Reply to Common App optional essay on Covid-19

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Common App optional essay on Covid-19"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There’s been great loss here, among the teenagers now applying to college. Those who don’t see that have forgotten, if they ever knew, what it means to be young.[/quote]

Sure, but if you write an essay about your "great loss" that consisted of DL, missing prom, and not having a fun summer internship, you're going to look like a dick, because there will be students writing about how their mom lost her job, their grandmother died and they didn't get to see her, they were evicted, etc.  A little humility and self-awareness goes a long way.

If there's something practical to explain -- you were unable to take the SAT or complete something because of COVID-19 that you would otherwise have included on your application, sure, include that.  If it had some effect on your grades because, for example, you had to take care of your siblings while your parents worked, discuss that.  If you weren't able to do X so you did Y instead, explain that.  If you did some real volunteer work, share that.  If you learned something through the experience that you'd like to share, do that.  But an essay about how it was this huge loss for you when everyone in your family is employed and healthy will not make you look attractive to colleges.  Yes, everyone has suffered some kind of loss, but some perspective is useful.  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics