Skip to main content
4
5 years ago
Admissions Advice

Should my college essays be written in descriptive form or in the form of a story?
Answered

Should my answer to the essay prompts be straight out descriptions or as a more interactive story type of thing?

essays
4
4
🎉 First post
Let’s welcome @fancandyman to the community! Remember to be kind, helpful, and supportive in your responses.
@Wikipedia2 years ago [edited]

The Wikipedia altering administrations are awesome, and I can't suggest them enough https://www.wikipediathrive.com/wikipedia-update At the point when I wanted help fabricating an excellent page, the group answered speedily and capability.

@robertpsnyder9 months ago

Crafting a Wikipedia page can mirror the artful balance you appreciate, presenting your information with accuracy and professionalism. wikimastery.com/wikipedia-page-editing-services

Earn karma by helping others:

1 karma for each ⬆️ upvote on your answer, and 20 karma if your answer is marked accepted.

2 answers

3
Accepted Answer
5 years ago

Your college essay can be in many forms, but you should choose the one that allows you to share your story in the most engaging way. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "descriptive form," but if that means simply describing/reporting what happened in a straightforward way, you should avoid that. One of the biggest mistakes students make on their essays is to simply state what happened, rather than showing. You might've heard the advice "Show, don't tell" in your English class already, but it's worth repeating since it's vital to writing a strong essay.

Here's an example:

Instead of saying, “I struggled to make friends when I transferred schools,” (telling) you can show your emotions by writing, “I scanned the bustling school cafeteria, feeling more and more forlorn with each unfamiliar face. I found an empty table and ate my lunch alone" (showing).

The second example really illustrates how the writer feels, and helps you envision what it was like to be in their shoes. It's definitely more of a "storytelling" form.

If you want more examples, CollegeVine has a few Common App essay excerpts and examples in these posts:

https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-common-application-essays-2019-2020/

https://blog.collegevine.com/why-this-common-app-essay-worked-prompt-2-the-lessons-we-take/

3
1
5 years ago

Depends on essay seriousness if talking about why this college try to have it be a persuasive essay for a story about self like overcoming challenges try a story themed essay

1
What are your chances of acceptance?
Your chance of acceptance
Duke University
Loading…
UCLA
Loading…
+ add school
Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

Community Guidelines

To keep this community safe and supportive:

  1. Be kind and respectful!
  2. Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
  3. Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!

How karma works