants from around the world, consider every applicant through a whole-person review process, and build a class. Recorded inside the Office of Undergraduate Admissions on Hillhouse Avenue, the podcast pulls back the curtain to reveal some of Yale’s most fascinating and rewarding work.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify ,  SoundCloud ,  Android Podcasts , and Google Podcasts . All episodes are embedded below: 

Standardized Testing Series

Episode 38: standardized tests – the big picture.

Part 1 in a 3-part series on Yale’s test-flexible policy. Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jeremiah Quinlan shares his thoughts on the role and value of tests generally, and how students should consider their scores during the college search process. Hannah and Mark discuss how admissions officers incorporate test scores in Yale’s whole-person review process, and they bust some persistent myths about testing.

Episode 39: Standardized Tests – The Details

Part 2 in a 3-part series on Yale’s test-flexible policy. Hannah and Mark reveal the details of Yale’s newly announced test-flexible policy, which goes into effect for first year and transfer applicants for fall 2025 admission. They explain how applicants will fulfill Yale’s requirement and describe the questions that will appear on Yale’s application. They address concerns and questions about the new policy and share advice for how applicants can put their best foot forward with their available scores.

Episode 40: Standardized Tests: How We Got Here

Part 3 in a 3-part series on Yale’s test-flexible policy. Over four years, Yale’s admissions office went from requiring the ACT or SAT, to being fully test-optional, to adopting a new test-flexible policy. Hannah and Mark give a quick history of the factors that led to those changes and an overview of what happened to Yale’s applicant pool in the wake of the pandemic. Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jeremiah Quinlan joins to discuss the data and analyses that persuaded the admissions office to update its testing policy in early 2024.

Episode 41: Bonus Episode: Standardized Tests and the Baseball Analogy

To help listeners better understand what test scores can and can’t say about a student’s relative strengths, Mark outlines an analogy he devised that connects standardized tests to his favorite sport. Dean Quinlan joins to discuss how applicants often overemphasize testing, the many ways applicants can show academic preparedness, and famous New York Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.

Reading and Committee

Episode 1: reading.

Hannah and Mark discuss how officers read applications, make notes, confer with colleagues, and prepare to present applicants to the Admissions Committee. Every year officers read more than 35,000 applications cover to cover and collectively make admissions decisions on each one. Admissions Officers Julian and John join as guests to discuss their strategies for reading and rating files. Transcript

Episode 2: Committee

Every admissions decision is made by a committee composed of five members of the Yale community. Hannah and Mark take listeners inside a real admissions committee discussion and describe how the members reach consensus and make decisions. Admissions Officers Jill and Alfie join as guests to discuss their roles as a committee presenter and a committee chair.  Transcript

Episode 25: Final Review

After every application has been read and has gone through an area committee, there’s one final step before decisions are released. Hannah and Mark discuss the last week of the committee process, known as Final Review, when loose ends are tied up and the hard reality of the selection process necessitates that some decisions change. Admissions officer Alfie joins to discuss how officers and committee members work together to finalize the first-year class.  Transcript

Episode 30: Reading Reloaded

For their thirtieth episode, Hannah and Mark revisit the application reading process detailed in episode 1. They share insights into the office’s new initial review process, which helps officers invest more time in the files that will get a full hearing in the admissions committee, and they detail the notes and ratings officers use when writing application workcards. Despite the significant increase in applications over the past three years, admissions officers still review files one at a time and make decisions via committee discussions.  Transcript

Episode 4: Essays: What Works

Part 1 of 3. The most effective application essays help admissions officers understand who students are and the contributions they would make to a community. There’s no formula or perfect essay topic, but Hannah and Mark discuss what makes an essay work for an applicant. Admissions officer Keith joins to share insights on the choices that can be most effective when writing an essay.  Transcript

Episode 5: Essays: What Doesn't Work

Part 2 of 3. Application essays are an opportunity to speak directly to admissions officers and share meaningful insights and reflections. Unsuccessful essays miss that opportunity. Hannah and Mark share some of the ineffective choices that regularly appear in essays and discuss why each choice doesn’t work to the student’s benefit.  Transcript

Episode 34: AI and College Essays: Wrong Question, Wrong Answer

The sudden availability of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have raised new questions about authorship, plagiarism, and fairness in college admissions. Hannah and Mark discuss why they think these tools are unlikely to help applicants gain an advantage in Yale’s selection process and why questions about generative-AI are the wrong starting point for understanding how to compose an effective college essay. LLMs can appear very knowledgeable, but they are inevitably ignorant of the foundation of any successful application: the unique person applying.  Transcript

Episode 33: Application Update 2023-2024

At the start of the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, Jackie joins Hannah and Mark for the second annual preview of the new and updated questions that will be on Yale’s first-year application. The admissions officers discuss the annual process of reviewing and revising the Yale-specific questions and the staff’s thinking behind each one. This episode is an update to Episode 6: Essays: The Little Stuff, originally released in summer 2020.  Transcript

Episode 6: Essays: The Little Stuff

Part 3 of 3. Most colleges ask applicants to respond to several shorter questions that are unique to their school. Hannah and Mark discuss what officers look for when reviewing responses to Yale-specific questions. Admissions officer Reed joins to share the admissions office’s process of writing and reviewing those questions at the end of each admissions cycle.  Transcript

Application Components

Episode 8: interviews.

