<p>I know you're not supposed to use contractions in formal writing. But I'm writing an essay based on the prompt "If you could change one thing about your community, what would it be and why?" It's more of a personal essay, so are contractions are okay? I've written a draft, and I used quite a few, but I think it just sounds awkward and forced without them. Don't colleges want to hear my voice as a writer anyway?</p>
<p>Yes, colleges want to hear your voice as a writer. It doesn’t really make sense to treat your application essays as a formal writing assignment; colleges want to know about you, not the person you can pretend to be if you write fancy.</p>