<p>ive been writing all my essays thus far as if i were just talking, so its mostly simple words with a lot of eloquence squashed in.</p>
<p>i read one of my friends essays and its loaded with intellectual words. obviously its not how he talks but it looks nice.</p>
<p>is it bad to write essays as if you were talking or should you got for sheer intellectualism?</p>
<p>It is far more important for your voice to be present than to use "intelligent" words. Of course, it is also important that you write well. English-class things such as varying sentence structure and some imagery here and there are nice things to have. </p>
<p>To quote the University of Virginia:</p>
<p>"-The bad: From an early age, we accept death as the inevitable, but do not comprehend its actual denotation. Death is the impending future that all people must eventually grasp. In my early teens, my grandfather tragically perished. As a youth who did not identify with such a cataclysm I was saturated with various emotions. Initially, I was grieved by the loss of a loved one and could not understand why this calamity had to befall upon my family. I always considered death to have a devastating effect, but was shocked by the emotional strain it places upon an individual.</p>
<p>--The good: The coughing came first, the hacking in the middle of the night. Then there were the multiple doctor visits, each one the same: the little white rooms with magazines where I tried not to stare at the bald, gaunt woman across from me. One of the white coats finally said something, steadily, forecasting an 80 percent change of rain. The list of second opinions grew too long to count, looking for someone to say the right thing. Finally, there was relief in hearing the name of a kinder killer: lymphoma."</p>
<p>Note that in the good, the author's voice is present, but he/she is also very capable of writing well, such as the synecdoche (man am I a nerd) in saying "one of the white coats."</p>
<p>You shouldn't have to go to a thesaurus for words, at least, that's my view. Good example ^^ btw.</p>
<p>Grades and test scores will show you're an intellectual, the essay is a chance to let your personality shine.</p>
<p>you can write like you're talking BUT the PROSE MUST BE GOOD. Otherwise, you're better off using intellectual words. Prose matters.</p>
<p>I roll my eyes at the effort to use impressive vocab that takes over so many essays. Picture the adcom in a room reading pretentious, self important essays all day. One that reaally talks to them will be welcome. </p>
<p>The best essays I've read talk to the adcom and give a strong sense of personality. They have a little humor too.</p>