I have to write my college essay soon and I eas wondering whether it is okay to not follow the typical essay format
(the hook, subject statement, final hook, etc. )
I want to write in the format of a diary.
Is that okay?
The great part about your college essay is that it is your personal statement to do with what you please… therefore yes it is absolutely your choice in how you craft it …or format it 
Okay, thank you @runswimyoga !
Just make sure you address the prompt.
…and be aware that actual formatting (spacing, fonts, tabs, etc) may not work in the CA as they might appear in your word doc. (not sure if any changes have been made in past couple of years, but all the text had to be standard, no lines between paragraphs, etc) Don’t spend a lot of time trying to make it LOOK a certain way, until you test a section by doing a cut-n-paste into the CA essay box (and print preview) so you know what it ends up looking like.