<p>aptennis91, my personal take is that some talks regarding politics is okay if you can integrate them into what you want to express in your essay. I would not talk about my personal take on those issue in any specificity in essays. Don’t beat your politics into your readers head. But again, if conservatism is a part of you, do not hide it and come across as someone you’re not. Put it as your EC and be confident with yourself, it’s what I did.</p>
<p>So, I’m gonna ask again:</p>
<p>Does this work both ways or not? I’m starting to get worried…I mentioned two liberal things in my essay, saying that I hope to help debunk myths about atheism and help end discrimination against bisexuals. Is it possible that these things would offend conservative adcoms? Or is it different because I’m not attacking anyone?</p>
<p>It is not attacking I think, more defensive, so I am not sure if it is the same thing. Be careful though. Where are you guys addressing these topics?? On the supplemental essay?</p>
<p>Well, mine was on the Common App one. I’ll post the paragraph:</p>
<p>“I feel my writing is my strongest way to give back to the world that has inspired so much of my work. I hope to raise awareness of many issues, causes, ideas, and experiences that don’t receive mainstream attention or in-depth exploration. For example, I want to debunk myths associated with atheism, help end the specific discrimination faced by bisexuals, and encourage healthy alternatives to drinking and doing drugs. I believe that television and film have a unique way of shaping society and individual mentalities, and I want to do all I can to mold both in positive ways.”</p>
<p>not offensive in any way, you just seem like an advocate of you standards, but not a nutjob one.</p>
<p>Not offensive at all.</p>
<p>It’s pretty simple to avoid issues – the essay should not be about the hot-button topics. They should serve as tools to reveal something about yourself. It’s also pretty easy to spin things without sacrificing their accuracy.</p>
<p>Okay, good. Thanks, guys! :)</p>
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<p>He’s righ. See? I can make unsubstantiated statements that are irrelevant to the thread topic as well. Seriously, some people are incapable of being appropriate.</p>
<p>OP, the adcom’s concern is that you will be like that poster.</p>
<p>^Or the OP’s concern is that the ADCOM will be like the poster. If said adcom is gay himself/herself, chances are…they would be. </p>
<p>It’s those people who are against gay marriage that commit hate crimes, bully others, etc. - not those for it.</p>
<p>It is those people against abortions that picket in front of abortion clinics and humiliate/threaten scared women, threaten doctors who provide abortions (or murder them, in one recent high profile case), etc.</p>
<p>The extreme conservative element when it comes to these two issues is frightening, and the liberal side is not as violent and hateful (as it has been on other issues, such as environmentalism). I’m not saying the OP is like that, but unfortunately the hyper conservative have fueled the liberal’s points on these issues, making it all the more touchy to deal with them and potentially submit them to a liberal adcom, who in top of finding the stance close-minded, may have personally experienced or know someone who experienced a hate crime or other attack. Fairly common for that to be the case for even gay youth today, and certainly the case 20 years ago.</p>
<p>The essay in question doesn’t seem like it makes a big deal out of it, though, and if it emphasizes the importance of debate/research, it may not matter significantly if an adcom has a knee jerk reaction to a statement or two in it (I’d personally always avoid it, but it’s up to the OP). If there was any right way to go about discussing these topics, I’d say the OP’s way is the right way, so, live and let live. Again, if handled appropriately, even an extremely liberal adcom might have to admit that is not necessarily the OP’s fault for believing as he does - he may come from a conservative family or conservative town. And in that case, he/she might think Princeton would open OP’s mind a little, if anything ;).</p>
<p>@jjavdm haha it took me a minute till i got it, too. it´s not a too commonly used term in school ^^. i just hope life at a liberal university like princeton will make the OP think over his/her views about the two things she/he mentioned, and probs over some others as well…
i am from vienna. where are you from in holland?? i have been in amsterdam this summer, it was awesome. do you know the adm, the squatted port in amsterdam? we stayed there, in a friends caravan… it was great. and the city itself… soooo nice ^^</p>
<p>@aptennis. i will say one thing though. if you want to discuss these issues, please think over some of the arguments you mentioned. if you want to appear as an open minded and convicted conservative, you should avoid arguments that can mostly be found on agressive pro-life websites with absolutely no scientific foundation, or arguments that totally depend on the personal view of people (like the beginning of life: there is absolutely no agreement on this issue in sight, be the disputants biologists, ethicists, or simply students like us)</p>
