<p>What are colleges looking for in the 150 word essay on the common app. it's too short to show much personality or development. I talked about learning to become a leader...? or are they looking for self-praise and accomplisments?</p>
<p>How about the 500 word essay? I talked about an athletic vs. arts internal conflict that i had, or it could be interpreted as a what im good at vs. what i love conflict.
but, really, what do they want?</p>
<p>WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE WANT FROM ME?!?!?!</p>
<p>oh, and for an essay topic that says "list the books you have read in the past year" are they expecting you to answer this one if you have read A LOT or GOOD QUALITY or BOTH? Does it matter? What are they judging here? How many would I need to do this one?</p>
<p>What they are looking for is simply a good sense of who you are, aside from statistics and test scores. Be genuine and truthful--let your personality shine through in this portion, because that is what will make you stand out.</p>
<p>150 word essay: Here they are looking for passion, interest. Are you simply going through the motions and doing your extracurriculers to look good, or do you really enjoy them? Talk about the one you love (not what you think they want) and why. </p>
<p>500 worder: Here you can really give them a sense of who you are. Again, don't force it; just be you. Write about something you love or get creative, whatever strikes you (they have a "topic of your choice" category). Avoid cliches like "I'm inspired by Gandhi" or "I want world peace." Think about what sets you apart, and convey that.</p>
<p>Books: AGAIN, be honest. Just write down what you've read, don't overthink it. If you don't read much, don't write much; also, don't just cut out books that might not be phenomenal/scholarly.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>