July 8, 2007
Posted by Sam Jackson
A Word About the Yale Admitted Student Questionnaire
Remember what I said two months ago about a survey Tufts sent me?
Here’s the long and the short of it, and this mirrors my experience just with the tufts survey: they are not only very long, but they are tediously long. People seemed to be genuinely interested in filling out these surveys and helping out, but help us help you. Long forms with redundant questions are a no-no. Complex matrix-like button pushing is also out. I think if the survey entry process could be simplified and brought up to a more professional, 2007 standard, there would be less angst on the part of participants. Throw some AJAX in, make it look less like SurveyMonkey, and you’re set. Shortening and tightening the questions wouldn’t hurt, either.
Well, a couple weeks ago Yale sent me an admitted student questionnaire and then repeatedly emailed me until I finally sent it in. Basically.
Dear Admitted Student,
Yale Dean of Admissions Jeffrey Brenzel recently sent you an Admitted Student Questionnaire. If you have already completed and returned the survey, thank you for doing so. If not, I hope you will take a few minutes to do so today. Your responses will provide invaluable information so we can best serve future.
"Awesome," I said to myself. "This questionnaire has been helpfully designed to take only a few minutes- how thoughtful of the Yale Admissions Office!" How wrong I was. I opened the questionnaire-packet to find myself confronted by about 100 questions. Allowing a mere 10 seconds per question, that survey would take nearly 17 minutes to complete. "A few" indeed. Was the survey gratuitously long? Not particularly--I still filled it out. But I was annoyed by the misrepresentative sell. Was it necessary?
And, just to re-emphasize my earlier fear: please, no surveys asking for feedback about the feedback surveys.
I'm currently a rising senior at Yale University and I've been blogging about college admissions and higher education marketing trends since I began my college application process in 2005. I now also write about my experience here at Yale.
4 Comments
July 9, 2007
Got to love surveys about surveys. A feedback survey should be at most 5 or so questions long, one would think.
July 9, 2007
One would think so, right? But, as the applications themselves should demonstrate, we're just assumed to be so enamored of bubbling from our standardized testing that we have no qualms filling in hundred question long surveys.
July 10, 2007
Wow man, all I can say is awesome blog. I really like the editing that you did to it, and especially this "preview" widget at the bottom of the screen - very cool.
And a lot of props for getting into Yale...very impressive. Unfortunately, I'm only a junior and the excruciating pain of applications and the subsequent waiting is yet to come. Yale is definately one of the schools that I'm looking at, but I don't know so much about my chances of getting in; those Ivy leagues are so strange at times.
But you seem to be very well-read in the whole field of admissions. Perhaps I'll ask you if I need some help. Especially if a college sends me a 100 question survey :p.
Enjoy being among the best and the brightest - and good luck!
July 12, 2007
Pace yourself some Alex, especially as far as worrying and freaking out goes. Otherwise you'll burn out (too early). Relax, keep a clear head, and you'll do fine! And as always, happy to try to help answer any questions.
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