<p>Does it matter which tense the college essay is written in?</p>
<p>Tense is a different than the narrative voice. In terms of first, second, or third person -- they are called PERSONAL statements for a reason. In other words, write in the first person. This is YOUR story (or your child's) so claim it by using "I"</p>
<p>Well, I think you could use third person well with the right prompt and approach to it. For instance, the University of Washington has a "Tell us a story from your life" prompt, and I can see third person working well for that. Granted, I used first person, but you could do it the other way around. </p>
<p>Usually first person is best, but there is a case for third sometimes. I can't imagine a good time to use second person in a college essay... or hardly ever, actually.</p>
<p>I think depends on what kind of mood and tone you want to create. If you want to create a more intimate tone, chose 1st person. If you want to maybe seek to portray yourself from a third person, that is also effective if you do it properly</p>