for one of my UC essays, I’m trying to write about being a classical dancer (for indian dance), but I’m worried that it falls into that category of a generic dance essay. I read the “How to Hack Your College Essay” article online but I don’t know how to take myself through that process from generic and cheesy to more personal.
Any advice?
(I know the UC essays are usually more direct than CA essay usually are but I thought that at least one of mine should be sorta creative)
I also read “How To Hack Your College Essay”. I found it to be only of moderate use & too wordy. Would you recommend this article to others ? Did you find it helpful ?
Essays are unique because it is your story. Your experiences, thoughts, concerns & motivations about classical dance are solely yours.
I thought it was interesting and I understood what he was saying. but it was just hard to go through that process that he and his students went through by myself, and I don’t think my parents could help very much either (first generation … my parents never wrote creative writing as kids)
I just don’t want it to fall into a pile of generic essays. Surely everyone talking about dance can write something to the effect of “dance is more than going through the motions its a form of storytelling’” etc. etc. right?
No. I think it’s about how you write it, not what. If you make your essay so you that no one else can claim it, then you should be fine.
First of all, secure your English grammar. Not “its a form of storytelling,” as in post #2, but “it’s.”
In other words, you meant to say “it’s,” which is a contraction of “it is.” As in “it is a form of storytelling.” (“Its” is possessive and wrong there.)
Baby steps before you dance.
Also check your spelling: Your essay does several things. Among them, it proves that you are literate, in addition to clarifying who you are.
Brainstorming your launch: What makes Indian Classical dance different from ballet, jazz, or modern? What uniquely Indian ideas about the body are expressed? What cultural values does it communicate? How is it uniquely expressive and beautiful? (Hands more than feet? Torso more than hips? Why and how do Indian dancers move differently than other types of dancers?) Who are the founders of Indian dance as it is practiced today and what were their ideas? How are those ideas rooted in the past? Are there historic controversies in which one form or another was contested based on politics, ethnicity, or power?
Then draft what it is about your own dancing that expresses who you are as an individual, as an Indian, and why the tradition is important especially to you.
Really, you can find a universe in almost any subject and dance is one of the richest.
Best luck to you!
Ok, thanks! I’ll definitely think about those. (And yes don’t worry I know the difference between its and it’s and I know about spelling but I find that a forum post is hardly the place where I need to worry and stress about spelling and grammar. I know well enough that you should proofread your essay lol)
I think you might be missing the point of the essay unless I am reading something incorrectly. Talk about how the dance affects you and what you learned from it. You want to relate how this dance style has shaped you to who you are today. If you can relate it to your major in some way that might be a plus. Remember, the essay is ultimately about you not the dance per se. Dedication, being inspired, hard work to perfect it. Determination, never giving up. Following through, etc. These are all traits of a dancer and also of a college student.
You might also think about structuring your essay as a story, which would involve writing about a conflict or difficulty and how you resolved it (or didn’t) and how that affected you as a person. It isn’t enough to say you know a lot about dance. Or that it means a lot to you. That isn’t a story, that is just a summary. Instead, think about a time when someone discouraged you from dancing, or you had an injury and wanted to dance but couldn’t or when someone ridiculed you for your dancing or when you dated someone who didn’t take your dancing seriously. Or maybe a time when you were dealing with a difficulty outside of dance but the act of dancing helped you deal with it. Writing about your responses to events like these has the potential to show your approach to adversity, your perspective on life, your values, how you express yourself, and other intangibles. It isn’t enough to show that you’ve had some interesting experiences. And it isn’t enough to say that you would benefit from attending their school. You also want to show the admissions committee that their school would be a better place for having you in it.