<p>In my essay, I plan on writing about one of the most prevalent experiences of my life so far, framed by a very subtle extended metaphor. Is using literary features and the such something that is helpful in a college essay? Do they want a piece of writing, as in a story, or instead a description or something like that?
I suspect the former, however I am not completely sure.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Most applicants would generally refrain from using metaphors. So your essay may be a bit different to read. </p>
<p>To be honest, descriptive stories would seem more cliched. Till now I haven’t been able to think about a story which can be written in the essay without the admission folks thinking “I have read this before”</p>
<p>The problem with that approach is that you must be an excellent writer to pull it off. And, no matter whether you frame this in a metaphor or not, you must still show yourself as a person the college wants.</p>
<p>Unless you’ve won great praise for your writing, published stories, or won awards, think hard about doing that. My recommendation for the “rest of us” is to try to write in as natural a tone as you can. The way to determine whether it sounds natural or not is to read it out loud. Are you writing in a way that you would not talk? For example, try reading the sentence “The ponderous clouds, gathering with foreboding stored-up force, darkened the thick forest around me.” Try saying that out loud. Now try “The forest darkened as the clouds gathered above me.”</p>
<p>The reason I suggest the natural tone is that it looks like you had a easy time writing it (which will probably be so far from the truth as to be laughable). But that also implies that you must be a good writer (something schools are looking for) if it reads so naturally. Tortured sentence structure and thesaurus words make it sound like you struggled to write it, thus maybe you’re not such a great writer after all.</p>
<p>Take a look at this sample essay: [Sample</a> Essay](<a href=“http://www.jumpstartessays.com/essay]Sample”>http://www.jumpstartessays.com/essay)</p>
<p>Notice how it shows a transition in the applicant, writing in a fairly natural (but descriptive) way. Notice how it portrays a strong, confident person at the end, even as short as it is.</p>
<p>—Robert Cronk, author of Concise Advice: Jump-Starting Your College Admissions Essays</p>