Many applicants have an evaluative interview with a Yale student or alum as part of the application process. Hannah and Mark talk with Dara, the director Yale’s interviewing program, about how interviews work and what applicants can expect. They share do’s and don’ts for the interview and discuss how interview reports are considered in Yale’s holistic review process.  Transcript

Episode 19: The Activities Section

As part of the whole-person review process, the Yale Admissions Committee consider each applicant’s engagement with “extracurricular activities” – pursuits and commitments outside of typical academic work. Admissions officer Reed joins Hannah and Mark to discuss how application readers evaluate extracurricular activities and how applicants can stand out in this part of the application. The trio expand on some simple advice for selecting and engaging with activities: Be active. At the right level for you. Doing what you like.  Transcript

Episode 9: Recommendation Letters

Every application to Yale includes three letters of recommendation – two from classroom teachers and one from a counselor. Admissions Officer Moira joins Hannah and Mark to share advice on selecting recommenders and tips for educators when writing on behalf of applicants. The officers share how effective letters can bolster and enhance an application, and they express their gratitude to the educators who write for their students.  Transcript

Episode 10: Supplementary Materials

Applicants to Yale who have highly-developed artistic talents or experience with advanced STEM research have the option to include supplementary material with their application. Admissions Officer John joins Hannah and Mark to discuss Yale’s evaluation process for these submissions. Although most successful applicants do not submit supplementary materials, the officers share how evaluators rate submissions and who can benefit from including an arts or STEM supplement with the application.  Transcript

Admissions Advice

Episode 13: what stands out.

Most applicants to Yale are strong along many dimensions, but only a small group truly stand out. Hannah and Mark discuss how admissions officers try to gauge what an applicant would add to and take from the Yale experience. Admissions officer Keith adds insights about what makes applicants stand out in Yale’s large and diverse pool of prospective students.  Transcript

Episode 15: Dealing with Decisions

With decision day approaching, Hannah and Mark share advice for understanding and processing each type of decision: denied, admitted, and placed on the wait list. They discuss what each decision means (and doesn’t mean) about an individual, the applicant pool, and what comes next. They share the wisdom of former Dean of Admissions Jeff Brenzel: “Almost nothing depends on exactly which college admits you. Everything depends on what you decide to do once you get to college.  Transcript

Episode 26: Should I Even Apply?

The highly selective admissions process can be daunting and feel discouraging, especially for students who fear that some aspect of their personal circumstances will put them at a disadvantage. Prospective students often ask “Given the very low rate of admission, should I even apply?” Hannah and Mark share insights on how to think realistically about the foundational criteria that make applications competitive and the wide range of personal situations and challenges that officers routinely consider during the contextual holistic review process.  Transcript

Admissions Pathways

Episode 7: questbridge.

The Yale Admissions Office is a proud partner with QuestBridge, a national non-profit organization that connects students from low-income backgrounds with leading colleges and universities. Mark and Hannah interview QuestBridge Founder and CEO Ana McCullough about the organization’s strategy for matching top low-income students with full-need scholarships at top schools. Admissions officer Corinne also joins to share how Yale admissions staff review QuestBridge applications.  Transcript

Episode 28: Early Admissions

Selective colleges offer a variety of early admissions programs, including early action, restrictive early action, early decision, and early decision round 2. Hannah and Mark explain the differences among these programs and share insights on how the Yale admissions office approaches its single-choice early action program. At Yale, opting to apply through early action does not give an applicant any advantage, but the officers explain why an early program may be the right choice for some students at some colleges.  Transcript

Episode 16: Transfer and Nontraditional Students

The transfer and nontraditional students programs make up a small but important part of the admissions office’s work to create a diverse undergraduate community. Hannah and Mark cover the basics of applying through either program and share the office’s approach to reviewing these applications. Director of transfer admissions Marisa shares advice for transfer applicants – especially those enrolled in community colleges – and director of Eli Whitney admissions Patricia shares insights for nontraditional students – especially US military veterans.  Transcript

Fun and Games

Episode 17: the choices game.

In the process of putting together their applications, students make countless choices. To help applicants understand which choices are more or less likely to help their candidacies, Hannah and Mark invite their colleague John to join in a game of up-voting and down-voting common application choices. While none of these choices will make or break an application, the officers explain why certain choices are more or less beneficial during the review process.  Transcript

Episode 24: Lingo Bingo!

The world of college admissions and financial aid is complicated enough to have its own extensive vocabulary. Hannah and Mark try to make learning this lingo a little more fun by turning it into a bingo game. Admissions officer Marty joins the podcast to square off against Hannah in a spirited competition to identify terms that admissions and financial aid officers aid use in their daily work.  Transcript

Mythbusters and Q & A's

Episode 11: mythbusters.

The first installment in an occasional miniseries. Admissions Officer Jill joins Mark and Hannah to discuss and debunk some of the most persistent admissions myths. The officers review six common myths, covering topics that range from early action to demonstrated interest to online message boards. For each, they discus why the myth is inaccurate while revealing the small kernel of truth at its core.  Transcript

Episode 18: Mythbusters 2

The second installment in an occasional miniseries. Hannah, Mark, and Jill review and debunk six more persistent myths about the admissions process. For each myth, they identify a small kernel of truth while explaining why the myth is inaccurate. Topics include international admissions, course scheduling, and essay choices.  Transcript

Episode 23: Junior Year Questions & Answers

As they begin their college search journey, high school juniors face a mountain of information about the admissions process. Hannah, Mark, and Jill answer some of the questions that are most frequently asked by juniors. They share strategies for learning about schools, maximizing academic and extracurricular opportunities, and keeping the process in perspective. For juniors feeling overwhelmed or anxious, and for those who don’t know where to start the application process, the officers provide reassurance and advice.  Transcript

Episode 20: Senior Year Questions & Answers

As they begin putting together college applications, high school seniors around the world will encounter unforeseen issues that can provoke concern and anxiety. Hannah, Mark, and Jill answer some of the most frequently asked questions from seniors, including questions that stem from situations that may seem unusual or unfortunate. The admissions officers explain how the committee considers extenuating or unique circumstances and why those circumstances will not hurt a student’s chances of admission.  Transcript

Episode 21: Mailbag

The first in an occasional series. Admissions officer Reed joins Hannah and Mark to answer questions and address topics that listeners have sent to the Inside the Yale Admissions Office email account. Topics include seemingly taboo essay choices, the activities list, teacher recommendations, and when to contact your admissions officer.  Transcript

