<p>Does an application essay have to be totally formal? Do bits of informality hurt the essay?</p>
<p>Do I have to prove everything I write in my app essay, especially if my application essay is a bit over-the-top? Can I assume that some things I've stated in my essay will be proved by the rest of my application?</p>
<p>college app. essays do not have to be formal at all, thank goodness. The essay is supposed to bring out your personal voice, formal or not, so they can hear what's coming from you, not a research paper.</p>
<p>And you don't have to prove anything, just make sure it's not a lie.</p>
<p>I think bits of informality would actually make your essay more interesting to read and "relatable". If I were an admissions officer reading hundreds of essays per day, a completely formal essay would just bore me to death...</p>