<p>1) my past english teachers taught me not to use contractions in my essay but can you use them in college essays?</p>
<p>2) can you start off a short essay/supplement essay any way you want? (quote, story, etc)</p>
<p>for number two, you should probably start off in any way you want since it'll show them who you are. </p>
<p>I think for one, you can use then in some circumstances such as a conversation.</p>
<p>For number one, it determines the tone of your essay. Does it seem informal? Then contractions are fine.</p>
<p>The college essay definitely isn't supposed to be as structured (or as "grammatically correct") as an analytical essay.</p>