<p>The way I'm writing this essay is complete fancy, without using real names or anything. It's about how some made-up friends and I murder a student. There's no bad language or anything, but it mentions a character smoking pot and later is pretty violent. Is this a no-no with admissions officers? Would they be offended? In any case, it plays out more like a short story than an essay, and doesn't reveal much about myself because it's complete fancy, but I do think it showcases my writing abilities. Is that okay?</p>
<p>Is it okay to write about murder? Btw, I'm not finished yet, but when I do, could someone please read it to tell me it it's really bad or not acceptable? Thanks so much!</p>
<p>I know, but it said you could write about a true experience, complete fancy, or something inbetween. So I guess I chose “complete fancy”. The story is about me too, not just my “friends”. ??</p>
<p>Whether it’s a true experience or not it has to tell the admissions officers what kind of a person YOU are. You can certainly do complete fancy and showcase yourself. But whether or not showcasing your writing style through a short story showcases YOU, I’m not sure. You have to make that judgment call.</p>
<p>It actually says that you can approach the essay with pure fancy. Furthermore, it contrasts this with approaching the essay with “utter seriousness.” I interpreted this as meaning that you should feel free to write whimsically, not as a suggestion to submit a short story But it is your essay, and the risk you wish to take is up to you.</p>
<p>But that’s the point, that’s what I got caught for. I don’t know…maybe you guys are right. I just didn’t want my essay to be boring because I haven’t gotten caught for anything bad or cool.</p>
<p>‘Getting caught’, in the sense that you’re thinking of, isn’t the only way to get caught and it’s also not the only possible interpretation of the phrase.</p>
<p>If you nobody’s caught you doing something, there are other meanings of the phrase that might be more relevant (I’m trying not to tell you exactly what I wrote about because you might think you HAVE to force yourself to write about that).</p>
<p>It’s great to be creative with college essays. However, I don’t think a story about murder with a character smoking pot is the right angle for a college entrance essay. Maybe your essay isn’t as offensive as it sounds, but to me I don’t think that’s what they’re looking for.</p>
<p>Look – This isn’t a test on how well you respond to a prompt. This is an opportunity to sell yourself to the admissions staff. Anything you do that illuminates your character and skills can work . . . as long as the character and skills illuminated are consistent with being a constructive part of the academic community at the University of Chicago.</p>
<p>Keep you eyes on the ball: THAT ball. Don’t get hung up on the pronouns in a prompt, or worrying about “what they expect”. What they expect is for you to strut your stuff.</p>
<p>You guys are probably right; I know there are other interpretations, like getting caught up in something, or someone I know used a metaphor that she was a ball being caught. But since murder is probably not a good thing to write about, because it makes me look scary, I’ll probably write about something else that sheds a better light on my character.</p>
But it is your essay, and the risk you wish to take is up to you.</p>
You’ll find something!</p>