posted
I was going to wait until I finished all 45 of OSC's books before I posted (I'm on 19), but I have a question that I think you guys will be able to help me answer.
My whole life I have wanted to go to the University of Michigan. Both my parents went there as well as my older brother. They all said that their years at Michigan were the best years of their lives.
Next year I will be a senior in high school, and my mom wants me to do my college applications over the summer. Today, I went to the Michigan website and checked out the essays.
The first essay is about how i contribute to the diversity at Michigan. The second essay, since I am applying to the engineering school, is about why I am interested in engineering. There are three options for the third essay. One of the choices is to talk about a book that has made an impact on your life.
So my question is, would Ender's Game be scholarly enough to write about for my college essay? I'm thinking about writing how it has taught me that even kids can do amazing things, and has therefore helped me reached my full potential. Also, it has taught me to not judge other people before I truly know who they are. Everyone has a reason for why they do things.
Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
Posts: 77 | Registered: Apr 2007
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Don't stress about the topic so much as staying on topic and having good writing skills. My aunt was once asked to write an essay on Marco Polo, she didn't know enough about him, so she wrote it about the game kids play in the pool. She was accepted, probably because her writing skills were so good.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Anyway, write about whatever you want. You're dealing with bored admissions people who just want to get through and eliminate or plug you as quick as possible. Anything interesting will survive.
Of course, if you have the grades, you don't have to worry that much.
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
Don't worry. I'm guessing that a huge majority of people have been deeply affected by books that fail that definition of "Scholarly". Plus, the things you gleaned from that book are obviously important. Thirdly, you have a huge online community, full of OSC fans, that could help you fine-tune your essay, right here.
And welcome to Hatrack.
Posts: 1594 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
one thing i think u can use from Ender's Game is that all the kids are from several different countries on earth and still become the best of friends. the diversity actually helps them relate and you have learned from that to accept people for who they are as individuals and not judge them by their origins, skin, etc.
EDIT: Flaming Toad has a great point. feel free to post your essay here whenever u finish it and we can critique it for you. good luck.
Posts: 813 | Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
Yes, the subject matter of the essay is of little importance. Writing skills, creativity, and an ability to introspect are all much more important, that last in particular.
Additionally, it is good to pick topics or write in a way that sticks in an admissions officer's head. Admissions officers go through huge numbers of applications, and most of them look the same and read the same. Even a memorable turn of phrase makes you much more likely to be picked from among a large number of similar applicants.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
I read applications this year for entrance into my program (which places a very strong emphasis on writing skills). If someone had writen about Ender's Game, that would have been totally fine with me. I'd say the only two to really avoid are Harry Potter, and Da Vinchy Code, but even with those, if the essay was nuanced and well writen, it would be okay.
Posts: 441 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Do not write about how you went to a foreign country and changed your perspective by volunteering for a week at some American tourist-resort. Or about how hard yearbook is .
Avoid those topics, and you'll be fine.
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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quote:Originally posted by fugu13: Yes, the subject matter of the essay is of little importance. Writing skills, creativity, and an ability to introspect are all much more important, that last in particular.
Additionally, it is good to pick topics or write in a way that sticks in an admissions officer's head. Admissions officers go through huge numbers of applications, and most of them look the same and read the same. Even a memorable turn of phrase makes you much more likely to be picked from among a large number of similar applicants.
BINGO!
Phanto's suggestion of FastWeb is a good one. Also, unless you are absolutely sure you will not qualify for federal or state aid, you should be completing your FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1. To qualify for Michigan state aid, your FAFSA must be received by March 1. ("Received" is virtually instantaneous if you do it online; can take about a week if you mail a paper FAFSA.) While you cannot complete the 2008-9 FAFSA until January, there is one important thing you can do right now: apply for a PIN, and have your mom do so as well. You will need those when you complete the FAFSA (if you do it online), and it is much better to apply now (when you will likely get a response in less than 24 hours) than the last week of February, when they are so flooded with requests that it can take 4-5 days.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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To Krynn's comment about the Battle School being a multi-cultural society and everyone still becoming friends. Also note, that the dominant local (Battle School) Culture is not America or England or France or Germany; it is Brazil. All the kids adopt Brazilian street language. In a deeply political environment, like on earth, the dominant political culture seems to dominate society, but when placed in a neutral environment with limited adult influence, it seems the most fun and colorful culture dominates.