Episode 29: Mailbag 2

Podcast listeners have continued to send fantastic questions and topic suggestions to the Inside the Yale Admissions Office email account. Admissions officer Deb joins Hannah and Mark to respond to listener inquiries about the honors section of the application, twins, home-schooled applicants, reapplying, and balancing priorities in senior year.  Transcript

Episode 22: Financial Aid 101

In many ways, college financial aid can be even more complicated and anxiety-provoking than college admissions. Financial aid officer Matt joins Hannah and Mark to provide a simple introduction to the four tenets of Yale’s financial aid program: need-blind admissions, need-based financial aid, holistic needs assessment, and a commitment to affordability. The officers share insights on how financial aid applications are reviewed and advice on estimating your cost before applying.  Transcript

Episode 31: Yield Season

Yale admissions officers always look forward to April, when their focus shifts from selecting students to working closely with admitted students deciding where to matriculate. Throughout the whirlwind month, admissions officers, current students, faculty, and campus partners make countless connections with newly admitted students and their families. These efforts culminate in Bulldog Days, a three-day open house event produced by the same admissions officers who review applications. Hannah and Mark share some of the strategy behind Yale’s yield efforts and reveal an exciting plan for their next episode.  Transcript

Episode 14: Likely Letters

Admissions officer Ashleigh joins Hannah and Mark to talk about likely letters – a recruiting tool the admissions office uses with a small group of applicants each year. In this mini-episode, the office’s director of recruitment explains why some regular decision applicants receive a likely letter and addresses some common misconceptions.  Transcript

Live Events

Episode 32: bulldog days live.

A live audience of recently admitted students joins Hannah and Mark for a special episode recorded at Bulldog Days, a three-day campus preview program. Special guests Chandler and Marty share insights on how admissions officers plan and execute Bulldog Days with the help of current students and campus partners. Three admitted students reflect on their experience navigating the college search and application processes, and the hosts share dozens of pearls of wisdom submitted by audience members to help future college applicants.  Transcript

Episode 35: Mythbusters Live

In September 2023 Hannah and Mark hosted a special live virtual event for high school seniors. Responding to questions submitted by audience members, the hosts addressed common questions about essays, activities, intended majors, and the review process. They also shared their advice for navigating the application process during senior year.  Transcript

Episode 37: Mythbusters Live – EA Deadline Edition

With just days to go before Yale’s early action deadline, Hannah, Mark, and special guest Moira hosted a special live virtual event for students preparing their Yale applications. The officers answered questions about standardized testing, the activities list, essays, and short answer questions, while busting a few myths and dispelling rumors about the selection process.

Topics in the News

Episode 36: what’s the deal with that supreme court case.

In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in two cases about how admissions offices can consider an applicant’s race and ethnicity. Hannah and Mark explain the basics of the ruling and how it affects the work of the admissions office. Special guest Jeremiah Quinlan, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid, joins to share his insights on why the ruling should not affect how applicants and educators approach the college application process, as well as the details of Yale’s strategy for responding to the ruling to ensure that Yale’s student body remains diverse along all dimensions. The ruling changed the court’s interpretation of the law, but it did not change Yale’s values. 

Episode 3: COVID-19

As COVID-19 causes massive disruptions around the world, Hannah and Mark discuss how the Yale Admissions Office has adapted and will continue adapting to new realities for applicants, admitted students, and prospective students. Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid Jeremiah Quinlan joins as a guest to discuss how high school students should think about the selective admissions process in the face of the global pandemic.  Transcript

Episode 12: COVID-19 Update

Ten months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Hannah and Mark give an update on the admissions office’s rapid changes to work that would normally include thousands of in-person meetings and travel around the world. Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid Jeremiah Quinlan joins to discuss updates to the selection process, sharing what changed and what stayed the same during the Admissions Committee’s first meetings to select applicants to the Yale Class of 2025.  Transcript

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In new podcast series, yale takes listeners inside the admissions office.

Yale’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions has introduced a podcast series offering an inside look at the work that goes into building a Yale College class.

The new series, “Inside the Yale Admissions Office,” grew out of a desire among admissions officers to increase transparency about Yale’s whole-person review process and to help prospective students, parents, and college counselors understand how the office works.   

“ Believe it or not, the admissions process isn’t shrouded in secrecy,” said Associate Director of Admissions and podcast co-host Mark Dunn ‘07. “But it is endlessly fascinating and often very fun. Over the years, we’ve found that the more people understand about how officers review applications and discuss them in the admissions committee, the less anxiety they feel. We created the podcast to share the sorts of detailed explanations and reflections that can’t be captured on a website.”

In each episode — there are three so far — Dunn and Associate Director of Admissions Hannah Mendlowitz ’12 provide firsthand accounts of the selection process and debunk persistent myths — for example, that applications are scored with a rubric or formula (there’s no scoring and no formula), or that applicants are ranked (decisions are made one at a time, independent of one another), or that admissions offers read only parts of each application (they read everything front to back, in every application). The goal is to increase access to accurate information about the admissions process. The first episode was recorded in February, at the height of “reading season” — when a team of 25 admissions officers evaluates more than 35,000 applications, one by one. New episodes are expected to publish about once a month.

“ There are, sadly, some educational consultants who sell their services with false promises of insider information about a process they claim is filled with hidden secrets,” Dunn said. “Although knowledgeable college counselors play a very important role in helping students, we want to send a clear message to families: We’ll tell you everything you need to know, and we’ll do it for free.”      

In the first two episodes, admissions officers share insights about reading applications, presenting files to the admissions committee, and reaching decisions. The most recent episode covers the office’s response to COVID-19, including an interview with Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid Jeremiah Quinlan in which he advises high school students about preparing college applications during the pandemic. 

Mendlowitz said the series tries to follow a bit of advice she often gives applicants: “A classic tip for writing a college essay is ‘show; don’t tell.’ The podcast is our way of showing the world what we do and how we do it.”

The series includes candid discussions of admissions work, but does not use anecdotes from individual applications, out of respect for student privacy. 

