<p>sorry to pollute the board with an issue not directly related to Early Action. My question is about the essay: the 6th option about choosing your own topic, can i do like pg. 217 of a 300 page autobiography (Penn’s question). Is it too strange and obvious that i am recycling my essay topic??</p>
<p>lol...thats gunna be very very obvious...honestly i would definately not use that..maybe you can revise it so it doesnt seem like ur reusing penn material</p>
<p>well, as long as you don't begin the entire essay with half a sentence and end it with half a sentence, as if it were really 1 page from a autobiography, you'll be fine</p>
<p>ehhhhhh----</p>
<p>Penn is a major institution. I think it's safe to say admissions officers are very hip to the application essay topics of other schools--especially those of Ivys and other major institutions.</p>
<p>I guess you may be able to pull it off if you don't make it obvious. Just don't write your essay about giant mustard, 'cause then you're screwed. =)</p>
<p>It will be very obvious, because a person like me, who is not an admissions officer and is probably not even applying to Penn, knows that essay topic.</p>
<p>And, no, they will not like it.</p>
<p>funny quip about the mustard...ahh Chicago, we love ya.</p>
<p>thanks guys, i probably won't use it. Wishful thinking i guess. btw, i was one of those left behind after the carnage in Columbia ED.</p>
<p>Why wouldn't you be allowed to use a topic from another school? If you feel that essay would best describe you, send it in. Just be honest about where you got the inspiration, and don't use another school's option unless you really feel that it is better than the ones on the common app.</p>
<p>Why can't you just talk about the experience? If you make it so that it doesn't seem like it's an actual page, go for it, I'd say. Def. use it.</p>
<p>abcde: It's not so much a matter of being "allowed," but frankly, it's just as bad as accidentally writing a "Why I want to go to NYU" essay and sending it to Columbia. It's insulting, and shows that you really don't want to go to that school. But, to the OP, Yoshe is definitely right. If you can do your best not to make it seem like "page 217," go for it.</p>