<p>My son has been working on his essays. We have found that some of the schools have the same or similiar essays. Is it acceptable to use the same essay for 2 schools. Do they compare notes?</p>
<p>When applying my son was able to use and reuse 2 essays that were customized to each school and followed their guidelines. I really don't think schools compare notes on student essays.</p>
<p>Speaking of essays, i have a question on Exeter's... Their directions say "please limit your responses to the front and back of this form. we ask that you also include a typed version." Do they literally me WRITE on that form or write it on a separate piece of paper using the same amount of space on their sheet? There are no lines on their sheet.</p>
<p>I believe the instructions indicate that you need to write the essay in blue or black ink. The request to include a typed version makes it pretty clear: you're writing this bad boy by hand, my friend. My son's got the penmanship of a medical doctor, so I remember the Exeter essay quite well.</p>
<p>To make it bearable -- for him and the application readers -- I printed out lined paper, darkened the lines with black marker, and masking taped it to the back side of the Exeter form, giving my son a decent guide. He took his printed essay and wrote it out longhand. I think he did a dry run on a blank sheet, just to be sure he could fit it on the one sheet. But I also recall that being so excruciating that he aborted the dry run...but I could be wrong. It was definitely a painful process to watch. He plays the intro to "Welcome to the Jungle" just as fast as Axl Rose but, take away a guitar pick and place a pen in his hand and it's a different game. Watching him write is suddenly like being in the passenger seat of a Maserati doing 45 mph on the freeway: "STOP!!!! I need velocity or I'll die!"</p>
<p>FWIW, the parent form for Exeter is set up so that it's near impossible to print out. But I had a couple of Exeter applications (grabbed a couple during the interview) and was down to my last one before I got the printer to feed it just so, getting the answers to print in the limited spaces provided. They didn't ask us to write out our answers by hand.</p>
<p>D'yer Maker - your description made me laugh. It was painful to watch my son do his thank you notes. His wrting is horrible. We are doing the online apps first. I drew light pencil lines so he had something to guide him and then erased them. I'll do the same for Exeter...</p>
<p>I'm in luck i guess. My handwriting is pretty decent. But...My essay is way to long...</p>
<p>D'yer Maker you have made my day. The part of this process that I have been dreading the most is watching my son fill these things out by hand. I am so appreciative to Hotchkiss for the on-line option. We will use your technique with the lined paper for the others. We are also going to spread it out over a couple of days so he doesn't completely get frustrated.</p>
<p>im doing the essays for exeter too, can one be way longer than the other? i wrote about my favorite word and then I used my groton essay about a meaningful life as an answer to write about any topic of importance to you</p>
<p>Yes...boys and penmanship. Now if you had a nun instructing you, it would be a different story (ask my Parochial-schooled husband!)
We also had to draw the lines, my son writes excruciatingly slowly, and...it is is ilegible!</p>
<p>jon1207...My essay is the same thing. my favorite word and topic/ activity of importance to you are different lengths. i don't think i matters, its just the content, get out what you need to say.</p>