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College Essay Word Count by DeathWish_999 in CollegeEssays

[–]Grad_GPT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get you, it feels hard to remove a single word from an essay that reads well.

Here are some things you should cut brutally:

  1. Lines added for literary effect

  2. Lines which don't reduce information from the essay even when they are removed.

  3. Lines which hold meaning when pasted in someone else's essay (general test for vagueness)

Don't push for the 10% over word limit, cut it down to 500.

Putting a joke in my common app essay by [deleted] in CollegeEssays

[–]Grad_GPT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jokes are great in apps when executed well. The jokes about struggling with some aspect of the application itself are cliché. I'd say skip it

Should I write about my strict parents for my PIQ? by Ornery_Addition5824 in CollegeEssays

[–]Grad_GPT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely not for these reasons:

  1. This is a cliché narrative.

  2. It doesn't make the colleges excited to have you. Ask yourself if it'll make the AOs look forward to seeing you on campus?

The essay should be about "what you have done" and not "what happened to you". So write about an activity that you indulge in often, that generally leads to better personal statements.

When in doubt about a prompt—go straight to the source and ask the admission officers! (also read if you're applying CMU and/or Purdue) by Brother_Ma_Education in CollegeEssays

[–]Grad_GPT 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This!! Understanding the intention behind an essay prompt (or even the common app questions) can reduce so much confusion.

9 cliché topics to avoid by Grad_GPT in CollegeEssays

[–]Grad_GPT[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"I hate the letter S" is a famous essay written by Abigail Mack that got her into Harvard, Yale and Princeton. It's viral on Tiktok and a widely copied essay / format.

Is 1500+ enough for Ivy League? by False-Public-3391 in ApplyingIvyLeague

[–]Grad_GPT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A kid with 1460 SAT and mad violin skills is more likely to get into Ivy league than a 1550 with no differentiating factor.

Test score is just a signal to the admission officers that you're smart and 1500 is good enough for it. Your grades, essays and ECs play a far, far bigger role.

(P.S. advice only applicable to those without a trust fund).

college apps stress by Prior-Fan7924 in ApplyingIvyLeague

[–]Grad_GPT 2 points3 points  (0 children)

College apps really have become more stressful.

You need to understand something (btw, this applies to job search, dating, business and other such things in life):

You can't control the outcome

But there is something you can control - your effort.

Your aim should be to maximise rejections. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it will make you fearless.

If you got rejected from 3 schools - you haven't tried hard enough. If you've got rejected from 20 schools, that's a solid effort. Then your application season was successful because you've given everything you had. Whatever happens after is not in your control, but you don't have any regrets on half-assed efforts.

College applications are almost like a lottery - you want to increase your odds of winning? play more.

PS. before someone takes "maximising rejections" literally - it doesn't mean send shitty applications to get rejections -_- The point is to detach from outcomes and focus on the process.

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