Hi, FOR PROMPT #1 OF COMMON APPLICATION
would an essay about how i acquired passion and love for the major i am applying for make a good topic for my essay
in the common application? or would it be boring to read about it ?
i am asking this because the story is little long.
Could be a great topic. How does it relate to Prompt #1?
i think the prompt #1 is about showing them that you are a passionate individual and i think it is something that has been driving me and some how affected what as a person i am.
is it relevant to the topic?
Remember the goal of the essay is to reveal more about your personality than they can see elsewhere in the app. An essay flows best if it has specific stories about you and your thoughts/actions. Generalities are boring, as you just said. So it depends on how you present it. Tell a story, show with specific incidents or anecdotes.
It’s hard to say without seeing an outline. You could be making a mistake if the story is overly long, and in trying to condense it, you end up writing more about the major than about yourself and how you and the field of study intersect. Similarly, be aware of the pitfalls of backstory (scene setting). If you’re saying to the reader, I’d like to tell you about how passionate I am about X, but to do so, I need to get you up to speed on how I got into X, so let me fill you in – that’s storytelling masquerading as an essay. You want an essay that brings your character into more focus.
Your character is highlighted best through the choices you’ve made. You made a choice to study X, that’s true, but the risk for the essay is that your choice won’t differentiate you from other applicants. Every student eventually chooses a major. Some are more passionate in that process, sure, but unless you have unique reasons why you were drawn to field X, the essay might not reveal much about your character. Note that prompts #2-4 can be good for revealing character because they deal with the choices you’ve made while under pressure, and what you learned as a result.
I suggest outlining your best ideas for two or three different prompts, then go from there.
@Dunboyne thankyou, i have considered prompt #2 and have also recalled an experience, after completing i might post it here to get it reviewed
Bad idea- do NOT post it online!!!
Instead, invite a few people here, whose opinions you’ve grown to trust, to critique it for you.
I’m not a big fan of the threads that ask the world at large to critique their essays-- not all critiques are created equal.
@bjkmom and @Dunboyne i have written the essay, would you critique it if i message or email it to you?
Just a tip: a lot of schools have prompts that ask you what led you to choose the major(s) you did. This essay could become redundant if your CA essay is already like that.
@looploop Sure.