I’ve been having a terrible time with my essays. I just can’t bring myself to write the basic five paragraph structured essay when talking about myself. I had written an essay that I liked, but my English teacher wrote “come see me” on it, because she didn’t think it was how a college essay is supposed to be and that I am trying too hard to be creative. She had some feedback which made sense, but she had other feedback that I honestly strongly disagreed with. That incident left me conflicted on whether to listen to my gut or to my teacher. Do English teachers have different standards than admissions officers?
Anyway, I’ve thought of another “essay” idea and wrote it last night. It just flowed, and the idea came to me without me forcing it to come. It needs work as it is way too long right now, but I would like it to work. Without revealing too much detail, it’s basically a series of brief letters to my past and future self (it answers the free response prompt on the common app) As you can see, that is not really an essay so I was wondering whether the format was too bizarre to use in the common app and if I should stick to something more simple. I know my English teacher at least would rip it to shreds (literally) but I feel some attatchment to it.
If it’s relevant, I’m applying to William and Mary early decision. They tend to appreciate the quirky stuff, I think, but if I’m not accepted I don’t want to have something in my app which will turn other schools off. Thanks!
I’m not a college admissions expert, but I believe colleges want to hear from you, in your voice. To me, your concept sounds intriguing and authentic. I would encourage you to explore it.
Admissions officers aren’t going to grade your essay. They don’t care if it meets certain standards. However, they do have to understand it. I’m not sure what you mean by abstract, but I’ll admit it doesnt make me comfortable. Your essay is a marketing tool. It’s your opportunity to sell yourself to the school. Reread your essay with that in mind. Would a total stranger read it and say I want this person or not.
Without going into too much detail…we visited one top school where the admissions counselor spoke about essays, and he told us that his favorite essay came from a student who did something creative - similar to you. My own D wrote a more traditional Commonapp essay, but many of the extra essays were creative ( poems, etc). It did not hurt her one bit.
It has to be understandable. An essay with a big reveal or that is hard for them to follow would be a bad idea. I wouldn’t worry about 5 paragraph format – in fact, I strongly disagree with the idea of intro, 3 supporting ideas, and conclusion for a college essay. You are telling a story. The story and “showing, not telling” is the heart of it. Also, regarding the letter format, I am not sure the current version of the Common App will hold your formatting anyway.
That said, in response to a post above, I would stay away from poetry. You might get in anyway, but it would’ve in spite of and not because of your essay. If you are a poet and want to showcase that talent, send a supplement. Don’t use your common app essay to do it. I also wouldn’t do it in a supplemental app. It isn’t the clearest form of communication, and the ad coms are busy and stressed – parsing poetry for your answer isn’t going to make some of them happy.
General rule: stay away from gimmicks. Your path to admission lies in a story and picture of you that is more 3D than the rest of the app can show, and that makes them want you on campus.
I agree that the main Commonapp essay needs to tell a story and you should not worry so much about the exact format ( intro, supporting paragraphs etc) of the essay… as long as it flows and makes sense to the reader. The important thing is to tell your story.
As far as the supplemental essays… they will not get you accepted if the rest of the application is not competitive. My daughter received a rather large scholarship to a school where one of her essays took the form of a poem, but the rest of her application was highly competitive and she showed a lot of interest ( which the school requires). She also wrote a poem for a competitive public and was accepted, but she was a competitive applicant regardless.
I do like your idea very much and agree that you should explore it.
OP- Writing a letter ( or collection of letters) as an essay is not a unique idea. When we visited a certain competitive school we were told that one of their favorite essays came in the form of a letter. Just be careful… letters, creative poems… whatever… need to be in your voice, easy to understand, interesting to read… and … they need to tell your story.
Thanks for the feedback! I definitely don’t want it to seem like I opted for an essay like this solely because I thought it would be unique. I didn’t conform my essay to fit the structure, I played with the format to make it fit the idea, so I hope that helps? It seems to be the most effective format to tell the story I want to tell, but I’m definitely going to be a bit wary since there is a fine line between telling a story authentically and just being gimmicky. I do think that my voice shines through and that it would be easy for others to understand.
Right now, the biggest issue with it seems to be the length. I’m having trouble shaving it down while maintaining the quality, but I’m not giving up just yet!
I think you’re right, Aida. I’ve spent several hours obsessively editing (the quote is too true), and I’m actually quite satisfied with it now. I’m going to take a break and revisit it when my brain is less fried though!
