Hey guys! One of my Exeter essays asks me to write about a time where I accomplished something as a group effort. I have an idea of what to write about but the issue is that I’m worried that teamwork won’t be the central theme of this essay.
I plan on writing about the teamwork part around the third paragraph because I want to create some sort of a build up.
Also, how many paragraphs were your essays? Did you guys stick to the basic 5?
Can the moderator also move this to the prep school admissions forum? I accidentally placed this in the wrong forum.
I can’t really answer the first question about teamwork (because I’m doing different prompts), but I don’t know if the 5-paragraph essay is really the best structure for a more free, open-ended prompt like this. First of all, there’s a 3000-character limit, which roughly translates to a ~550-word limit, which might be too small for a 5-paragraph essay. In addition, it’s incompatible with a narrative essay, which might be more appropriate for a prompt like this one. Maybe the prompt about a book or a piece of artwork might be more suited for a 5-paragraph essay, but I’d still advise against it–after all, it’s only a template for what you CAN write, not what you SHOULD necessarily write. Currently, my first essay (failure) is 6 paragraphs, but it doesn’t follow the usual structure, and my second essay (what you want more people to know about you) is 7 paragraphs, it begins with an anecdote with super short paragraphs… still, just use whatever you feel is best and makes you stand out the most! Best of luck on Exeter admissions this year (fingers crossed that I’ll get in, too)!
@egnatius Thank you. I don’t think I realized how short a 500-word limit essay is. I’m used to writing essays that are multiple pages long and totally forgot the fact that they’re 2000+ words long, not 500.
I’ve looked at college admissions essays online and they rarely seem to follow the 5 paragraph structure. Now I’m going to redo my outlines. And I’ll try to write both of my essays today. :((
Done.
You are not being graded on structure.This is not War & Peace.You have 500 words to make your case, so get to the point. Deal with the intricacies of expositions and rising action in your English classes - not here.
@skieurope I finished my Exeter essay and I realize that it could fit an Andover prompt. Can I just submit that essay to both schools or is there a rule against this?
I also when 50 words above the word limit. Will there be a penalty?
You can submit the same essay to multiple schools as long as it fits the prompt. Editing is a life skill; practice with your essay that’s over the limit. @YoungThriver