<p>For my Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth supplemental essays, I was thinking about writing about my fascination with the UK.
Is this too frivolous? Do you think I should write about something else?</p>
<p>For instance, I was going to write about my interest in British history in particular and how I have been fascinated with it since I read a biography of George III when I was 6, and how I was obsessed with Winston Churchill. I would also include how I took a college course on “British History Since 1688” at UW-Madison, and more idiosyncratic details about how I am obsessed with Gilbert & Sullivan’s operettas and Noel Coward’s plays and songs, etc.
My only concern is that it might be too “quirky,” and I am not sure if these colleges would appreciate that, unlike, say, UChicago.</p>
<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>What are the prompts? Can you relate your interest to some personal qualities of your own? My kid wrote her common app essay a couple of years ago about her fascination w/ Sherlock Holmes since the age of 10, and how it has informed many of her activities and affected her life since then. She got into U of Chicago, Swat, Harvey Mudd, etc. (didn’t actually apply to any Ivies, but those are all difficult admissions as well). But her essay told something about her and the impact (positive and negative) her obsession had on her. That is probably key. Remember your essay is to sell YOU to the college. Idiosyncratic can be a bit funny and interesting, but you need to tie it back to yourself and why they should want you on campus, IMHO.</p>
<p>Well, the Harvard essay topics are
"You may write on a topic of your choice, or you may choose from one of the following topics:
- Unusual circumstances in your life
- Travel or living experiences in other countries
- What you would want your future college roommate to know about you
- An intellectual experience (course, project, book, discussion, paper, poetry, or research topic in engineering, mathematics, science or other modes of inquiry) that has meant the most to you
- How you hope to use your college education
- A list of books you have read during the past twelve months"
The Yale essay topic is simply “a topic of your choice,” and the Dartmouth essay topics are
"- Every name tells a story: Tell us about your name–any name: first, middle, last, nickname–and its origin. - Tell us about an intellectual experience, either directly related to your schoolwork or not, that you found particularly meaningful.
- When you meet someone for the first time, what do you want them to know about you, but generally don’t tell them?— Describe the influence your hero has had on your life.
-We believe it is critical that your candidacy reflect the interests, experiences and pursuits that are most important to you. To this end, is there anything else you would like us to know?"
If I did the essay on my anglophilia, I might only use it for Yale and/or Harvard.</p>
<p>Agree with intparent. Try to remember the context is a review for college admissions. You want what you write about to somehow feel relevant to the readers and their process, show the attributes they look for- whether that’s curiosity, how you take on a challenge, or other points. (Yes, you have to know what they look for) And remember, “show, not tell.” This is one way this writing is different than in high school. It’s not just about getting some thoughts across.</p>
<p>Quirky is ok. When done well, it can bring a kid to life. Ask yourself what it is you want to show them, by this interest in things British.</p>
<p>Yes, I guess I am confused about what they really are looking for. </p>
<p>Maybe you’ve seen this? It’s a start and you can google the college name and “what we look for” or similar words- or keep reading what else they do say til you get some sense. <a href=“What We Look For | Harvard”>https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/application-process/what-we-look</a></p>