<p>please don´t take this post as being offensive, there is much tension related to these issues on my side, and i hope you did not take it personal, because it isn´t. i hope we can sit in princeton next year and have a focused and interesting debate over these and other topics ^^
good luck!</p>
<p>^ I live in Rotterdam(another city, 'bout the size of amsterdam) very fun too, but different. I like amsterdam as well. Vienna nice, I’ve never been, but I hear its a very nice city. Totally agree with you on the topic in the thread btw. Just a very very stupid question maybe, whats an OP?</p>
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<p>But the OP shouldn’t be worried about that if he presents his essay correctly – the adcoms are watching out for people who are overly vehement and discuss politics inappropriately and at inappropriate times. Like the poster. My statement stands.</p>
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<p>A closed-minded view? That’s a new one. Views can’t be closed-minded, only people can.</p>
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<p>“Fault?” Wow. And as far as I can see, the OP’s mind does not need opening.</p>
<p>OP, given these posts, I’m a bit more hesitant to suggest that you should go with the topic unless it is handled extremely carefully, or only mentioned in passing. If posters are unable to overcome their biases and superiority complex, I doubt adcoms will be able to.</p>
<p>@jjavdm</p>
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<p>acronym for…Original Poster: the person that started the thread</p>
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<p>Yeah, right. Try to read what I actually said. </p>
<p>I put in my two cents partially to illustrate the attitude that a lot of people have on such a hot button issue. There are absolutely people who view being against gay marriage, especially from a stance other than a total abolition of marriage, as illogical and immoral, and with strong conviction. Putting a view that is shrinking both in the country as a whole and even more so at major universities and among younger people is a MASSIVE risk that he should not take. </p>
<p>I was interested to see if anyone would have an overly excited reaction to my post, though.</p>
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<p>I did read exactly what you said. Which is why I responded the way I did – Princeton and ODUS care deeply about conversation and dialogue. Stating that a position is flat-out wrong is not something they want to occur, and will be wary of students who seem to be vehemently vocal in their views but unwilling to discuss them. The fact that an adcom disagrees with a viewpoint in an essay does not mean that they will be biased against the applicant. That is my whole point, which is why you should read what I write.</p>
<p>This topic may be settled, but I would like to say that the essay you propose could absolutely not a mistake. Some of the most effective essays I’ve ever read were about quite hot-button issues, as long as you present yourself as a person who is as OPEN-MINDED and mature as he is opinionated and focus more on the “journey” than the outcome.</p>
<p>Get real—there is no space on this application to get into a discussion. AGAIN, I said what I said to make the point that it is extremely dangerous to present a view that can be opposed so vehemently, especially by people in the admissions committee. I doubt it would make much difference, but it still could, so if this guy is looking to maximize his chances it’ s probably beneficial not to put down such an opinion. </p>
<p>For the record, I’ll also 100% defend what I said that being against gay marriage is as close to flat-out wrong as you can get, but I don’t think either of us wants to get into that debate here.</p>
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<p>And I’m simply stating that I don’t believe it actually is, or at least that was my position at the beginning of the thread. The adcoms really don’t care what you believe so long as it isn’t overtly discriminatory. The gay marriage issue is far more complicated than, say, slavery, the Holocaust, etc., so it’s not comparable. Abortion, etc. are the same way. The fact that I think abortion is a horrible ill does not mean that I will be biased against a candidate based solely on an opposing view.</p>
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<p>You are correct on the second. As for the first, we all have our bouts of psychosis, so I’ll leave you to resolve that struggle on your own time. :P</p>
<p>Why is abortion horribly ill? also for once I would like to hear a real argument against gay marriage. you are smart people, enlighten me:p</p>
<p>No such argument exists. The only one that maybe makes a little bit of sense is abolishing marriage as an institution with legal standing altogether, and that’s more of a circuitous argument against gay marriage.</p>