Hello,
I have a question. In essays for Stanford and Columbia,
I am required to list out my books. Should I simply list out
the names of books or speak a bit about it?
Because in the Columbia application it says:
List the titles of the required readings from courses during the school year or summer that you enjoyed most in the past year.
I only had three books for my required reading while here it gives me 150 words.
Should I describes the books a little bit or just write the book and author?
It seems wrong to only write 20 words when I should have filled 150.
Thanks
None of these colleges will prefer a student who tries to write a 50-word mini-essay on each book to one who dispenses with such nonsense.
The Stanford question only allows you 50 words, IIRC. Don’t try to do anything fancy.
And don’t try to make your choices spell out subliminal messages.
@JustOneDad but what if my favorite books are: 
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Cesar and Cleopatra
Captivity
Ender’s Game
Peter Pan
The Theory of Everything
Mockingjay
Emma
@Anonymoose3 Then the admissions counselors wil say. “Uh-huh.” and continue reading your application. The only way for this question to make a serious difference is if an applicant’s list consists entirely of textbooks or airport thrillers.
@NotVerySmart I was just kidding - I know it doesn’t make a huge difference (though it’s always good to contribute to your story with each question answered).
In that order?
I think the risk is that your choices will be discounted by any reasonable person. In other words, it’s hard to take that seriously.