Scripps common app question

One of the questions for Scripps on the common app is “You’ve invented a time machine in your living room – well done! When and where is your first destination and why?”. In a normal conversation with a friend, I would say something along the lines of going back to the 60s to buy comic books for 10 cents each (not to resell them, just to have them). However, I feel like that I should write about something more important and professional because this is a college question? Will Scripps think I’m childish if I write what I truly think?

I think that is a fine basis for answering that essay. I doubt they have seen that answer before, and that is generally a good thing. They want to see your real personality.

You need to be you. Do not try to make yourself out to be something you are not. BTW, my D got in ED1 and went back to 60’s but had a different slant than you. Be you, be true to who you are, and you will shine.

If you can paint a colorful and memorable picture of why you love comic books - one that would explain your passion to a person who might previously have assumed that this was simply a childish pursuit - then your essay will be golden. It’s a good thing to stand out from the “righting the wrongs of history” crowd. You just have to strike a balance of not taking yourself too seriously, yet at the same time helping the reader to see something you love through your eyes. What you need to do is identify several good writers/editors who don’t appreciate comic books at all, and have them read your essay. Tell them to be brutally honest, and keep editing until they say, "Oh, now I get why you love this so much!