<p>As an American applying to a British school, should my essay be written in British English?</p>
<p>I’m no expert on this subject, but I would think you should write it in the “dialect” you’re most comfortable with (American). I’m a U.S. resident who subscribes to The Economist (a British publication). They don’t change spellings/words for their U.S. editions. By that logic, I don’t think you should have to either. Just don’t use a lot of American slang that they might be unfamiliar with.</p>
<p>Honestly, I have exactly the same problem except the other way round. As a British student and proud of it, I am just going to spell words the way I have been taught. Frankly, if a university would penalise me for that, it’s not worth going to, since that would be extremely petty.</p>
<p>An American university wouldn’t “penalise” you, they would “penaliZe” you. ;)</p>
<p>I was thinking of using a transatlantic spelling as found in the New Yorker magazine, but I decided to ask the admissions office for a preference.</p>
<p>Update:</p>
<p>The director of admissions claimed to have no preference. The Chicago Manual of Style replied to my initial question by stating, “No. That would not be reasonable.”</p>