<p>For the optional question 2, i.e. the favorite books, movies, etc thing..is that supposed to be an essay response or just a list?</p>
<p>Iris, they’re trying to find out something about you that they can’t glean from the other essays or application materials, and you would really like to tell them something attractive about yourself that they can’t glean from the other essays etc. It’s up to you to choose the way that suits you and conveys your message best. </p>
<p>I imagine most kids would find it easiest to write a paragraph or so. Explaining why you like A or B is a pretty good way to communicate something about yourself. But some people could do it with just a list – it’s just harder and takes more work to get it just right. (See Lorrie Moore’s first book, Self-Help, which was a brilliant exercise in using lists to tell stories.)</p>
<p>The last time I wrote about this issue (it comes up a lot), I compared it to being on a first date. Talking about books, movies, music, TV shows is a great, non-threatening way to get to know someone better. But you don’t do it to show off what a great critic you are, or to educate the other person about cultural stuff, or to give a completely full, accurate accounting of what you like and dislike. You do it to get the other person to like you, to think you are interesting, worth spending time with, maybe kissable. That’s pretty much what this question is for.</p>
<p>Thanks, that helped me out. :)</p>