<p>I've read quite a few college essays online, and unfortunately all of them are so different I can't figure out an etiquette/pattern for writing essays. For one of the colleges I am applying to, the essay word count is max 300, and I was barely able to shorten my essay to 320 and if I took anything else out my essay would lose it's meaning.</p>
<p>Anyway...I was wondering how admissions counselors view conjuctions such as "I'm, I'll, I'd, can't, etc)</p>
<p>Are they ok to use or no?</p>
<p>I’ve read that it’s okay to be informal, as long as you’re not going overboard with it. As far as I know, colleges want to know your voice, your personality, and if writing informally in some instances is what will be the most informative, I think it’d be okay. But I’m just going by what I think I’ve read on this site. I’m a senior as well, and in my essay, I was pretty informal at times. Don’t just take my word for it though!</p>
<p>It should be as informal as you would be when speaking to a professor or a teacher. In class you can bring up anecdotes and talk to your professor in “normal” voice, but you wouldn’t use, say, slang or curse. That’s usually a good way to look at it</p>
<p>It depends on how much you use it and the way you use it. If you say “cannot” in something casual, it’d look weird. It all depends.</p>