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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]IMO her essay should be based on more than 4 nights of her life.  We're those 4 days really that life changing that they're the only thing worth telling them about?[/quote]
Actually, lots of "winning" essays are about something much shorter than 4 nights -- a funny story, a family dinner, a photograph, something granny used to say, the house in the 'ole country, etc., etc.  The essay is not meant to be a resume.  [/quote]

True, but the best essays give a sense of the person. I think what people are saying here is that the struggle to communicate in a foreign language is actually not all that different an experience from person to person, and it's the rare kid/experience that stands out with this kind of topic.

I do think it's much better to write about your favorite band--something relatively few kids will write about--than the mission/travel. And I think it's silly to worry about whether the admissions officer prefers classical music to pop. They aren't looking for people who share their interests, they're looking for interesting, well written, essays that stand out from the others.[/quote]Admissions people do a fine job but they are not above reproach and have biases like everyone else.  While they are not looking to find essays that share their interest, they certainly might be turned off by something they find contemptible no matter how well written.  Everyone has biases, even admissions people.  The best we hope for is the essay falls into the hands of the majority who are discriminating in their reading.[/quote]+1.  You just never know how someone will react to your topic if it goes too far off the deep.  I personally like unusual essays though I would draw the line at hateful commentary if I were an interviewer.[/quote]

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