<p>The Perfect Essay
[right]"Many big people were chasing me. I didn't know what to do. So I thought I would surprise them and throw it."
--Garo Yepremian, Miami placekicker, after a disastrous attempt to throw a pass in the Super Bowl[/right]</p>
<p>Im a very smart guy and although my scores might not be the highest youve seen, I deserve to get into your school. Everybody around me told me that my chance for getting into a good college is into my interesting extracurricular activities and my essay. The first one is easy -- Im an interesting person with interesting extracurriculars. I can create computer software (not programs; the difference is that the math guys dont know anything about usability engineering and marketing). Ive a Web site (check <a href="http://www.smilyanov.net%5B/url%5D">www.smilyanov.net</a>) loaded with interested stuff Ive created. I can be useful in the cycling and in the skiing teams. Ive a good sense of humor, and I like to help people. Ive, I can... But I can imagine how many people with great ECs, with high SATs, and with rich parents apply for your College.</p>
<p>I forget to mention that Im also interested in reading essays. Essays I read vary from self-improvement problems, pass through more general topics, and go to various programming-related topics. Ouch, but what about my application essay? Everybody told me that I was capable of inventing a wonderful essay, because they knew that Im very smart and in particular I liked essays. Anyway, I couldnt. Why?</p>
<p>There is a very common phrase in school: you know that you dont know anything. I think that if you are smart enough, you can realize that its not just some kind if an excuse of teenage girls trying to skip the next class. It is valid during your whole life. The more knowledge you accumulate, the more illiterate you feel you are. You can guess what happens when you are smart, perfectionist, and you like essays. You try to do something impossible -- you want to create a masterpiece. And this seems so natural and so reachable for you that you tend to do it instinctively. Even now, when I admit it, I cant fix it.</p>
<p>Another obstacle to start is the freedom you have. In the Common Application there are some predefined blurry topics that seem to be specially designed to make you write either about the world peace, or about your autobiography (the things admissions officers hate most). But when youre smart, you obviously will choose the last one: other . You want to write something that is (a) very different from the dumb essays others give, (B) very interesting for the admissions officers, and ( c) it must present you just as yourself. Separately these tasks are relatively easy, but they must be completed together -- into only one essay. Sure, I can tell you something interesting about computers: do you know that programs must be written for people to read and only incidentally for machines to execute (a quote from an MIT professor)? Or that the Computer Science is closer to Psychology than to Math?</p>
<p>The problem is that I dont know whether it will be interesting for you, but even if it is -- there is another one, much bigger problem. I dont want to get into a college due to my wonderful, amazing, and interesting essay about abstract computer stuff. I want you accept me because you know me, and Im definitely not a nerd thinking only about computers (but I suppose you already know this, since Im trying to impress you with an essay not with a DARPA recommendation).</p>
<p>You know that essay means an attempt. But an attempt to do what? To write something admissions officers want to read. Nope! This would be stupid even if the books didnt mention that it really is. I think that it must be an attempt to present you. And how you can present you unless you dont write about you? Voila, maybe after all Ill have to send you my autobiography and it will be the perfect essay! Or there is no need?</p>
<h2>© 2005 Georgi Ruslanov Smilyanov. All Rights Reserved.</h2>
<p>So, what do you think? All opinions and comments are welcomed!</p>