My essay isn’t fictional by any means, but I included some magical realistic elements in it for stylistic purposes. One of these instances is a scene in which I am seated outdoors and a water droplet lands on the word ‘home’. I don’t think it is distracting but I’d like to hear other people’s opinions.
I’m sure every student has used some creative license in their college essays. As long as it isn’t blatantly false and doesn’t distract from the overall picture, it should be fine. However, the instance you refer to may come off as too perfect, or corny and unreal.