Future episodes will cover more in-depth topics related to the application, such as essays and letters of recommendation, and other projects, including admissions officers’ global travel in search of promising students and how Yale welcomes tens of thousands of campus visitors each year. 

“ I’d encourage high school students, parents, educators, and anyone who’s ever wondered how we make our decisions to listen in,” said Mendlowitz. “I think admissions officers have one of Yale’s most fascinating and rewarding jobs, and I’m excited to share more of our work with the public.”

“ Inside the Yale Admissions Office” is hosted by the Yale Podcast Network and is available on  Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  SoundCloud ,  Stitcher ,  Android Podcasts , and  Google Podcasts .      

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Karen N. Peart: [email protected] , 203-980-2222

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The College Essay Advisors Podcast

• By: College Essay Advisors
• 5.0 out of 5 stars 5.0 (1 rating)

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Join College Essay Advisors' Founder and Chief Advisor, Stacey Brook, and Director of Advising, Becca Myers, for the inside scoop on all things college essay-related – from brainstorming tips to real time essay reviews. This is your chance to go behind the scenes at CEA and discover what admissions is really looking for!

15: How to Write the 2023-24 Yale University Essays (Part 2)

Join Stacey and Becca as they discuss the 2023-24 Yale University supplemental essay prompts. Part 2 of 2! Access our 2023-24 Yale University Supplemental Essay Guide: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/supplemental-essay/yale-university-2023-24-supplemental-essay-prompt-guide/ Watch some of our YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MaLsIu1vdE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6VxiKDeqQc Work one-on-one with an Advisor from our team: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/one-on-one-advising/ Follow us on social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeEssayAdvisors Twitter: https://twitter.com/CollegeEssayAdv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegeessayadvisors/ Website: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/ *Details have been changed as it relates to any and all essay examples mentioned in the podcast to protect the privacy of our clients. Don't forget to subscribe so you can be notified when we release new episodes!

14: How to Write the 2023-24 Yale University Essays (Part 1)

Join Stacey and Becca as they discuss the 2023-24 Yale University supplemental essay prompts. Part 1 of 2! Access our 2023-24 Yale University Supplemental Essay Guide: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/supplemental-essay/yale-university-2023-24-supplemental-essay-prompt-guide/ Watch some of our YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MaLsIu1vdE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6VxiKDeqQc Work one-on-one with an Advisor from our team: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/one-on-one-advising/ Follow us on social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeEssayAdvisors Twitter: https://twitter.com/CollegeEssayAdv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegeessayadvisors/ Website: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/ *Details have been changed as it relates to any and all essay examples mentioned in the podcast to protect the privacy of our clients. Don't forget to subscribe so you can be notified when we release new episodes!

13: The Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action & The College Essay

Join Stacey and Becca as they discuss this summer's SCOTUS Ruling on Affirmative Action, the ramifications for students of color (and the education system as a whole), and provide guidance to applicants wondering how to (or whether to) use the written components of the application to offer admissions additional context regarding their background and lived experiences. Read Stacey's take on the SCOTUS Ruling: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/a-message-from-our-founder-re-affirmative-action-and-the-college-essay/ Watch some of our YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MaLsIu1vdE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6VxiKDeqQc Work one-on-one with an Advisor from our team: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/one-on-one-advising/ Follow us on social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeEssayAdvisors Twitter: https://twitter.com/CollegeEssayAdv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegeessayadvisors/ Website: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/ Access our Supplemental Essay Guides: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/supplemental-essay-guide-2023-24/ *Details have been changed as it relates to any and all essay examples mentioned in the podcast to protect the privacy of our clients. Don't forget to subscribe so you can be notified when we release new episodes!

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Yale Daily News

Admissions office sidesteps formal AI policy, refers applicants to podcast

As early action deadlines approach, some universities have begun to consider the implications of AI for college application essays, but Yale has refrained from outlining a formal policy.

Staff Reporter

Madelyn Kumar, Senior Photographer

As current high school seniors rush to assemble their college applications, they face a new, unprecedented dilemma: whether to seek assistance from language-generating artificial intelligence tools.

This application cycle marks the first time applicants have widespread access to language-generating chatbots like ChatGPT, which launched in November 2022 . 

Some colleges, like the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, have issued formal statements on applicants’ use of AI. Yale’s admissions office informally warned against AI-generated admissions essays in an Aug. 29 episode of its podcast , “Inside the Yale Admissions Office,” but has refrained from issuing an official policy statement.

“Given how much insight and explanation we provided in the podcast, I hope that Yale has now shared more information and advice about AI and college essays than just about any other college,” Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid, wrote in an email to the News. “The fact that we have not yet tried to reduce the complexity of this topic to a short policy statement is a reflection of our desire to share more, not less. We may add written insights on this topic to our webpage in the future. But for now, we are directing students to our podcast.”

Quinlan is referring to a recent episode of the podcast — hosted by Mark Dunn ’07, senior associate director for outreach and recruitment at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, and Hannah Mendlowitz ’12, associate director of admissions — titled “AI and College Essays: Wrong Question, Wrong Answer.” In the episode, Dunn and Mendlowitz raise concerns about ethicality, plagiarism and misrepresentation when it comes to using generative AI to help construct admissions essays.

When students submit written content to colleges, Dunn and Mendlowitz said in the episode, they must sign a statement affirming that all work submitted is the applicant’s own. Submitting work written by ChatGPT or another generative AI model violates this affirmation, they said.

“If you’re asking questions about artificial intelligence as you start approaching your college application, we think those are the wrong sorts of questions to be asking,” Dunn said in the podcast episode. “The right sorts of questions are about you, who you are and what you want to include in your application. Similarly, artificial intelligence is not going to be the answer to this bigger question of well, how do I improve my chances of admission?”

Dunn and Mendowlitz explained in the podcast episode that admissions essays are not used to assess a student’s writing ability nor can they help an otherwise unqualified student gain admission.

Rather, the purpose of college essays is to help admissions officers gain a more comprehensive understanding of an applicant, Dunn and Mendlowitz said. They added that students’ essays should resonate with and expand upon other parts of their application.

