<p>What are the chances that adcoms know what a pensieve is. I want to use it as a analogy in my essay but it wont be good if the people reading my essay don't know what it is.</p>
<p>I have no clue what that is. Obviously, I am not a HP fan. I wouldn't advise using that in your college essay. Maybe if your allusion was to something of literary merit, then sure, use it. Otherwise, just don't.</p>
<p>you should try to avoid those terms!!
Why dont you do what they do in the SAT passages. put an asterisk next to the word and at the end of the essay put the same aterisk and define it. that system was invented for situations like these.</p>
<p>Maybe I should just start making up my words. As long as I can define them, it's ok then right?</p>
<p>I'd put it there anyways, If they haven't read HP then they have obviously been living in a secluded shell for the past 7 or 8 years.</p>
<p>If they don't know what it is then they can ask someone,,, look it up,,, Reject you.... OR if they do know what it is and they LOVE HP then they will just accepte you then and there.</p>
<p>if you think it is the best word to use in your essay, you should use it. Like was said before, adcoms will look it up or something.</p>
<p>well, I am describing writing and how it helps one organize his or her thoughts. Kinda like a pensieve. if you know what it is.</p>
<p>You shouldn't use it without explaining where it's from, since it's not a word found in the dictionary.</p>
<p>here is the entire sentence. I think it's fine</p>
<p>Writing serves the role of a pensieve (magical device in Harry Potter) by helping one organize thoughts and spot connections. </p>
<p>what do you guys think.</p>
<p>I think you could probably come up with a better word that would eliminate the HP reference. Coming from someone who doesn't read HP, it was a bit difficult to understand; I had to rely on the context of the sentence.</p>
<p>Harry Potter and college admissions essays, wait, make that college admissions in general, do not go together.</p>
<p>The analogy does not permeate throughout my essay. It is only referenced in one sentence. Do you think it will make a difference?</p>
<p>I really don't think a single reference will affect your chances at all. It's just that ideally, things like that should be left out.</p>
<p>I wonder whats my chances at Hogwarts...</p>
<p>Hahahahaha.</p>
<p>0 because you arent a witch</p>
<p>That is an awful sentence and should not be included.</p>
<p>Well, here's my advice.</p>
<p>Don't define what a pensieve is, just provide enough context so that any competent reader could figure out what it is. It doesn't matter what a pensieve is, only what a pensieve does.</p>
<p>The actual sentence though, seems kinda short and plain. Make it more like, "Because of X, Y, and Z, writing serves as a penseive in that it helps..."</p>
<p>And for goodness sake, DON'T use the stuff you put in parenthesis. Some one comes across that and here's what they think it says: "Look at me, I'm making an allusion, aren't you proud of me?!)</p>
<p>"I really don't think a single reference will affect your chances at all. It's just that ideally, things like that should be left out."</p>
<p>I agree. The point of writing a college essay is to sell the adcoms on accepting you, not to show off your knowledge of popular culture or make them turn to a dictionary (which wouldn't help them in this case, and will make them think you lack a strong vocabulary), or scratch their heads in puzzlement.</p>
<p>It would be best to simply use a word that is in the dictionary.</p>