Murphy, made me laugh. One of the worst essays I ever saw was a gal who wrote how she wanted to kill her younger brother. Now, I can imagine the arc she was looking for, that she wasn’t serious. And I can imagine that, if she had written it for class, some free assignment, the teacher thinking, “Oh, I know Sally’s kidding, being funny, is really a smart, sweet kid.” But sheesh, for a college app?
Yes, “expect a level of preparation and thoughtfulness.” And perspective and some self-editing. Not all colleges, sure. But this is one of the things high school too often can’t quite teach.