“Even if you think that AI is going to be a better composer of English language prose than you are, it is not going to be better than you are at speaking for you,” Dunn said in the episode. “And from our experience, we can tell you that speaking for you is much more important than whatever levels of polish are on top of your writing.” 

Alfred Guy, director of undergraduate writing and assistant dean of academic affairs at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, has looked extensively at the ability of generative AI models like ChatGPT to imitate student writing.

What he found, he told the News, is that AI tools cannot yet produce analytical writing that is on par with the quality of human work, largely due to the fact that AI language models draw on past writing and are trained to present objective responses.

“It’s still the case that if there’s any reflective, synthesizing or judgment quality needed in the writing assignment, you can tell the difference between student writing and ChatGPT,” Guy said. “The relationship between having an idea and expressing it in a nuanced, slightly narrower way, is still something that a sophisticated language model can’t quite get.” 

It is easy, according to Guy, to differentiate an 18-year-old’s writing from the writing of a machine, especially when that writing calls for more than a simple recollection of facts.

However, he added that it is possible to manipulate ChatGPT to produce decent analytical essays by working and reworking the prompt fed into an AI platform. This process of trial and error reflects a level of skill and judgment similar to what is portrayed through a well-constructed essay, Guy said.

“Students do a lot of things over the four years that they’re at Yale, and writing papers by themselves is only one of those things,” Guy told the News. “The truth is, if you can do six iterations of something on ChatGPT with the right parameters, you’re practically writing. You are demonstrating a skill that probably would make you an interesting person to have in a Yale class. It’s not the exact same talent as someone who writes something surprising and weird on their first shot. But you do have to be at least a good enough reader and have enough judgment to push ChatGPT where you want it to go.”

After speaking with the News, Guy experimented with using ChatGPT to produce an essay in response to one of Yale’s supplemental questions, which asks students to consider a time they discussed a topic with someone holding an opposing view. After a few iterations, he told the News via email, he produced a response that was “not terrible.”

Will Lehrhoff, a senior at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York, is currently beginning to draft his college admissions essays. He spoke with the News about his experience grappling with the option to use AI tools as he completes his applications.

“Both teachers and college counselors have told us to stay away from using AI to help with admissions essays,” Lehrhoff said. “I think it’s fine for helping to come up with conceptual ideas, but actually using the language AI gives you is very risky. We don’t know what the colleges are thinking, and you could definitely get in very serious trouble.”

Guidance from other universities

Many colleges, like Yale, have not yet outlined a formal policy regarding the use of AI on admissions essays.

The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of just a few colleges to take a different approach. For this year, it added a new statement to its admissions website on how applicants should use AI tools on their applications.

“Tools like ChatGPT, Bard and other AI-based assistance programs are powerful and valuable tools,” part of the statement reads. “We believe there is a place for them in helping you generate ideas, but your ultimate submission should be your own. ​​We think AI could be a helpful collaborator, particularly when you do not have access to other assistance to help you complete your application.”

The News spoke to Rick Clark, assistant vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions at Georgia Tech, about the rationale behind his office’s statement and his advice to other colleges on how to address the emerging AI question in college admissions.

Clark explained that without a surefire way to identify application essays written by AI chatbots — and without a uniform AI policy issued by its broader university — the Georgia Tech admissions office decided to construct its own statement on the use of AI by applicants.

According to Clark, the objective of the statement is to clarify that, while a student should never copy and paste directly from an AI platform, they should not be afraid of using tools like ChatGPT to help them brainstorm and edit, the same way they might use a college counselor or parent. 

Clark pointed to a recent New York Times article that considers the ability of AI tools to democratize student access to writing help as they complete their college applications.

“I would absolutely not say that it completely levels the playing field, but I do think it is a step in the right direction in terms of a bit more equity, a bit more democratization in the college application process,” Clark said. “And I think that’s a good thing. And I hope that my colleagues at Yale and other admissions offices around the country would feel that way too”

Many prospective students have expressed relief at Georgia Tech’s decision to release an official statement, Clark told the News. 

Clark also noted that students often perceive college admissions as a closed-off, secretive process, and he hopes to create a more open dialogue between students and admissions offices. Releasing an official statement allows students to base their decision to use AI on fact rather than speculation, he added.

“AI is a reality; it’s ubiquitous within high schools and within the lives of teenagers,” Clark told the News. “So we can’t hide under a rock and ignore that it exists. It’s incumbent upon us to give students some guidance, or to adopt a policy.”

He added that when admissions offices choose to remain silent, students must choose either to get “more stressed” or to “come up with their own narrative or speculation” about what a college does or does not want.

He also stressed the importance of continual revision to college policies on AI, as the technology is still in its early stages of widespread use and is evolving rapidly.

Clark urged admissions offices to consider the nuances of the situation rather than issuing a “knee-jerk” reaction and banning the use of AI in essays. He emphasized the importance of transparency between admissions offices and high school students.

Quinlan and Dunn maintained that a short policy statement fails to acknowledge the complexity of the issue at hand. They encouraged students who are curious about Yale’s stance on AI in admissions essays to listen to the podcast episode. 

“It is not the case that ever using one of these tools, even when working on your college essay, is a flagrant violation of policy … We aren’t going to dig into the specifics of where that line is, but let’s just keep it simple: artificial intelligence should not write your college essay, and we think it’s not going to help you in the areas that most matter to making your essay stand out,” Dunn said on the podcast.

As of February 2023, ChatGPT had over 100 million users.

Yale University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 2

You Have: 

Yale University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

Short Answers dominate the Yale application. So, in brief, they’re looking for confidence. When an essay must clock in at under 100 words, you don’t have time to waffle. There’s no room for you to circle your main idea with broad statements. You’ve got to get straight to the point, and clearly. The successful applicant will choose precise words that can do double — even triple duty — telling your story (literally), bringing vivid details to life, and highlighting your overall intelligence.

