<p>Most of the advice I've read about college application essays say to show who you are and to speak in your own voice; basically to show who you are. Does this mean I should be informal while writing? How informal is too informal? I don't want my essay to end up like an email to an old buddy.</p>
<p>Thanks! :) </p>
<p>Well… they are adults you don’t know who are reading it. And this is the main way they get a personal impression of you. So don’t curse, spit, belittle anyone, or use questionable humor. Too stuffy and stiff isn’t good, either, of course. You need to let your personality shine through.</p>
<p>Don’t refuse to use contractions where contractions are natural. Try to avoid the words “plethora,” “utilize,” and “individual” as a noun. But also don’t use “gonna” except maybe in quotations if really necessary, or text speak (not that text speak is inherently bad or anything, but this isn’t the place for it). You probably realized that already, though.</p>