<p>Yes, I know I already posted this in “College Essays”, but most of the people there are scam artists looking to get a peep in at your essay. Here goes nothing</p>
<p>So first, a little preface. I love my town bookstore. I go to my town bookstore as often as I can to read whatever I can. It really has shaped the way I think and the way I learn.</p>
<p>On my Brown personal statement, I chose to write about one particular night at Borders. I talked about the people I saw, and how I perceived their actions. I talked about the bum that plays chess with himself (he’s actually pretty good) and about the dreaded corner table filled with people endlessly prepping for the SATs, etc.</p>
<p>The problem is that I modeled my “Why Brown” section as a metaphor relating the New Curriculum to the possibilities presented at a bookstore. I said that at a bookstore, no attendants are forcing you to read certain books, and you’re not barred from any in-depth material–everything is available at your fingertips, ready for academic digestion.</p>
<p>Do you think my bookstore motif spanning my two essays will be a detriment to my application? I really hope it won’t. I feel very strongly about my essays at this point.</p>
<p>I don't think you need to explain to them what your metaphor meant. If they don't catch on when you introduce it in the personal statement, then it's far too subtle or vague to be considered the driving force of the essay.</p>
<p>"Why Brown?" should reiterate your feelings towards the Open Curriculum by demonstrating what areas of study you want to take up, as it asks you to explain.</p>
<p>Just to make things clear, my personal statement talks about the corner table in the Borders cafe as representing the perversion of the academic system. Students who pore over their test prep books and seem to have lost their passion in learning.</p>
<p>My "Why Brown" section talks about what sections of the bookstore I usually spend most of my time in. It mentions a few books and authors I read and why I want to study their subjects in college.</p>
<p>They're two distinct essays, and only share a common thread: the bookstore. I just want to know if talking about a bookstore in both essays would make me seem limited.</p>
<p>No... Just make sure "Why Brown?" covers the question in a Brown-specific manner and not just a generic "what I want to study in college" essay.</p>
<p>I don't know...but I do think engaging the reader is very important. If you want to send them to me I will read them tonight. dd is a Junior at Brown, so no risk of essay stealing. Also dd had a really excellent essay, imo, and one school remarked on it to her GC.</p>