The Requirements: 1 list; 6 short answer questions; 1 additional short essay of 400 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s):   Why ,  Short Answer , Community ,  Oddball

Short Answer Questions

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..

There’s only one trick to generating a straightforward list of your academic interests: be honest. If you already know what you want to major in, or have it narrowed down to a few departments, you’re set! Don’t waste time trying to strategize. Choosing anything other than your true interests would be a misrepresentation of who you are and a disservice to you and the admissions office. This assignment will no doubt be most challenging for the undecideds, but to help you narrow your focus, try to tell a story with your choices. How can you use this to reveal something about what you value and what excites you intellectually? You could try to illustrate a general inclination (art history, studio art, and American studies). Or if you really feel like you could go any direction, try to show a balance, picking majors across domains that link to each other in a way that still makes sense (biology, psychology, classics)—you’ll thank yourself when answering the next question.

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)

You’ve only got 100 words, but if you chose wisely (and honestly) in the previous question, answering this one should be a cinch. Whether you listed one or several interests, your goal is to tell a cohesive story about your intellectual curiosity. Ideally, you should try to recount an anecdote that illustrates your engagement with your chosen field, or demonstrates your ability to link seemingly disparate fields. Perhaps you’re interested in both religion and astrophysics because each offers a way for you to contemplate our place in the universe. But while you may be tempted to wax philosophical, you should beware of veering into overly abstract territory. This is a great opportunity for you to explain how your intellectual interests relate to who you are as a person. Don’t waste it!

What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)

This is a short version of the Why essay, the mini Why. Yale wants to make sure you are psyched for the full college experience at their school. So, we’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: DO. YOUR. RESEARCH. As a top school, Yale attracts many applicants based on its reputation alone, so it won’t do you any good to go on and on about the world-class education you will receive. Yale admissions officers know — and they know you know. Locate specific opportunities within your department and related programs and centers that really make your heart sing with excitement.

And make sure you talk about yourself! Yale doesn’t need a summary of its website (even if you write about a forgotten page deep in the Math Department website). Talk about your academic and professional goals and how Yale will help you achieve them. What unexpected classes might you want to take to sate your curiosity? How will you drive yourself to succeed? Don’t forget to include details about personal growth. If you think you can accomplish this and that on campus, what experience do you have to back up those claims? What about the Yale experience will enrich your life overall? Which extracurricular activities and organizations will you take advantage of? Do they offer quidditch ? If so, you should definitely play. Figure out why you’re applying to Yale over all the other schools out there – and then deliver it with eloquence and confidence.

Applicants applying with the QuestBridge Application will complete the questions above via the Yale QuestBridge Questionnaire, available on the Yale Admissions Status Portal after an application has been received.

Applicants submitting the coalition application or common application will also respond to the following short answer questions, in no more than 200 characters (approximately 35 words):, what inspires you (200 characters or fewer).

200 characters is not a lot of characters, especially when it comes to a concept as broad as inspiration. You don’t have time to describe what the word means to you, and admissions officers don’t have time for vague answers (“nature”) or trite ones (“my mom”). First and foremost, have fun with this prompt. Think of the 200 character challenge as a game. Then, get specific. What experiences have launched some of your best ideas? Although you won’t have time to relate the whole story, you can draw upon your personal experience for a hyper-specific, memorable answer like “the color of fresh drosophila eggs” or “Goldie Hawn’s crazy eyes in Death Becomes Her .” You get the idea.

If you could teach any college course, write a book, or create an original piece of art of any kind, what would it be? (200 characters or fewer)

The previous question asked you what inspires you, and this one is asking you what you can do. What are you good at? It’s time to show your stuff. Reach beyond the traditional academic areas and toward skills you may have cultivated on your own time (e.g., gardening, rock climbing, baking, etc.). Then, think about how you might share this talent with others, whether that be through a course, book, or artwork. Maybe you’ve been making TikToks reviewing your favorite YA novels for some time now. Would you teach a class on the politics of the modern heroine in YA fiction? Perhaps you could talk about marine life for hours on end. Would you write a book on the idiosyncrasies of giant isopods? There is no right or wrong answer here, so write about the subject that interests you the most!

Other than a family member, who is someone who has had a significant influence on you? What has been the impact of their influence? (200 characters or fewer)

Since you have so much to say in so few words, our advice is to summarize this person’s accomplishments succinctly and leave room to offer admissions deeper insight into their influence on you, what you value, and the kind of person you aspire to become. The person you choose to write about can be someone in your local community—a friend, a teacher, a community leader—or someone you haven’t yet had the chance to meet IRL. Maybe there is a renowned scientist who inspired you to pursue your chosen field. Perhaps an artist or thought leader has altered your understanding of what it means to be human. No matter who you choose, remember that this should say more about you than it does about them, so stay the course!

What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application? (200 characters or fewer)

This is one of the hardest prompts! What do they want to know?! Where do you start? Birth? School? Puberty? First, take a breath and calm down. Think about why they’re asking you this question and it will all fall into place. While many applications look similar, with impressive grades, extracurriculars, and teacher recommendations, this essay makes it so you can stand out from the crowd with your personality. Do you have a very sarcastic sense of humor? Do you make more dad jokes than your own father? Do all of your friends refer to you as the “artsy” one? Yale wants to know that you’re more than your transcripts, so take this opportunity to share a piece of yourself that they wouldn’t otherwise get to see. This prompt also lends itself to recycling previously written essays for other schools quite well, so you might want to consider revisiting it once you’ve made a dent in writing your supplemental essays for other schools.

Applicants submitting the Coalition Application or Common Application will respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or fewer. 

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.

