<p>When I'm writing an essay about what I did this summer, is it okay to make up the background to make it more interesting?</p>
<p>I want to explain what I did this summer, but through a "conversation" I have with a family member. It'll make it more interesting, and it obviously is not a real conversation I had. Even if it for creative purposes, I don't want colleges to think I am purposely lying.</p>
<p>ADVICE?</p>
<p>Colleges don’t care if you embellish or fictionalize a little bit on the essay - obviously they would not be impressed to see you saying how you overcame cancer you never had or how you saved a bunch of people when you didn’t. </p>
<p>Colleges are looking for two things in your essay: (1) who you are as an individual, and (2) that you can write worth something - they’re obviously not going to call your parents or your counselor to see if what you wrote actually happened point for point, they’re too busy for that.</p>
<p>It is true that college will not call your parents or relatives to testify for your essay. But do you really want to get into a college with lies and pure fabrication? Please understanding that I am not saying you need to recount your experience/conversation word for word. But if you don’t have an uncle who served in Iraq, don’t make it up.</p>
<p>As long as the basis of your essay is not completely made up (ie if you write about how you interned at a hospital this summer when what you actually did this summer is go to camp, that’s just a blatant lie to sound more impressive) then that’s fine. In this case, making up a conversation to write about something you actually did in a more creative way is not only acceptable but a great idea!</p>
<p>help with mine? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/1431155-terrible-idea.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/1431155-terrible-idea.html</a></p>