it doesn’t take a expensive trip overseas to recognize there is suffering in the world. It actually may look worse to act as if it does. I’d write about something else tbh.
The debate thing is really significant. Did you fully qualify to the TOC (two bids in the same year) or just get 2 bids total in your whole career? Cause it makes a slight difference. Some of it also depends on how rich your program is and how often they get to compete. In any capacity it’s very good.
Your political involvement is fairly run of the mill though (I do the exact same thing)
Also there are White Hispanics…and the comment about your 5 on AP Spanish was cringeworthy lol.
Personally, at the first occurrence, I would write “University of Pennsylvania” and subsequently, write “Penn.” If you are worried about informality, don’t be; in my essays I wrote as I indicated earlier and I was accepted.
The Atlantic I am curious. Why was it cringeworthy? I would never say something like that in an essay. Where I go to school, no one other than native speakers cares enough to learn the language. So while the fact that it is a common essay topic worries me, why is it bad in general to be proud of being passionate about Spanish and self-studying enough to do well?
It’s not what you said but how you said it @jakea33. Being white and great at speaking other languages is not in itself an outrageous accomplishment, and your comment kinda framed it as if you overcame some obstacle. The comment just hits the ear wrong, though the intent is fine.
Every kid who gets a 5 on the AP test in a language that is not spoken in their home has accomplished something. And there are lots of those students. I think it is okay to say how much you like practicing and speaking the languages you are learning with native speakers. I’d stay away from race references altogether.
One of my kids wrote an essay about her long-term study of a language that is not commonly spoken outside its native country. She talked about being able to talk to the host family grandparents who didn’t speak English, and her attempts to command the family dog in the language. It was a successful essay for her, so it can be a good topic. Just stay away from race.
Be careful how/if you write about it!!