In UC application essay questions, is the use of “eye-catching” dialogues to make an opening statement a good idea or is it better to use the limited space to write more personal facts about oneself? What is meant by dialogue is a conversation that makes the essay “eye-catching”. I believe many high school teachers and counselors recommend the use of dialogue, but is this really necessary?
My son, who is applying to UC’s, was just asking the question. Someone had mentioned that it is better to use the limited space for more personal facts. Any opinions? Thanks.
I hadn’t heard of using dialog to get their attention, but I wanted to mention there are other ways of standing out. Just before my son applied to the UCs a few years ago, I read an article by an admissions officer about writing essays that said that an attention-grabbing opening sentence could be effective. Unfortunately, I don’t have the article, but in the example given, the student’s opening sentence sounded as if he were saying something atrocious about himself, but it turned out that the key word meant something innocuous. My son used the same technique in one of his essays and was accepted to all the UCs, though it is impossible to say whether his essays were a key factor or not. It is wonderful if the essay tickles the reader’s funny bone (and maybe wakes them up a bit.)
There is an article with similar advice, “How to Write the Perfect College Essay–Grab Some Attention”, at the greatcollegeadvice website.
Thanks for the response.
Whatever you use, make it easy for the reader to understand what you’re trying to convey. Don’t rely on hidden meanings or overly fancy writing. They’re only going to spend a few minutes on your application so make sure whatever you’re trying to say is obvious.