<p>So we have to describe 2 or 3 of our "intellectual interests"... </p>
<p>I was wondering how did you guys organize your essay? </p>
<p>Did you just spend the top half (or 1/3) describing one interest and the other half describing the other interest?</p>
<p>Any tips on how to organize it? Thanks</p>
<p>Me, too! Any advice is welcome!</p>
<p>Don’t stress too much on writing a perfect essay.
Honestly, I didn’t get any revisions from anyone and just sent in a very mediocre essay.
I think the main essay was around 40% of the word limit, and my supplement was only ~100 words.
As expected, I still got in.
The essay portion barely matters, but English teachers put an emphasis on writing a “great” essay to make themselves feel good about “helping” the students get into a college.
What matters the most are your GPA and SATs. Focus on that and don’t stress over something so minute.</p>
<p>Don’t trust everything that Dishonored says. If just GPA and test scores are all it takes, most applicants wouldn’t be rejected. It’s a combination of GPA, test scores, essays, letters of rec, ECs, talent, hooks, and fit. You never know what might tip your application over to an acceptance compared to your peers. It ALL counts.</p>
<p>Back to OP’s question, there is no formula. Make sure you answer all parts of the prompt (don’t forget to include why the college would be the right environment in which to pursue your interests). Make it interesting and be yourself. Have 1 or 2 people (English teacher, parent, etc.) proofread it for errors. Remember, admissions officers are reading many thousands of essays, so make yours memorable so that it stands out. Essays (and letters of rec) let them know if you are the kind of person they want on their campus. If someone with perfect scores and GPA writes essays that show they are pompous or boring, they may get tossed into the “no pile”. Good luck.</p>
<p>I organized my CAS essay organically. The first 1/3 was about creative writing, the second 1/3 about how my love of writing translates into my interest in bioethics, and the last 1/3 about how the mysteries of science have also drawn me to astronomy. It wasn’t particularly stellar, but I made it VERY VERY specific to Cornell, so it got the job done.</p>
<p>Basically every college admissions officer will tell you that essays are an integral part of your application, because they have the ability to set you apart from everyone else. It’s an even bigger deal if you apply as an English major (like me), but aside from some in-class “peer revisions” that everyone had to do, I edited my own essays. OTOH, I don’t recommend having TOO many people give you advice, as it can diminish your own voice.</p>
<p>My best advice is to let your writing flow from one idea to the next … if it’s written naturally and honestly, it’ll sound that way, too.</p>