Engaging with others in meaningful conversations about important issues can be intimidating and challenging, and the Yale admissions committee knows this. Nevertheless, we have all experienced standing up for our beliefs in some capacity, so scroll through your memory to identify a time when you had an uncomfortable conversation with friends, family, or even mere acquaintances. Maybe you engaged your grandparents in a conversation regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. Were you able to clearly communicate your perspective? What did you take away from the discussion? Perhaps you learned that one of your friends was a passive supporter of an organization that you vehemently disagree with. How did you broach the subject and what was the outcome of your conversation? You don’t need to have changed someone’s mind (or your own!) to impress admissions here. You just need to show that you’re not afraid to engage with those who may have different opinions than you. College will present you with a plethora of opportunities to meet and interact with people who are very different from you, so show Yale that you’re game to learn, listen, share, and grow.

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.

“A community to which you feel connected” could be anything: your family, a club at school, your dance troupe, women in STEM… you get the idea. If you’ve been wanting to spin your 8-bit video game obsession into an essay, this prompt is offering you the opportunity to describe your community of old-school gamers. Whatever community you choose, remember to define your place within it. Who are you to your fellow community members? How does being in this community add to your life or identity? Why is it meaningful? As always, try to be as concrete as possible as you develop your story, giving examples as you go. Just brainstorming your topic may remind you of a video you made or photo you took that you can use as a jumping off point. You might even consider digging through old photos and notebooks as a way to brainstorm!

3. Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?

This is a fabulous prompt because it’s just about as open-ended as it gets. If the other two essay prompts didn’t speak to you, this one is here to save the day! Yale wants to know what has made you into the person you are today. What you focus on here can really run the gamut, but it should be something that you feel will help you to contribute to Yale’s community in a unique way. Is there anything you can teach your classmates about your hometown, traditions, culture, identity, race, or ethnicity that they might not already know? What has influenced your identity? What do you believe and how will your worldview bring something of value to the community at Yale?

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AI and College Essays: Wrong Question, Wrong Answer

By yalepodcasts | august 29, 2023.

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The sudden availability of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have raised new questions about authorship, plagiarism, and fairness in college admissions. Hannah and Mark discuss why they think these tools are unlikely to help applicants gain an advantage in Yale’s selection process and why questions about generative-AI are the wrong starting point for understanding how to compose an effective college essay. LLMs can appear very knowledgeable, but they are inevitably ignorant of the foundation of any successful application: the unique person applying.

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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

Author Interviews

Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

An NPR editor who wrote a critical essay on the company has resigned after being suspended

NEW YORK — A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal views resigned on Wednesday, attacking NPR’s new CEO on the way out.

Uri Berliner, a senior editor on NPR’s business desk, posted his resignation letter on X, formerly Twitter, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended for five days for violating company rules about outside work done without permission.

“I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems” written about in his essay, Berliner said in his resignation letter.

Katherine Maher, a former tech executive appointed in January as NPR’s chief executive, has been criticized by conservative activists for social media messages that disparaged former President Donald Trump . The messages predated her hiring at NPR.

NPR’s public relations chief said the organization does not comment on individual personnel matters.

The suspension and subsequent resignation highlight the delicate balance that many U.S. news organizations and their editorial employees face. On one hand, as journalists striving to produce unbiased news, they’re not supposed to comment on contentious public issues; on the other, many journalists consider it their duty to critique their own organizations’ approaches to journalism when needed.

In his essay , written for the online Free Press site, Berliner said NPR is dominated by liberals and no longer has an open-minded spirit. He traced the change to coverage of Trump’s presidency.

“There’s an unspoken consensus about the stories we should pursue and how they should be framed,” he wrote. “It’s frictionless — one story after another about instances of supposed racism, transphobia, signs of the climate apocalypse, Israel doing something bad and the dire threat of Republican policies. It’s almost like an assembly line.”

He said he’d brought up his concerns internally and no changes had been made, making him “a visible wrong-thinker at a place I love.”

In the essay’s wake, NPR top editorial executive, Edith Chapin, said leadership strongly disagreed with Berliner’s assessment of the outlet’s journalism and the way it went about its work.

It’s not clear what Berliner was referring to when he talked about disparagement by Maher. In a lengthy memo to staff members last week, she wrote: “Asking a question about whether we’re living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions. Questioning whether our people are serving their mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful and demeaning.”

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo revealed some of Maher’s past tweets after the essay was published. In one tweet, dated January 2018, Maher wrote that “Donald Trump is a racist.” A post just before the 2020 election pictured her in a Biden campaign hat.

In response, an NPR spokeswoman said Maher, years before she joined the radio network, was exercising her right to express herself. She is not involved in editorial decisions at NPR, the network said.

The issue is an example of what can happen when business executives, instead of journalists, are appointed to roles overseeing news organizations: they find themselves scrutinized for signs of bias in ways they hadn’t been before. Recently, NBC Universal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde has been criticized for service on paid corporate boards.

Maher is the former head of the Wikimedia Foundation. NPR’s own story about the 40-year-old executive’s appointment in January noted that she “has never worked directly in journalism or at a news organization.”

In his resignation letter, Berliner said that he did not support any efforts to strip NPR of public funding. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism,” he wrote.

David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder

Program: Conversations

A portrait of Peter Dutton

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Lech Blaine has written a Quarterly Essay on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who remains something of an enigma to many Australians.

Since becoming leader, Peter Dutton has been determined to defeat the Albanese government, not by winning back the heartland metropolitan seats they lost in 2022, but by tearing off the outer suburban and regional electorates that have traditionally voted Labor.

Lech traces the rise of Peter Dutton from outer suburban schoolkid, to Queensland police officer, to a new kind of Liberal leader.

Further information 

Lech's Quarterly Essay is published by Black Inc

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Sleep Apnea Reduced in People Who Took Weight-Loss Drug, Eli Lilly Reports

The company reported results of clinical trials involving Zepbound, an obesity drug in the same class as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.

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By Gina Kolata

The pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly announced on Wednesday that its obesity drug tirzepatide, or Zepbound, provided considerable relief to overweight or obese people who had obstructive sleep apnea, or episodes of stopped breathing during sleep.

The results, from a pair of yearlong clinical trials, could offer a new treatment option for some 20 million Americans who have been diagnosed with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. Most people with the condition do not realize they have it, according to the drug manufacturer. People with sleep apnea struggle to get enough sleep, and they face an increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, strokes and dementia.

