<p>Um, so I've written a 282-word essay on how/why I decided I wanted to major in math. I really do want to submit this essay; it talks about an experience so incredibly stupid that it couldn't have happened to anyone else, and tells much about me.</p>
<p>The problem is, I'm not sure whether to write it in the 12b or in the optional essay section. Obviously, this goes waaay over the word limit for 12b, but if I just squish this into the optional essay question, whatever I come up with for the actual 12b essay will end up being redundant.</p>
<p>maybe in 12b, just give a couple of sentences about it, and then at the end say something like "i have included further details in the optional essay section"or something like that</p>
<p>So I'm going to assume that 12b is the question about something that you do for the fun of it...if not, please correct me.</p>
<p>I would absolutely use the longer version of your essay for one of the optional sections. If you think it's important, it probably is, and it deserves to be there. If you're worried about redundancy, you have a few options.</p>
<p>1) You could split the essay into 2 parts, one part containing the "stupid experience" for the optional essay, and some more generic information about why you like math in the 12b spot. I obviously don't know what your essay says so, I have no idea how utterly impossible this might be. =)</p>
<p>2) You could come up with something else for 12b- I'm sure each of us have several options that we could fill that with.</p>
<p>3) You could stop worrying. As long as you don't copy/paste, what's the difference between being redundant and being consistent?</p>
<p>I hope this answers your question, unless I made wrong assumptions at the beginning, in which case please let me know. =)</p>
<p>12b (sorry, I should've specified this) is actually the 'which department appeals to you' question, but your suggestions (especially #3) are still helpful =D.</p>
<p>So for plan A, I'll see if I can come up with a consistent-but-not-redundant answer for 12b, and if that doesn't work out, I'll go with plan B that salank suggested.</p>