I messed up the prompt for my commonapp essay, is all hope lost?

Applying to College
1

<p>Yesterday is the day that I finished my college essays and submitted them, along with my common app, to my first and second choice, UC: Boulder and Colorado State respectively.</p>

<p>I was so proud of my essay, my friends said it was fantastic, my teacher said it was fantastic, and I thought it was fantastic...up until I read the prompt closer.</p>

<p>The prompt was " Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?" and I talked about soccer. I talked about my story of making the soccer team against overwhelming challenges and how it instilled certain qualities in me that translate well to going to college. </p>

<p>My only problem is that I didn't once say why the soccer field is meaningufl to me and I completely skipped that part of the prompt for some stupid reason. I'm hoping that it has implied meaningfulness throughout my essay but I don't think it does. </p>

<p>TL;DR: Submitted my common app essay, didn't read the prompt close enough.</p>

2

<p>Uhh… since there is some time still before the app deadline – and I will be honest, I don’t know if this can be done – but I would suggest that you edit your essay ASAP to build into it the appropriate theme of the “environment” and then contact the schools to find out if you can amend your application.</p>

3

<p>You are likely fine. In general, these new prompts don’t need to be taken so literally, many kids use them as starting points. And it may be evident from your writing that you are content on the soccer field.</p>

4

<p>Judging by your description of the essay, it doesn’t sound like it’s going to imply any meaningfulness… </p>

<p>I would contact schools directly–CALL ADMISSIONS–and see if they will allow you to send in a revised essay via mail. Don’t email them because admissions offices are notoriously swamped with emails and you don’t want to wait any longer than you have to. Good luck!</p>

5

<p>Agreed that the prompt doesn’t need to be taken so literally. However, your essay does sound like it fits the first prompt more, if you did not mention the soccer field at all until the end. You could always call them up and tell them that you intended to select the first prompt, without having to rewrite the whole thing.</p>

<p>Since it is early, they are much more likely to look upon it favorably than a few hours after the deadline.</p>

6

<p>@lookingforward has it just right. You are fine. </p>

<p>In fact, I would say you probably answered the prompt better than most. Why? Because you got to the substance of the question. I actually think the prompt was also designed to see who can express a deeper meaning to “places,” which they like.</p>

<p>I think this because a “place or environment” is not necessarily a hard, tangible place - it could also be a state of mind, as well. For example, someone who is Buddhist could easily write about the place his mind goes to when in deep meditation. The serenity of that meditation “place” and the beauty of the meditation “environment” are not real, per say, but they are instrumental to making that person who he is and guides what he believes in. They may be virtual place and imaginary environment, but they are places important to the individual and places where he feel content. </p>

<p>In addition, I, for one, think it would be make little sense for you to write about the actual soccer field. To help you understand how I reach this conclusion, I ask you this question, "If you were on the most well-manicured soccer field on the planet, but there were: no one else playing soccer except you playing solo with a ball, no other players, no teammates, no opponents, NO CHALLENGE, and no game would you enjoy or get anything out of that empty, desolate field in solitude? The answer is obviously “No.” You would be bored to death.</p>

<p>More specifically, I venture you enjoy the soccer field because of the soccer game you play on the field and the enjoyment, contentment, and learning you get out of the PLAYING sport, not the enjoyment of STANDING on physical soccer field.</p>

<p>My point is it is the “place” you are most content is being in the middle of the game with others and the challenges that brings and the “environment” you like is everything that surrounds the game (sportsmanship, camaraderie etc.), not the grass or the literal boundaries of the soccer field.</p>

<p>Therefore, relax, you answered the question much more accurately than you know. </p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

7

<p>The bigger idea of these essays is to “show, not tell”. If you wrote a fantastic essay without having to DIRECTLY give an answer to the prompt, I’d say you’re in good shape - probably in much better shape than many other essay writers.</p>