<p>I need help. This supplement is driving me up a wall, and I'm having issues coming up with people to write about, or what even CMC wants in their supplement. Any tips/reminders on how to approach this essay? Does it need to be a prominent leader, or can it be someone who may not be as well known? Ah, I'm confused. </p>
<p>Here's the supplement:</p>
<p>Leadership is a constant theme and emphasis at CMC. In fact, one of the ways we describe CMC students is "Leaders in the Making." Choose someone, fictional or nonfictional, historical or contemporary, whom you consider to be a leader. Suppose you are this person's primary advisor. How would you advise this person and why?</p>
<p>i have to admit this essay is pretty tough. i chose a prominent person who is quite difficult to write about so i had to do some research, read biography and etc. </p>
<p>and now i am having a hard time truncating this 900 word essay.
are you applying via ED?</p>
<p>so I went on a more obscure route, (a character from a book). My essay started out really long, but I was beginning to feel it was more about analyzing the book than the character’s leadership qualities, so I cut a bunch out. now mine is only about 400 words…which I don’t know if its long enough. I answer the question, and I didn’t want the school to feel bogged down in a long essay…</p>
<p>The admissions representative that I met with at my school told me that the usual essay is about two to three pages (double spaced), but there is no minimum or maximum, as long as you can effectively convey your point. That said, you don’t want it to be really long if it’s a bunch of redundant statements or unnecessary fluff. He also said that the essay is a demonstration of your writing skills on a more “academic” subject than the usual CommonApp essays, so it needs to be very strong prose, but you should also attempt to convey a strong sense of yourself and why this leader is important to you through your essay… I’m still working on mine, but yes, it is very difficult.</p>
<p>ED? No… financial issues. However, I’ve set my goal to get it all done by the scholarship Dec. 1 deadline, which gives me 3-ish weeks. At the pace I’m working at now I’ll be done in around 3-ish years.</p>
<p>Obviously, there are many ways to approach this essay, but I think I would write about something I was passionate about or with which I had considerable experience. For example, if I had an interest in politics and had been on a debate team, I might advise one of the Republican candidates for President on how to improve their performance in the debates. Or if I was an athlete and knew a lot about sports, I might advise the Commissioner of the NBA on how to end the NBA lockout. Again, there are many ways to approach this essay, but if you write about something you feel strongly about or can connect it with an activity with which you have been involved at school, I think it will be much easier to write the essay. The essay, in my opinion, will be much more authentic and will reflect your personality, values and your own point of view. I bet it would also be apparent to the reader that you actually were excited about the topic and had strong feelings about the advice you gave this leader.</p>
<p>My D1 is currently a junior at CMC so I checked her essay (still on my computer when hers crashed during app season). The essay was just over 1000 words. It was a less well known figure in history who had a large impact. The subject matter was definitely a passion of hers which was apparent in the essay. I do not think most essays should be that long (she loves to write). I would recommend choosing a person that would be unique that reflects your passion and values as stated above ^. Take note it can be a fictional character - be creative in your choice.</p>
<p>This was from a CMC publication or website a while ago. The essay prompt was a little different then, but I think it still reflects what they are looking for. Hope this helps.
I think the first part refers to some one asking if you are at a disadvantage if you use a common subject.</p>
<p>“Tips on the Essay:
Obama, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Oprah, Bill Clinton, Paul Farmer and yes, Osama Bin Laden. And finally: no, you’re not at a disadvantage.
The essay requirement on the CMC Supplement to the Common Application applicants to discuss the topic of leadership by analyzing a leader and giving reasons why that person, fictional or non-fictional, is important to our culture. To the admission office, culture means: the world. So, it’s not a surprise that students choose world figures, media giants or financial gurus (think the Oracle of Omaha). But, really, who or what you choose to write about is less important that how you choose to write. This is persuasive analysis. We want you to convince us of what you’re trying to do. Don’t rehash the A&E biography program you saw on Queen Elizabeth I of England, tell us why her policy obfuscation mattered in your own words and why it matters in our understanding the British History. It’s more like an editorial in a newspaper and less like a narrative history of events. Think analytically. Keep answering the SO WHAT aspect of your argument. That will help you write better”</p>
<p>I guess the pressing question is: does one write on a titan of history, someone like Alexander the Great, or Napoleon? Or would it be better to pick an obscure name and write a significant essay?</p>
<p>I’m writing about Angela Merkel (might change) and what she needs to do make sure the Euro survives. Keeping it practical and applying my knowledge of economics.</p>
<p>^I doubt it would be an issue (not that I would really know for sure, I’m applying this year too)- it seems to be more about your writing than the particular leader you choose, and I feel like a college as good as CMC would be open to political opinions that aren’t quite the norm.</p>
<p>I wrote about myself as I have been a leader throughout my life. I wrote how I would advise myself to do all these things but I would tell myself not to follow these opinions becasue I wouldn’t learn from past experiences and be the person I am today. Any advice?</p>
<p>Honestly, I think I’d be able to write a great essay on Trotsky. But given the paranoia and resentment of the last half century, I have my reservations. </p>
<p>@underwaterclouds, I’m sure you could. With such an open-ended prompt I’m sure CMC expects people to go about it in very different ways. As long as you adress the question and all of it’s parts I think how you format it is less important.</p>