As I wait for my Early action schools to notify me, I am stuck on which of two well thought out, but different essays I should include as my common app. One is a lighthearted and funny account on my research with Syphilis proteins (A lot of puns) and the other is an essay on how I ruined my best friend’s life and how I now cope with the grief. Both show different sides of my personality and for some colleges like (Yale, Princeton, and Emory) I get to send both, but for some schools like (Northwestern, Duke, and Johns hopkins) I only get to send one. I would love advice on which I should choose. I can PM you the essays to read over!
DO NOT send an essay about how you ruined someone’s life. Why would you even consider that? No. Of course there is more to you than you can say in the app, but anything you do say about yourself should not leave a negative impression.
@Lindagaf Sorry I definitely should have added more context to this post. My friend gets in serious trouble for making some wrong decisions placing the lives and hard work of many in jeopardy and I solve the situation by telling my principal, ruining his life. But when he comes back, I help him make friends and readjust, guiding him and facing my fears.
I’m not sure either option is ideal. I would not go heavy into puns as you never know if the admissions officer will like that or not, and I certainly would not send an essay about how you ruined someone another person’s life for the reason noted above.
I still don’t like the idea, because the essay may end up being more about your friend than you. Maybe it’s okay to discuss how you helped someone make friends and adjust after you had been not-friends before, bu I think this has the potential to cast you in a bad light because you may end up sounding cocky, or like you are some kind of savior. If you want to, pm me your science one, I will tell you what I think.
Does either essay “Give them a reason to say yes” to your application? If it came down to you and someone else, would either essay be the tipping point-- the sure knowledge that you would be a positive addition to their campus?