This is for all those applicants for Fall 06 Admission who are now starting to wade through that Common App!! Ask and answer away.
I’ll start the first question: What is considered an Academic Honor? What activities qualify as “academic?” Scientific research? Or just things like National Merit and Honor Roll?
<p>I also have questions concerning the CA essays. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>If I choose the "topic of your choice" option, do I have to define the topic (by writing a prompt)? </p></li>
<li><p>I have a good essay that does not answer any of the given prompts but will give people a better idea of who I am. Do colleges prefer students to answer the prompts the CA already provides, and do they look down upon those who choose the "topic of your choice"? Will the topic of your choice option work to my advantage or disadvantage (or does it have no effect)?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for your help. :D</p>
<p>WARNING! This is all opinion!</p>
<p>I think you better have a really good reason to not use one of their essays. What I mean by this is your essay better be good that conveys you well, otherwise colleges will wonder why you didn't use their prompt.</p>
<p>If you are creative, the topic of your choice may help you more than any other essay. But if your essay isn't very strong, it may hurt you more than any other essay. I suppose I feel that it is risky, both with greater rewards and drawbacks.</p>
<p>What about the additional info section? None of my EC awards etc really fit into the little boxes they have. Can I post my whole list of important EC's with major awards,leadership under the additional info section. I will still put activities for the ECs but I'll write see below.. etc.</p>
<p>the commonapp says the big essay should be around 250-500 words, yet there is a 6000 character limit. Which limit will the colleges enforce? I know that the 6000 character limit would allow me to write a much longer essay than 500 words, since that's only like 3000 characters. My question also applies to the short answer, where it says 150 words or fewer, but 6000 character limit.</p>
<p>can someone answer this Q:What is considered an Academic Honor? What activities qualify as "academic?" Scientific research? Or just things like National Merit and Honor Roll?</p>
<p>Academic Honor is any distinction you've received such as honor roll, national merit, award for science research, book award, HOBY, service citation, etc. Presidencies, captaincies, etc. are under "positions held" in ECs. </p>
<p>As for extra space needed to explain your ECs, etc. use the additional info section.</p>
<p>About the essay, stay on topic (whichever one you choose) and try to keep it within the word limit. Ditto the short answer about most meaningful EC.</p>
<p>where do you get the new '06 one?</p>
<p>I think the website is commonapp.org</p>
<p>For the section where you are supposed to describe which activity has the most meaning to you, and it gives you a 150 word limit, how bad is it if you have 163?</p>
<p>Also, if there are activities you expect to do in the following year, and have done in the past, do you put those on the app?</p>
<p>The any topic essay is certainly NOT looked down on. Actually, you may want to avoid the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th essays, because you will end up either writing impersonally or writing about the figure instead of you. The "concern" one is only good if it involved you directly. Example: You live in Iraq and you write about the Iraq war and its effect on your life, not other peoples'.</p>
<p>Keep it 250-500 words. Admissions counselors will not want to read your essays any more than they have to. period.</p>
<p>What do I write for the RPI medal? Do I just write Renssaeler Medal, or explain what it rewards, academic excellence in math & science?</p>
<p>Is it too early in the admissions process to sign up on the commonapp.org website?</p>
<p>Sometimes i think I better use Topic of ur choice....coz there is much more flexibility and creativity involved....wut do u guys think??? Does the majority use their prompts? It seems to me that many good sample essays are written under the author's own topic prompt....</p>
<p>Topic of your choice could be a good one, just make sure you write an original essay for it. I'm sure adcoms at top universities will be able to pick out recycled essays written to fit other top schools' prompts.</p>
<p>It's not too early to sign up, especially if you're aiming to ED or EA an application.</p>
<p>How do i make my Firefox browser security settings "medium"? It wont let me log in without it.</p>
<p>You know how everyone says that applying to colleges takes forever and is really hard blablabla? Is anyone else having trouble figuring out how? Some really smart people at my school have complained about all the work it is, and my Dean warned me that it's equal to the workload of a half major, but I just can't seem to see where all the time consuming stuff is coming from. All my schools except one take the common app, and I've written all of my essays (except for one). Obviously they need polishing, but what am I missing? LOL. Anyone feel the same? :P</p>
<p>^I know exactly what you mean. It seems really easy. I don't know what the fuss is about. I guess it's just felt by those who start the application the day before it's due lol.</p>
<p>QUESTION: On parts of the app where you can't answer (i.e parent's college name for first generation applicants) do you leave it blank or put "N/A"?</p>
<p>I wrote a really good essay about the loss of one of my pets, and I figured it fit the requirement for "Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you." but my parents don't think it does. Should I still use it and submit it under the topic of your choice category or use the significant experience one?</p>
<p>Where is the "additional info" section (what page) that confidential mentioned? I can't seem to find it.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I wrote a really good essay about the loss of one of my pets, and I figured it fit the requirement for "Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you." but my parents don't think it does. Should I still use it and submit it under the topic of your choice category or use the significant experience one?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think it qualifies as a significant experience, but if you want to be safe, there's no penalty for going with the topic of your choice.</p>