<p>Hey CC,</p>
<p>I am applying to a bunch of highly ranked schools and while some of them give open-ended extended essay prompts (e.g. Yale), others do not (e.g. Dartmouth.) So right now I have two essays. One of them expounds on a learning experience that I've had, and the other talks about some struggles throughout my life. I'm having trouble deciding which one to use for applications where I can only submit one of them.</p>
<p>Should I choose the essay that shows my intellectual vitality and love for learning or choose the one that reveals a somewhat disadvantaged background and details how I grew to embrace life no matter what I encounter?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Um, Dartmouth doesn’t have an essay at all.</p>
<p>I think that they want you to include your thirst for knowledge somewhere in your essay, but remember one of the main purposes of the essay. The adcoms want to know more about you. So if you’re essay is along the lines of “I could be locked forever in a library and I would not care because I love learning more than anything else.” well that’s just bad. Whichever topic you feel tells more about you as a person</p>
<p>I refer to the Common App essay for Dartmouth. </p>
<p>@mangocandy4, the intellectual essay definitely does not convey myself as that type of person. Rather, the essay conveys intellectual vitality through a hobby (another aspect of my life that would otherwise go unnoticed.)</p>
<p>I think I’ve decided to go with the intellectual essay for my main essay now. Thanks everyone!</p>