How Risky is Risky? The Thread for Risky Essays

Applying to College
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<p>hey everyone, I have a concern with how risky I can be on my college essays. For example, for the UVa required essay prompt, it asks "What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?" </p>

<p>My reply was that the the poetry of my favorite poet surprised and unsettled me. My reply was not traditional though--I replied in the format of that poet's poem. Do colleges like poem-like responses?</p>

<p>Feel free to post your concerns about risky essays as well!</p>

2

<p>Risky is one word for it. Perhaps a citation would have been better in this case. The essay is there to help them understand your critical thinking/writing ability. Posting the writing of someone else on there with the exception of a couple quotes really does nothing for them.</p>

3

<p>Rather than an essay, I just uploaded a document with an embedded video of me dancing alone in my room…for 27 minutes. How’s that for risky? :)</p>

4

<p>I know a kid who going to argue against race-based affirmative action in his Uva essay. Not that he isn’t right, be geez! Time and place!</p>

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<p>@jgraider</p>

<p>Who’d you send that to? Are you applying for dance? And… why? haha, explain your risky behavior!</p>

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<p>^@Jgraider, Lol. You must be the ultimate risk-taker? Or better yet, your just too lazy too write an essay? Out of all my essays, that UVA prompt that the OP referred to is the hardest.</p>

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<p>@UTPG1234- That’s an interesting point, I hadn’t thought of that. My english teacher encouraged us to take risks so I thought, why not. But I may edit the format of it to just include excerpts that unsettled me instead.</p>

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<p>I think they like anything that’s really well done. If you can pull off good poetry, go for it!</p>

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<p>For me I wrote a ridiculous 3 part short story (very short) about the way I see things around me weirdly connected to classical music in the style of Augustin Burroughs.</p>

<p>Am really doubting it now, after sending it off :P</p>