<p>If you do add fictional elements, make sure that they are either small or things that no one would ever have a way of knowing otherwise.</p>
<p>Just like everyone else says, don't lie.
And also, don't feel like you have to write some crazily offbeat essay.</p>
<p>I wrote pretty much from the heart: growing up in a single parent family.
There was nothing incredibly shocking in the essay, it pretty much held up by itself cause I was told it was pretty powerfully written.
And yea, it was pretty friggin' good too; it got me into Duke, Emory, Vandy, Rhodes (with full scholarship!), and all my state schools (with full scholarship). I did get waitlisted at WashU though. Rejected from none. However, I want to stress that I'm not genius...my test scores are barely borderline for all the top schools I listed. It was my recs and essay that saved the day.</p>
<p>So, don't feel like you have to conjure out something crazy. And as someone mentioned before...if the admissions committee feels like your lying or just embellishing the heck out of everything, you'll probably get rejected. </p>
<p>Also, be succinct. I was forced to choose my words carefully; I used the common app which asked to applicant to cap off the essay at 500 words. I was told by Vandy that what made my essay stand out was how much I was able to convey to the reader with such a short limit.</p>
<p>Show, don't tell; don't say you're creative and cool; write up some action you did that lets the reader know you are.</p>
<p>Oh, and it helps if there's something in the essay that makes your reader smile. Though I had a pretty serious tone, I interjected some funny story about my parent's ability to comprehend English in there lol</p>
<p>And don't use overly big and flashy words. Talk like you normally talk...and for the most part, without slang unless you have some dialogue.</p>
<p>And try to write about an element the reader doesn't really know about you yet. Remember, they have youre application...try to write about something that reveals a more personal side to you.</p>
<p>Applying for colleges is basically a game, and if your ultimate goal is to get into THE school, then you should do whatever you feel like you need to. I don't think you should tell a complete lie on your essay. However, if your life is truly boring and you've never experienced anything significant which moves you, then it may be necessary to add in something extra.</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but I continue to be bewildered by those who say it's okay to embellish your essay as an ends that justify the means. Because if you are a strong enough writer you don't need any fictional elements or exaggerations to compensate for what's not there. And also, there are plenty of other essay choices that don't focus on you per se. Rather, discuss your favorite quote, or take a page from your autobiography [it can be the future which has some basic roots in your life yet can actually be allowed to have fictional elements, perhaps it can be your life after you graduate from college X], or even some creative analysis of your "boring" life, regardless, there should be no reason to enter the realm of fiction unless the essay itself reasonably and logically calls for some exaggerations.</p>
<p>I don't think you should lie, but I don't think you should sell yourself short. </p>
<p>I agree with Bibsburg...this isn't the honor-meter, this is getting into your dream school. You only get one chance.</p>
<p>I think you are misunderstanding how to use the essay Bibs. It doesn't need to be a brag sheet, it is a way for the AdCom to understand what it is that makes you tick.
Look at it like this: When I am interviewing an aplicant for a job, and I ask a question, I don't want to hear about all the things that they did at their old job, I want to hear about how they will work and what they want to do in my company to help us be more successfull. In the same way, you don't need to spend all your time trying to make your past sound great; instead, focus on what that school and you can do to make the future great.</p>
<p>The idea that you should even consider resorting to lies just to get into college is completly unbelievable to me. Your future lies with you (and your character), not the school that you go to. My boss got a plain old BBA from Mich and now he is worth about $8B (yes, Billion). He is smart and works hard, he didn't even bother to get an MBA. Your future relys on you, not on what school you attend.</p>
<p>For those who think that it's OK to lie on essays, I'm curious about what kind of things you think that the colleges are looking for.</p>
<p>I know that when looking at essays, the colleges are looking for information about the applicants' writing skills and character. Consequently, why make up anything?</p>
<p>The adcoms aren't making selections based on who had the most exciting essay. They are using the essay to find out more about you.</p>
<p>Consequently, if you are known for your zany sense of humor, use the essay to show it. If you like nature, show that aspect of yourself. If your life changed when you had a 10th grade math teacher who noticed that your out of the box thinking would help you be an excellent engineer, describe that classroom experience and what you want to do with your future.</p>
<p>The secret to writing good essays is not whether the subject is exciting, but how you write about the subject. The best college essays took a lot of thought and hard work, and lots of rewriting so that strong verbs are used as well as specific, telling details that support the points one is trying to make. This is the "secret" of the best writers of all genres. They think. They write. They rewrite.</p>
