<p>@scoutie4 It’s a combination of just seeing basic writing skills, but also to see more about you, the way you think, and what you value. Think about it - aside from a possible interview, this is the only place on your application that you can present yourself in a way that isn’t just stats or a list. This is where your personality comes through, and, oftentimes, your one place to have a one-on-one “conversation” with the admissions reader. </p>
<p>I want to try to write an essay about my sister and how influential she is to me, but i don’t really know which essay topic i can manipulate that into. Is 5 the most logical one?</p>
<p>@spiritkoi Generally, when asking “which prompt does this best fit with?”, the answer is 1. You just have to write about something/someone important to you. It’s by far the most open-ended prompt. :)</p>
<p>I’m a transfer applicant.</p>
<p>I was wondering, is an academic evaluator the same thing as a recommendation? I was under the impression that an academic evaluator was your counselor or advisor that was able to say you are in good standing with the school.</p>
<p>I want to write a story about how music has affected my life and growth (I know it sounds contrived from that sentence but if you read it you’d see it’s quite different than you’d expect). Would Topic 1 be good for that?</p>
<p>@NCXfer I would think so! But please don’t take my word for it - that’s definitely something to ask your school counselor when school starts again!</p>
<p>Speaking of which, when does school start up again for all you guys? I’m a bit luckier than most - I start on Sep 2nd. What about the rest of you?</p>
<p>@BassGuitar Option 1 is fine. If you’re unsure of which topic to use/it’s a topic about something important to you that doesn’t directly fit into any of the other prompts, it’s always option 1 (I’m writing about how books are a big part of my life, and I’m using the same prompt) :)</p>
<p>@theluckylinguist [I’m on a gap year teaching at my high school] We start classes on Friday, we have grade level retreats/orientation on Wednesday/Thursday, faculty had training starting last Friday, and I started working there on August 4. So, for me, technically, beginning of August ^.^</p>
<p>@LAMuniv Wow, ok! So you’ve already been “in school” for a while then, it seems. Taking a gap year to teach is really impressive! What sorts of classes are you teaching?</p>
<p>Just a sophomore English class with a built-in honours section - I have a lot of jobs I’m doing besides teaching, so they would only let me teach one class, haha.</p>
<p>School already started for me on August 6th 
</p>
<p>the 6th is way too soon lol. I started yesterday</p>
<p>Wow! Seems like most people are starting right now. I’m lucky to be enjoying my last week of summer How are you guys with essay writing? Been struck by inspiration or are you floundering for help? </p>
<p>its like half and half for me. On the short essays for Stanford and others, I’m like “Wow this is brilliant” and then for the actual long ones (specifically the UC Personal Statement) I’m like “God this is crap”</p>
<p>I sat down to brainstorm essay topics and I ended up eating ice cream and watching the “Heyeayeayea!” 5 hour version while crying about how I didn’t have essay topics</p>
<p>Make of that what you will</p>
<p>I have a common app question - my D is a junior so she won’t be creating a Common App account for another year, but is there a PDF version of the common app that I could print out to see how the questions about activities/work/awards are phrased? I found a PDF for the Universal College App but can’t seem to find one for the Common App.</p>
<p>Related, when do students create their Common App account? Does anyone do it as a junior to get a preview, or must she wait til she’s a senior?</p>
<p>Thanks -</p>
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<p>@GnocchiB
Students create their Common App account when the school application session is open for their class. For example, I created my account for the 2014-2015 session(since I am a senior now) when they announced how they reopened the website/apps are updated. She can get a sneakpeek/preview, but the questions for colleges she want to apply to could change by the time she is a senior. Also keep in mind that the account she makes now, everyone even mine included, will all be erased/reset around july of 2015 to prepare for new accounts to be made(class of 2016). You do have option to save a pdf file of your apps. </p>
<p>YOU can create an account as a parent now, just to see how it works.</p>
<p>@GnocchiB I signed up for the common app last year and was able to fill it out just for practice. It’s totally okay to do that. Once late July rolls around, The Common App deletes all accounts and then you make a new one. So for this senior year I have a new account. As to your other question, I am not sure about PDF version. I haven’t seen something like that. But go ahead and let your D fill out the common app this year. Its good practice.</p>
<p>Here’s a question to keep this thread alive: where are you all in terms of the process? Any essays written out, colleges visited, etc? And here’s something else: what’s your favorite part of it all? Applying to colleges seems like it’s gonna be a really exciting time, but often times we tend to skip the application process and fantasize over the outcome. I just think i’ts important to enjoy this time too, no matter how stressful it is. So, thoughts? How are you all doing?</p>
<p>@theluckylinguist exciting time, eh…honestly, i do enjoy writing some of these essays; what kills it is the sheer amount of applications to fill out, the time limit, and the word limit. i did two drafts of the common app essay and have no motivation to polish them whatsoever haha; i also did a draft of the upenn supplement and have halfheartedly been working on MIT’s supplement. so basically, meh</p>
<p>i think someone mentioned this earlier, but i’m just really at a loss for what the common app is looking for. sure, it wants your personality - but how do you encapsulate an entire person within 650 words? at some point, you have to narrow down what you want to show…one of my drafts (the failure topic) addresses a situation where i learned to not depend on other people’s expectations and standards, and to work for myself; the other depicts a scene where i savor a simple snow day (contentment prompt). i love both, but i just have this lingering fear that they’re not “right” for the college essay. haha sorry i think this was a rant more than anything else…but idk anyone else feel me or nah</p>