<p>"From now on, I'll connect the dots my own way," says Calvin in the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson '80. What is "your way" of making sense of things? Are there dots you hope to connect?</p>
<p>My response to this was a little strange. Obviously, I'm not going to post the essay itself as I haven't applied yet. It has a lot of figurative language and ambiguity and whatever; there are some parts of it that are intentionally disorganized to reflect the point I'm trying to get across. Part of me feels like Kenyon, being a school known for creative writing, would appreciate something "outside of the box," but I don't want to take too much of a risk.</p>
<p>Oh how happy it makes me that Kenyon is referencing Calvin and Hobbes in its supplement question this year. This is so much better than the supplement question I got from Kenyon 2 years ago…</p>
<p>It’s a strange (but interesting!) question, so I’m sure that the admissions officers would appreciate a strange and interesting answer. Without reading your answer I can’t tell you for sure whether it’s too “outside the box” or just enough. Figurative language definitely sounds good, but the intentional disorganization might not come across the way you want it to. You want to make sure they know it’s intentional, and without knowing for sure it can be kind of risky. But again, without reading it I can’t tell you for sure. What I would suggest is bringing the question and your answer to a parent, English teacher, or someone else you trust. Don’t tell them what you’re trying to get across; let them read it first, and see if they get it without you explaining. If you want, bring it to a few different people and gauge reactions. That would be the safest way to make sure that your essay comes across as interesting and clever, rather than too disorganized or ambiguous.</p>