The study’s findings have not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Eli Lilly provided only a summary of its results — companies are required to announce such findings that can affect their stock price as soon as they get them. Dr. Daniel M. Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s chief scientific officer, said the company was still analyzing the data and would provide detailed results at the American Diabetes Association’s 84th Scientific Sessions in June.

But experts not affiliated with Eli Lilly or involved in its studies were encouraged by the summary.

“That’s awesome,” said Dr. Henry Klar Yaggi, director of the Yale Centers for Sleep Medicine in New Haven, Conn.

He added that the most common treatment, a CPAP machine that forces air into the airway, keeping it open during sleep, is effective. About 60 percent of patients who use continuous positive airway pressure continue to use it, he said.

Dr. Eric Landsness, a sleep medicine researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, said the Lilly results were “phenomenal.”

They suggest, he said, that tirzepatide “is a great alternative for people who are obese and can’t use CPAP or are on CPAP and want to improve the effect.”

He added that unlike current treatments that address only the symptoms of sleep apnea, cessation of breathing, tirzepatide goes after the underlying cause, the blockages in the airway that make a person stop breathing.

Tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Zepbound, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss in November. The agency previously approved the drug for diabetes under the name Mounjaro. Tirzepatide is part of the class of GLP-1 drugs that includes Ozempic and Wegovy, which are sold by Novo Nordisk.

Patients who participated in these Eli Lilly trials were overweight or obese and had moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, with moderate defined as stopped breathing at least 15 times an hour during sleep. The trials did not involve those with central sleep apnea, a type that occurs because the brain stops signaling the muscles that control breathing.

One of the Lilly studies involved about 200 people with obesity who could not or were unwilling to use a CPAP machine. Half were randomly assigned to tirzepatide, a weekly injection. The others got a placebo.

Those who got tirzepatide had an average of 27.4 fewer apnea events per hour compared with an average reduction of 4.8 events per hour for placebo.

The other Lilly trial involved about 200 people with obesity who used a CPAP machine and were encouraged to continue using it except for the assessments of their apnea episodes. Those who took tirzepatide had an average of 30.4 fewer events per hour after a year of the drug, compared with an average reduction of six events per hour for participants who got a placebo.

In both studies, participants who took tirzepatide lost about 20 percent of their weight. Dr. Skovronsky of Eli Lilly attributed the results to the loss of fat deposits in the tongue and airway.

Many people with obesity, Dr. Landsness explained, have fat deposits in the tongue and in the back of the throat. The neck gets larger with fat that narrows the airway, and the tongue gets larger in all directions, “like blowing up a balloon,” he said. During sleep, the tongue obstructs the flow of oxygen, repeatedly waking the person repeatedly.

Researchers assumed that losing weight would reduce obstructive sleep apnea episodes. But before the new drugs like tirzepatide, significant and permanent weight loss was all but impossible for most people with obesity unless they had bariatric surgery.

Marishka Brown, director of the federally funded National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, said it had been difficult to know how much of an effect weight loss would have on people with sleep apnea.

“Sometimes the sleep apnea goes away, but not always,” Dr. Brown said.

For that reason, she added, when asked if weight loss is an effective treatment, “the research community has been a bit cautious about saying yes or no.”

Now, with the new results, that tentativeness may change, researchers said.

Of course, everyone in the study was eligible for tirzepatide anyway — it is approved for people with obesity, meaning those with a body mass index of at least 30, or for those with a body mass index of at least 27 and with obesity-related medical conditions.

But insurance companies do not always pay for tirzepatide for weight loss. The drug’s list price is about $1,000 a month, but insurers pay much less . Eli Lilly sells the drug to people without insurance for $550 a month.

Dr. Skovronsky said that Eli Lilly planned to submit an application to the F.D.A. and to drug regulatory agencies around the world requesting that tirzepatide be approved for the reduction of sleep apnea in people with obesity or who are overweight.

“The goal is for insurance to cover it,” Dr. Skovronsky said.

Gina Kolata reports on diseases and treatments, how treatments are discovered and tested, and how they affect people. More about Gina Kolata

A Close Look at Weight-Loss Drugs

Ozempic’s Inescapable Jingle: The diabetes drug has become a phenomenon, and “Oh, oh, oh, Ozempic!” — a takeoff of the Pilot song “Magic”  — has played a big part in its story.

The Era of ‘Brozempic’: Some telehealth start-ups are playing up masculine stereotypes to market GLP-1s  — the revolutionary class of drugs like Ozempic — which have been more widely associated with women.

Taking on Weight Stigma: Oprah Winfrey, a prominent figure in the conversation about dieting and weight bias, tackled the rise of weight loss drugs in a new prime-time special . In December, she shared that she was taking a medication to manage her weight.

Beyond Weight Loss: Wegovy is now approved for a new use: reducing the risk of heart attacks , strokes and cardiovascular-related death in adults who have heart disease and are overweight

Pregnancy: Doctors say they are seeing more women try weight-loss medications in the hopes of having a healthy pregnancy. But little is known about the impact of those drugs on a fetus .

Muscle Loss: As drugs like Ozempic become increasingly popular for weight loss, more doctors and patients are looking for ways to counteract the muscle loss that can happen on these medications. Companies are racing to meet that demand .

09/04/2024 The Essay

• Society & Culture

Preparation for a performance on stage goes beyond just memorising lines, learning blocking and hoping it will be alright on the night. A diligent actor studies the history of the period of the play, learns about the intentions of the playwright, and absorbs from older colleagues knowledge of how the play has been done in the past. In his less than stellar career as an actor, Michael Goldfarb went through this process many times. In this essay, he appears in Maxim Gorki's Summerfolk, a play about the Russian upper-middle classes at their summer homes, as their country teeters on the brink of revolutionary catastrophe. He remembers Russian theatre, theatrical friendships and after-show drinking.

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