<p>On the part of the application (like the candidate profile) where its says to describe any academic and personal achievement, what would you write?? I think I should just get to the point and list any of my awards/achievements/etc., but my Mom seems to think it would be better to write a full out essay. (You know, something along the lines of, "I have achieved many awards in life. I have found the cure to cancer, got an award from 'The New York Times' for my help in journalism, and was even invited to play at Carnegie Mellon when I was seven. But the achievment I am most proud of is when I taught my baby brother how to walk." In other words, an essay that has a moral to it and all the stuff you learned from that particular incident.) So who is right? Me or Mom?? :) THANK YOU! (I know I should've turned in the Candidate Profile already, but I'm really unsure about this part of the application... >.<")</p>
<p>Rebecca, best not to use your real name when posting online.</p>
<p>A list is fine. They’re doing a lot of reading (thousands of applications) and it’s easier to skim and refer to. If you decide to write a paragraph, make it short and to the point. But honestly, the paragraph can probably be covered in one of the essay sections of your packet.</p>
<p>Don’t overthink it. But I sympathize, my husband and I were having a disagreement because my daughter listed that she traveled and my husband wanted her to list every discrete place she’d gone. I won - she kept it general (regions). But this process is hard on parents too - we’re all emotionally invested and it is possible to lose your mind trying to second guess what each school wants.</p>
<p>Do your best, trust your gut instinct, and don’t worry about it. It won’t make or break your application if the rest of the package is strong.</p>