<p>I have a question regarding the future plans section of the Common App. How much emphasis and weight is placed on it? Am I jeopardizing my chance of acceptance if I apply to big name, prestigious schools and write something that can be perceived as flippant and not academically serious----such as film producer or freelance writer----even if that is what I want to pursue? It is ridiculous to apply to Harvard and put you would like to be a writer or a producer, even if you write about how Harvard's resources and student organizations can help you develop your "craft"?</p>
<p>I would recommend writing about what you are passionate about. If you want to be a writer, put that down! Top schools have plenty of graduates who pursue the arts.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input. I’m just concerned that if I put writer I would be perceived as a naive little high schooler and they will expect writing samples that are out of this world or high school extracurricular involvement that reflect that…</p>
<p>My mom is really discouraging me from putting down film producer (or writer, etc) on my app, even though its what I want to do.</p>
<p>Go for it. I don’t think schools would judge you on that, I think they just want to get an idea of where everyone is. Especially if your ECs are specific to producing films or writing, I can’t see how it would hurt. It shows you’ve got a goal in life. :)</p>