<p>Is entering essay competitions itself, without receiving awards, a good EC?</p>
<p>I’d imagine that it holds as much bearing as putting down a club that you don’t have a position in.</p>
<p>Don’t put it down if you haven’t received an award from it.</p>
<p>Anyone can enter an essay contest and if you put it down on an application having not received an award, it may highlight that you’re writing was inferior to others because you didn’t win (which may or may not be true).</p>
<p>Leave it off your application!</p>
<p>Put it as the first thing on your ECs as it shows that you aren’t ashamed of failure. Failure to you is the rock solid foundation of which you will build your entire academic career. Not bad, if I do say so myself. </p>
<p>I think if you had won an award, it would show that you were pompous and over zealous in your writing abilities. As a matter of fact, if you had actually won an award, I’d advise against putting it on your application. Nothing shows poor character like bragging! So i disagree with Coste.</p>
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<p>There is a place for everything, and the college application is the place for bragging. (Not overt bragging, but the idea that you should leave out one of your accomplishments for fear of looking immodest is silly. The Common App even has a section for honors and awards.)</p>
<p>But I don’t think entering essay contests is an EC. If you won one, that’s an award. Your writing skills should come across in your admissions essays.</p>
<p>Just entering isn’t really an EC, or at least one that is worth putting down on an application. Too much clutter might draw their attention away from what you truly excel at. </p>
<p>However, I think this would be a fantastic essay topic.</p>
<p>I agree with eternity, if it’s something you’re proud of, definitely put it on your application!
But I suggest that you list it under another section, like Hobbies or whatever.</p>
<p>I was going to participate in one, but I chose not to because it wasn’t for me. </p>
<p>Acknowledgement of failure rather than boasting success is the way to go in your apps; it shows that you are making progress. I will be applying this year, and I won’t regret writing about my past failures in my statements. </p>
<p>Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4</p>
<p>^Like I said, that would be a great topic.</p>
<p>Like, you could do that Michael Jordan commercial where he said it wasn’t the rings, the wins or records that made him great, it was his defeats.</p>
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<p>There’s no Hobbies section.</p>
<p>Seriously, though, being all “I’m a complete failure” is not the way to go in your college apps. I think it’s okay to discuss how you grew from a failure, but be careful. You still need to sell your accomplishments on some level.</p>