<p>Dd likes to do (and has taught herself) calligraphy. She's not otherwise artistically inclined in any way; she hasn't started a small business and isn't interested in doing so (I suppose we could get grandma to "buy" some of her work and declare it a business, but that hardly seems the point); she's not invented her Very Own Font; she hasn't addressed envelopes for orphans in Bangladesh or the Queen of England. It's just something that makes her interesting. </p>
<p>How would one talk about this on a college app?</p>
<p>Well, something about that activity attracts her to it. Is it the contemplative nature of the art of calligraphy? Perhaps the visual or mechanical component? Is it meditative? Does doing calligraphy take her away from her more academic worries? I remember asking my kids if they wanted music lessons for a certain instrument. Both said they wanted to enjoy the activity for the sheer joy of it and that lessons or anything else that had a deadline or was a “resume” type of activity would make it seem like a job. Maybe this is just a creative, artistic outlet for your daughter to enjoy and she can talk about it without having been productive or super accomplished in any way. My son talked about his writing and why it was important to him and he hadn’t published the great American novel or anything. All essay topics are just a door one goes through to show the reader of picture of who they are as a person.</p>
<p>Considering most students today have terrible handwriting, I think it’s interesting that she has taken up calligraphy. This could make a great essay topic, and, if she is using the Common App, she should consider writing her essay in calligraphy to send in addition to the online submission.</p>
<p>In addition to what affect it has on her feelings and mood (bessie’s idea) I wondered: What was her process to teach herself a new skill: </p>
<p>Did she see something in a book or receive an invitation – what sparked the interest? How did she figure out how to teach herself something that isn’t readily available in the courses and community where she resides? How did she gather up the tools and information? The tools themselves are interesting. How has she seen her hand improve and where might she go next with it? What are her next goals: more letters, more fluency, less ink on her hands? Does she feel the same or different compared to when she types fluently on a computer?</p>
<p>And i.m.o., Steve Jobs said it just as beautifully. No, seriously, ADad makes a good point, and the calligraphy should reflect & reveal the writer-applicant, not vice-versa.</p>
<p>My own passion for calligraphy developed toward the end of college and just after. (I later become skilled in both English & Hebrew calligraphy & did both professionally.) I was actually taught by one of the masters in the field who later went on to become famous in graphics. It is extremely time-consuming to excel in it, as it demands a level of perfection that most people are impatient with. So, kudos to OP’s D for making time in her undoubtedly over-busy h.s. schedule. (My own schedule at that time would have been too insane to allow for this careful & contemplative activity.) And yes, passions are associated with it, develop from it. In mine, it was an interest in learning another language as well (not just its alphabet), plus eventually its culture & religion. In others – such as Jobs and my master teacher – it could be graphics, typefaces, & design. Those who become accomplished at Spencerian script might develop a passion for that period of history on both sides of the Atlantic. </p>
<p>The discussion of it in the application, then, should focus on what in calligraphy drew the applicant to it, which could be many things – on why it continues to fascinate & provide satisfaction. It would certainly not hurt to culminate the ‘discussion’ with a calligraphic flourish.;)</p>
<p>A few years ago, after I interviewed an applicant for MIT, I received a thank you card from the interviewee. It was hand written calligraphy, and I was very impressed by the letter and the envelope. As a matter of fact, I showed it to my kids (who were around 12 to 20 at the time) as an example of the lost art of excellent handwriting, because it looked as if it had been written by John Hancock or Thomas Jefferson. I was all the more impressed because this student (an Asian male) had only been in the US a few years, and I mentioned the thank you letter in the student’s evaluation to MIT. I had already been very favorably impressed by this student in the interview (he had mentioned during the interview that he enjoyed doing calligraphy, as well as some type of Asian drawing, in his spare time). Unfortunately, this student was not accepted at MIT, but competition among international students is very high. Nevertheless, I still have the letter because I think it is “cool.” They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Some people might think sending such a letter is a bit over the top, but I really liked it.</p>
<p>I’d get into the history of caligraphy, how it evolved, how the shaping of the words express something in their own right along with the sheer etymology of the words. I’d also delve into the painstaking craftsmanship of the process as opposed to what we do today with our desktop publishing, avery labels, adobe, etc. I’d write about the brilliant writers of the past who set down their precious words in long hand, slowly and with no easy recourse to delete and cut & paste. </p>
<p>Mostly, though, your daughter needs to figure out why she is drawn to caligraphy. My sense is that she has a yearning to pause a bit, reflect, consider her words carefully before consigning them to print. Perhaps she is a bit text weary with all that comes at us through blogs and discussion boards and email and im’s and text messages.</p>
<p>Oh, this could be a yummy essay, indeed. I predict a winner with this one.</p>
