My senior D has just completed the common application and is working on the supplements for various colleges. Some schools have a minor short additional essay but Boston University has two extra essays. The supplement states to answer essay number 1 (what experiences have led her to choose her field of study) in no more than 500 words. She has about 180 words so far and is at a loss for what else to put in. Does she need to “pad” this to closer to 500 words or is the college just putting an upper limit?
<p>It's usually about quality, not quantity. But 180 out of 500 seems a bit weak. I would try to bump it up to 350+.</p>
<p>180 is not enough. Maybe she needs to restart, and perhaps will find a better flow. "Padding" will not make a good essay, but she should be able to find something to write about passionately. If she's writing about her path of study, and cannot write more than 180 words, perhaps it's not the path she's really interested in</p>
<p>My fingers were all primed to say "no" because many very long, very wordy, very bad essays get posted here, and it is refreshing to hear of a short one - my DD's essay was well within the limit. But, less than half is very short - I agree with Zante, she may need to start over, listing why she wants to study X, maybe a spirited undecided essay?</p>
<p>She already wrote her 500 word essay for the common app. This extra essay is for the supplement...and the topic is not negotiable. I don't know many 17 year olds who really know what they want to do with their lives, let alone articulate it. She knows she wants to study for a career in business but not a lot more.</p>
<p>a spirited undecided or not sure essay may need to happen</p>
<p>Seiclan - is this for a very specific major like nursing or engineering or pre-vet, where she might be expected to have had some particular experiences related to her proposed major?</p>
<p>This is for the undergraduate school of business</p>
<p>I agree with everyone though. I will advise her to restart and aim for at least 350 words.</p>
<p>If it's for business I'm not sure an undecided essay will work as well. But perhaps throw in a few anecdotes, make it lighthearted?</p>
<p>She may need a brainstorming session, I have found ice cream sundaes work marvels in stimulating uncooperative brain cells! Thirty minutes away from the cell phone and school, with a note pad, and a few stimulating questions, waht type of business? why do you want to do this? when did you first think of it? what experience do you have? what do you want to do with it? If she still can't come up with enough answers to flesh out 300 words, then the next stop would be the website, and a hard look at what business majors do and what appeals to her.</p>
<p>My D did exactly what cangel suggests, basically interviewing herself and writing up the essay based on her responses.</p>
<p>Seiclan...Do you think maybe she doesn't really want to go into business? that maybe she wants to keep her options open? or maybe she's choosing business for the wrong reasons or to please someone else? and also many entering freshmen just do not have a clear idea of their field of study yet...that's the beauty of Liberal Arts. I'm surprised that this is a question asked of entering freshmen ... ok so these are general questions that your D may be grappling with.... </p>
<p>But for nuts and bolts advice ...she could try using a tape recorder and just motor mouth a response for 20 to 30 minutes then cull the important stuff from the tape. Petend she is talking to a frien on the phone. I know I think better on my feet , pacing around....Maybe she is writing an essay that is too "i want this, I did that...I want to do these things..." too "I" focussed. Maybe she could take a couple of situations in the business world that she hates and wants to see changed...or models of entrepreneurship that she thinks are cool and creative ... that she is inspired by and why, and how they might be connected with her personal history.... or just challenge her to write 5000 words on why she is choosing this field...again brainstorm, dont edit, just get it down...then edit and mold it into a coherent 500 word essay. (my mom is an architect and she has mentioned she sometimes tells a junior designer who is struggling with a problem ...to come up with 50 sketches of an idea by lunch or the end of the day for them to review together. this usually freaks them out. but it forces the youngster to get all the junk on paper and then they can look at it and find the good stuff and put the good ideas together.)</p>