<p>Princeton's supplement asks the following: Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held, if not already detailed on the Common Application. (2500 characters)</p>
<p>Now, I've already written a summary of how I spent my last two summers, which basically explains everything I did that took more than about a week. It talks about several jobs I had, volunteer work I did, etc. The problem with this approach is that because I cover so many things that are relatively unrelated, it is pretty prosaic and a bit boring. </p>
<p>I think I could write a better (more captivating) essay if I focused on a single project, but that wouldn't really be following directions...</p>
<p>Do you guys think it would better to focus on a single activity or on all of them? What did current Princeton students write?</p>
<p>A straightforward “tell them everything that you considered to be important or meaningful” suffices. They don’t look at this as an “essay,” but rather as another section to elaborate more on something you do. It’s very similar to the Common App short essay. So while it shouldn’t be boring to read, it’s really just another information section… nothing particularly personal or poetic. I know of people who have gotten in simply by writing a short list of things they did. (I have confirmation of this from my college counselor, Princeton reps, current Princeton students, alumni, and users on this website)</p>
<p>yeah for that essay, i remember i just listed what i did over my two summers, and elaborated a bit on each activity and how i enjoyed doing them/how they affected me. it doesn’t have to be all poetic and deep. they just want to know how you spent your two summers.</p>
<p>Resumes are, usually, not necessary unless you cannot fit in all your accomplishments, details, and awards into the common app activities section.</p>
<p>No, I didn’t do bullet points. I still wrote it out in a paragraph format. Like each paragraph was a significant summer activity. I think bullet point format is too informal for this (but thats just my own opinion)</p>
<p>Yeah, I wrote mine out in paragraph form but it was mostly a list. I.e. “In the summer of 2009, I did this, that, and this.” And then for the more interesting / meaningful activities I elaborated with another sentence or two. I hadn’t done much besides a gifted/talented camp and two summer jobs (both minimum-wage and uninteresting) so I didn’t have a paragraph to say about any one activity…</p>
<p>Echoing other members here, I’d recommend NOT going for personal / poetic. I really don’t think that they view this as an essay, just another info section.</p>