<p>Keshira, I’m willing to concede that there are excellent teenaged writers, who write beautifully and in depth. But even with those writers, you can tell that they are teenagers. There’s a “feeling” to them that shows that the writers haven’t had a lot of experience out there in the real world (dare I say “innocence” or “sweetness”?). Anne Frank was a splendid writer, but disagreeing with frazzled, I believe that hers was always an adolescent voice. This was based on what she said and how she viewed her world.</p>
<p>There seems to be a feeling in this thread that “writing with an adolescent voice” means writing badly. I don’t think that’s true. And I still believe that, for the most part, admissions officers can tell the difference between a beautifully written essay by a teenager and a beautifully written essay (or a badly written essay) by someone who’s trying to sound like a teenager.</p>