<p>Q) List the books (if any) you've read this year for pleasure. Choose one and in a sentence describe its impact on you.</p>
<p>Is The Godfather a very popular choice?
(I was planning to write about it..)</p>
<p>Is mentioning popular books a disadvantage?
Or since the 'impact' varies from person to person, the book's choice doesn't really matter..
So, is it advisable to mention a less popular book?</p>
<p>I think you’ll write the best essay if you actually think about a book that has had a significant impact rather than guess what the adcom is looking for.</p>
<p>But to more directly answer your question, the Godfather could be fine.</p>
<p>Dude, it is a sentence. Don’t over-think it; instead, answer what first comes to you- all they want is to know you better. If you have to misrepresent yourself to get in, then Carnegie Mellon is not the school for you.</p>
<p>I went for brave new world because I felt like it really did have the biggest impact on me. Did the godfather have the biggest impact on you? If so, write a sentence about why. My sentence was about how brave new world inspired me never to solely rely on the comfort and luxury that all the technological advances of our time bring, or something like that.</p>
<p>Is this essay weighted a lot? Of course, I’m not an admissions officer but it would surprise me if it was… there’s only so much one can learn about you in one sentence, especially when compared to the Common App Essay and the one-page “Why CMU” essay they require anyway.</p>
<p>I went for Inferno. Really awesome book.</p>
<p>The Fountainhead, which impacts me significantly</p>
<p>would a book that was made into a movie be a bad choice?</p>
<p>Writing about a book that was made into a movie is completely fine! Last year I talked about “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” because I thought the book was very well-written.</p>
<p>just make sure you are not confusing the movie with the book. many screenplays do not follow the true word of the book.</p>
<p>You’re all talking about essays, screenplays vs. novels, etc. but the fact of the matter is: this is a single sentence! No matter how many 'and’s and semicolons are attached, it can still only be so long. They’re not expecting a miracle. If anything, I’d say this was meant to be a bit of an icebreaker, something quick and easy for us to feel more confident about because there is no right or wrong answer. Just relax, guys. I’m sure everything will work out fine in the spring, and the weight of their decision did not rest on the book you choose. Good luck!</p>