hey,
I’m applying SCEA to Princeton. How will admissions view my essay if it mentions my being gay as part of the “problem solving essay?” any tips would be appreciated \
thanks
My immediate reaction would be to say to not do it, just because “being gay” essays tend to be cliché. But, without reading your essays, I can’t tell if you do this/ the typical coming out story, or if you have a more interesting way of talking about your sexuality. Since you said the “problem solving” essay I’d think you’re meaning to write the former essay, but again it’s about whether you think what you say makes you unique and portrays you as a multi-faceted individual.
And, in the end, don’t listen to anyone’s advice–on this forum or in real life–if you truly love your idea and think it only makes you sound more incredible than you already are!
Agreed. Saying that you’re gay on a Princeton essay is a non-issue. It’s not like you’re applying to Bob Jones University. The challenge for you is writing the essay so that it does not come off as cliche, since my gut tells me that this is a common theme in admissions essays.
I’ll offer a slightly different take. If you had to battle adversity because of coming out, that can relate very directly to the prompt. Have we really progressed to the point that being gay can even be a “cliche”? I’m skeptical.
It is fine in passing. In my opinion, the coming out essay is overdone and a yawner for admissions officers.
@intparent : I think it depends on the circumstances.
Honestly… I don’t. Every admissions officer has seen a lot of them.
A good essay is a good essay, whether or not one mentions being gay.
OP should make sure this matters to her point and is relevant her admissions review at a college with fierce competition. In itself, adcoms will not find it unique, nor a turnoff. They’ll read to see your thinking, awareness and growth and how that fits with their goals.
In my opinion, all essay topics are overdone and most essays are yawners.
But some topics are bigger yawners than others.
I’m not saying being gay is a cliche - it’s not. What I am saying is that an essay on the subject can be a cliche.
I certainly don’t intend to minimize the struggles coming out, but all HS students struggles with being “different” in some way. However, while I have no first-hand comparison, an essay about being gay and coming out had better be very well-crafted to avoid an LGBTQ AO reading this, rolling his/her eyes, and saying to him/herself, “You think you had it tough, it’s a cake walk compared to when I came out a generation ago.”
@sherpa, the current essay topics sure help get original results, that is for sure. The good news is that colleges themselves didn’t set those topics, nor are they super sticklers for something closely matching the topic. They are reading at least 25 applications a day for months. They are just grateful when something piques their interest. A small revealing anecdote or something they haven’t seen a lot of is best. One of my kids wrote about her attempts to imitate a famous character in literature over the years and her mixed results. Another wrote about her affinity for a specific punctuation mark. The prompts make students think they have to write about something sweeping. They don’t.
“Cake walk” is not inclusive of people who are gluten free.
I think a well written essay is a well written essay no matter the topic. I’d hope that Admissions Officers aren’t so jaded that they understand a topic adults might find cliche isn’t to a 15-17 year old that doesn’t have all of our life experiences and where many things are still novel.
Just follow the basic advise for any of these types of college essay - make it about you and show, don’t tell.
They aren’t just judging “well written” – the purpose isn’t to show off your writing chops. Of course they expect correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. But the purpose is to reveal something about yourself, and ideally something that makes them want you on campus. So writing a topic that they see regularly doesn’t really help a lot toward that objective.
I disagree even though we may be arguing semantics. A poorly written, grammatically and punctually correct essay that revels something about you isn’t the best. You have to write well to make it through Princeton. It’s why all freshman have a Writing Seminar and I’m sure the GE Requirements have a large writing component.
I just don’t think you have to try and be clever. I think a well written, real essay that doesn’t make someone uncomfortable is better than trying to be novel if you don’t have the gift to do that.
“an essay on the subject can be a cliche.” It still depends. Some kids will write with remarkable insight, compassion, and maturity; others just blow up any topic that seems important to them, at the time. Cliche doesn’t really mean common, here. It means boring.
No, they aren’t judging well-written,as your English teacher would. But they are looking for your thinking.
@intparfent: You said that “the purpose is to reveal something about yourself, and ideally something that makes them want you on campus” and that “writing [on] a topic that they see regularly doesn’t really help a lot toward that objective.” I don’t see those as opposites the way you apparently do.
I’m guessing you may not have a gay kid. I do. Her essay on the crap she put up with in high school here in the lovely liberal Bay Area [would she ever let me intervene? no. fights her own battles] was very powerful. The personal statement her best friend sent to Dartmouth about what he witnessed her going through [see above parenthetical] was heart wrenching.
OP, follow your gut and your heart.
It has to be relevant for a Dart level review. That means what intparent said, (though I do feel some essays about being gay can be good.) Ie, show the attributes the college is looking for. This is so different than just what you’d reveal when the English teacher asks for an expressive essay.
All this means, if you show how a challenge made you stronger, grew in awareness, you went on to do some tangible good around you, made some difference. Not just you endured. Forgive me, but an essay about how hard life was is not the same. Sorry, but now we’re talking a tippy top.
I’m obviously not going to post the essay here. I’ll just register my continuing disagreement and encourage applicants to write what what they think represents them the best.