<p>My d wrote a great one about watching an autopsy.</p>
<p>I am not suggesting that it's good to lie. BUT if someone's top priority is to get into THE school, and he/she will commit suicide otherwise, then I think it may be necesary to add in something. For example in my "favourite quote" essay for Cornell, I know I don't feel that strong towards the quote. I may be totally wrong, but I don't think it's that bad to say you like something VERY much when you only like something period.</p>
<p>Taw isn't saying her friend wrote it, she's saying her friend found it and read it to her.</p>
<p>"For example in my "favourite quote" essay for Cornell, I know I don't feel that strong towards the quote. I may be totally wrong, but I don't think it's that bad to say you like something VERY much when you only like something period."</p>
<p>As lies go, that's pretty minor. I am curious, though, why didn't you use a quote that you really liked? What was wrong with being yourself?</p>
<p>Unless your favorite quote is by Hitler or some similar person, I doubt that the college would reject you because of it. They also probably didn't accept you because of your quote. It wasn't the quote that was important anyway. It was what you said about why you liked the quote, and what that revealed about your character. </p>
<p>More than likely, if you had told the truth, you still would have been accepted, and you'd have had the good feeling of knowing that you were accepted based on who you were, not a fake persona.</p>
<p>Also, if a person will commit suicide unless they get into their top choice, they have major emotional problems that won't be solved by lying or even getting into their top choice of school.</p>
<p>If you're a good writer, why don't you write about the experiences that shaped your writing skills and helped you become good at writing? I believe no good writer has a boring personality, because if they were boring it would be extremely difficult for them to write interesting pieces. I completely agree with northstarmom - why is getting into a first choice so important that a person can commit suicide after finding out he/she was rejected? And if, after you've tried your best to describe your life truthfully, your first choice still rejects you, maybe the school is just not right for you. Personally, I wrote about a childhood experience when I couldn't pronounce the sound "L" and had to struggle to speak like everyone else. It was truthful, and it conveyed my true self. Something as simple and silly as that can go a very long way to communicate your true personality.</p>
<p>At my school, there are two stages involved in admission. First you have to submit an application (including essays) and get invited to a weekend for candidates. Only after that weekend do you find out if you actually got in. That weekend includes an interview in which you sit in a room with a current student, a faculty member, and a staff member, and talk about who you are and your passions etc. It would be pretty easy for them to notice if your application essay didn't match you.</p>
<p>
[quote]
As lies go, that's pretty minor. I am curious, though, why didn't you use a quote that you really liked? What was wrong with being yourself?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's because I didn't feel that strong towards ANY quote, and the one I wrote about was the best one I could find. :p.</p>
<p>if you truly are a great writer, then the honest truth will be amazing.</p>
<p>agree with underthebelljar, sometimes the most mundane topics can become outstanding essay topics. However, if you have survived an accident while mountain climbing, been attacked by terrorists or discovered the way to cure cancer then write about that.</p>
<p>Dear God, if any college adcoms saw this thread and saw you considered lying in your essay, they would reject you instantly!</p>
<p>Think about what you've achieved in your life. Think about any times you were hurt, upset, or feeling bad. Think about times you were happy, grateful. Think about times you were scared.</p>
<p>Then think about what you could say about all of these moments, and work off of that.</p>
<p>Got dammit, it's not about achievement.
Honestly, I've seen horrible writers write AMAZING admissions essays and I've seen great writers write horrible admissions essays.</p>
<p>You know what the trick is? Nothing!</p>
<p>Honestly. I wrote about having water ballon fights, learning to play with platics swords and, umm...rising the Confederacy again?</p>
<p>Yes. I'm not joking. I got in.</p>
<p>If the essay shows YOU and they want YOU., then hell, great for you. But honestly, the essay should show you. If you are boring, well...umm...you probably aren't the kind of student they want.</p>
<p>Ok if I didn't have to choose one of the 4 topics, I wouldn't have to lie about anything. One of them is pretty specific about an achievment.</p>
<p>My college essay was about a moment my dad and I had, where we both kind of united over progressive rock music, despite our philosophical differences and never being that close to each other. It wasn't anything special - probably nothing more extraordinary than what most people have had. But as long as you can write well, describe truthfully something that is meaningful to YOU, you're golden. It doesn't have to be about an extracurricular.</p>