<p>Hey everyone,
so on the college essay, is it bad if i put ...etc? ...etcetera?</p>
<p>and is it okay to use "It is, I am, that is **"or "It's, I'm, that's**"?</p>
<p>and on the common app, additional information section, can I put another essay about why I choose my major??</p>
<p>I would avoid etc. and contractions, if at all possible. They’re not terrible, and a college won’t hate your essay just because you have a contraction, but it’s better, in formal writing, to avoid them. </p>
<p>As for the additional information section, I wouldn’t include a whole essay, but perhaps a paragraph or two about why you are interested in that particular major. If it’s a unusual major or you have an interesting story, that might be a good idea, but if you don’t have a truly unique reason for picking the major (besides being interested in the subject), I would leave it out completely. Colleges probably don’t want to read a second essay about why you picked your major, especially if they have a supplement to the Common App which includes an essay. </p>
<p>I hope that helps!</p>
<p>I would avoid contractions. They would make your essay sound totally informal.</p>
<p>…but isn’t the essay supposed to be informal?</p>
<p>I think there is an other thread that is running around along the same lines. I don’t want to type the whole thing again :D</p>
<p>You might not want your essay sounding like a thesis on Thermodynamics, but you would not want it to seem exceedingly casual would you. Colleges state that interviews are supposed to be informal, but that doesn’t mean you address your interviewer with a “Hey dude wassup, how’s it going?” would you?</p>
<p>I am reiterating again, I don’t mean any offense to anyone. This is just my personal opinion.</p>