Questions About My Villanova Essay Need Some Help Please

College Essays
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<p>I am in a bit of a dilemma concerning my essays for Nova. It is kind of confusing but hopefully some of you will be able to help me.</p>

<p>I wrote one essay, which I am using for all of my schools, that focuses on a retreat which I attended and its effect on me. This essay fits perfectly into the Villanova essay prompt about a time where you have been transformed. However I need to write another essay for the common app. I am using the common app for two other schools besides Villanova and therefore would like to use this essay for my common app so that my other schools get it. This would of course mean that Nova would get the same essay twice.</p>

<p>For the Nova essay I would alter it to discuss some different things which I did not go into detail about in the main essay. Would this be acceptable or would they view this as lazy? I am having trouble thinking of another "transformation" experience which I could write about and I dont want to submit a poor essay. The only other option I have been able to come up with would be to write about 9/11 and its impact on me. I live in Brooklyn, so 9/11 had a great impact on my life and my community but I feel like the essay might be a little too cliche.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long post but if anybody could offer me any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it as I only have a few more days to sort this out.</p>

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<p>I wouldn't do two similar essays for Villanova- they have the two prompts for a reason, and I think the admissions people would get a little bored. </p>

<p>You could just use the "choose your own" prompt on the common app- Then you can write about whatever you want, not just something that impacted you (I don't know, I think those kinds of essays are harder to write). The essay about 9/11 could be good or bad depending on your writing skills, but I bet because of its subject matter that it would be easier to make cliche.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the response but the essay about my retreat experience has to go on the common app because it is my best essay and needs to go to schools like Boston College. My real question is whether or not I should write about a similar topic for both or write about 9/11 for the transformation essay. Also the more I think about it I don't believe that the essay would be too cliche because my dad worked at the World Trade Center so it would still be a very personal essay. </p>

<p>Any other responses.</p>