Pomona College's essay requirement

College Essays
1

<li>Is there a broader context in which we should consider your performance and involvements? Are there any external factors we should consider (e.g. family situation, work, sibling childcare responsibilities or other personal circumstances)?</li>
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<p>If you answered yes to any of these questions, please provide relevant information by uploading a document below.</p>

<li>Are there any factors or circumstances that may affect your adjustment to college life or work?</li>
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<p>If you answered yes above, please provide relevant information by uploading a document below.</p>

<li>List any people who have stimulated your interest in Pomona, giving their name and relationship to you.</li>
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<p>Characters left in your response 200.</p>

<li>Writing Sample
In the instructions for The Common Application, students are required to submit only one writing sample. If you only submitted one sample, you are strongly encouraged to respond to one of the following prompts. You should view this as an opportunity to share additional information about yourself with the Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee is interested in both your ideas and in how you express them and will read your writing with regard to both content and style.
(1)What experience in high school has mattered most to you? How do you see this experience influencing your decision-making in college?
(2)Although it may appear to the contrary, we do know that people have a life beyond what they do to get into college. Tell us about an experience you have had outside of your formal classroom and extracurricular activities that was just plain fun and why.</li>
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<p>I’m an international student and I’m new here.
I want to ask a question about these essay topics because they make me confuse.
Question1-2 are optional,would it increase my chance if I write them?
If yes,what should I write?</p>

<p>Regarding Question 4(1),Must I write anything happened in the school or during high school process?If I want to write about my activities which happened outside my school,may I choose this topic?
And Question 4(2),May I write my EC?It sounds like I need to write something beyond activities and academic background which I did for college.
Thank you for helping me.</p>

2

<p>I'm fairly certain that I can help you but if what I tell you is wrong I hope someone else will help and clarify the questions for both of us. </p>

<p>I don't think you should answer 1 and 2 unless you have circumstances such as family issues or health problems, or something that has cause a challenge in your life and is something that they should weigh when evaluating your application. Doing 1 and 2 will not help you get admitted unless you have circumstances that would benefit from an explanation. </p>

<p>You only have to choose one of question 4. I would say that they first could be something throughout your high school process, not necessarily within your high school. However, I'm not certain about this.</p>

<p>For the second part of 4 I wouldn't write about EC and things that you would already have put on your application. Pick something that is more like a hobby, or an experience that you didn't do because you wanted to put it on an application.</p>

3

<p>by "writing sample" do they mean the essay?</p>