To Angiomorphism comment about avoiding Harry Potter or the Da Vinchy Code, as much as I love Harry Potter, I agree. Harry Potter is just too culturally dominant. Analyzing and writing about it doesn't show much originality. Though as was also pointed out, it is not so much what you write about as how well you get your point across both in terms of analysis of the subject, having a unique insight, and correct structure of the writing.
I also agree with Phanto, avoid the shallow done-to-death subjects. Writing about a foreign country may not be too bad, if you did something while you were there besides eat at McDonalds and sleep in tourist hotels. For such an essay to be unique it has to have been a unique experience.
Your initial question was -
So my question is, would Ender's Game be scholarly enough to write about for my college essay?
...but you asked the wrong question. It is not is Enders Game a scholarly enough subject, but can your analysis be scholarly and insightful enough to stand out from the morass of other drivel the entrance staff is typically forced to read?
Did Enders Game change your life, do you see and think about the world differently now that you have read it, and can you express that feeling?
posted
I won a college scholarship just this year for writing an essay on three works of literature that impacted my life.
I wrote on Shakespeare's King Lear, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. In none of them did I talk about what great works of literature they were, but instead focused on where I was in my life when I read them, and how they made me feel and how I looked at things differently AFTER I read them.
A professor who likes me and knows me told me it was a hands-down, absolutely unanimous decision to award me the scholarship because everyone loved the essay so much.
Doesn't matter what you pick. Just write well, and be conversational in your tone. I don't think scholarship or application essays should be too stuffy, they want to get a feel for who you are, so write about stuff that matters and how it affected YOU.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
Thanks for all your help! After showing this thread to my mom, she decided to allow me to write about Ender's Game. I'll probably put parts of the essay up after I write it.
And by the way, since I'm a new member is it madatory for me to ask when the Ender's Game movie is coming out? Just kidding.
Posts: 77 | Registered: Apr 2007
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Asserting my own views, imo, now that you're writing these college applications, your Mother shouldn't be in a veto position. You should work together et al, but the buck falls more and more on you, and you're the one who has to make the tough choices. Besides for the bonds of the heart, (and some lasting assumption that you are linked to your family), the only control your family will have on you after graduation is economic.
posted
My parents are the ones paying for my college education. If that doesn't give them veto power, I don't know what does.
Posts: 77 | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
Should that give them the right to veto a school because it's too expensive -- sure! Or even because they think a given school is not worth what they'd be paying.
However, you should be the one deciding what your essay will be about. Feedback on it is good, but they won't be writing your essays in college for you (and I devoutly hope they won't be deciding what you should or should not be writing about then), nor should they be deciding what you are writing about now.
I say this as a college admisions officer, as a parent, and as someone who applied to colleges not so very long ago myself.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I've never in my post-elementary school life had to write a personal essay/paper or something not on an academic subject (well, I've written academic essays, I have written about rather odd things, such as Music Hall. That was a great essay, heh). Is it as common in the States as it sounds? What about elsewhere?
Essay application to Universities in Canada is rare. You are accepted usually based on your high school marks only; no essay, very little standardized testing. I don't recall if I was judged on anything else I had done. One of the colleges at the University I attend did require an essay for entrance, but I didn't apply there.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Your mother deciding your topic comes very close to academic dishonesty I think. Obviously more info would be needed to be certain, but the admissions officer wants to know what work affected you and your thoughts, not what work your mother thinks should have affected you. Of course, since the essay is supposed to be about you, if you are letting someone else have that veto power, the essay will be slightly off because it won't truly be you. In the US, I think we use essays because there is a huge difference from one high school to another. I ended up going to a state school though (couldn't justify going into debt, esp since the state school is pretty good) and they sent me out a prefilled application and all I had to do was sign it (joys of being national merit).
Posts: 1001 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
I went to Michigan. You'll have fun there. I'm dying to go back someday if I can.
As far as admissions goes, obviously you should do your very best on the essay, but don't delude yourself into thinking that it's the most important part of the app. Michigan is far too large a school to make admissions decisions on the basis of essays. I think they mainly have them on the app in order to show that they're up there with the Ivies, where such things do matter a lot.
Mainly the decision will be made on the basis of your SAT/ACT scores and your grades. If you are a borderline case, with test scores near their cutoff, then they will consult your essay to see if they want to let you in. But if your SAT/ACT is much higher than the average Michigan student's, you'll be pretty much guaranteed admission. Especially in the engineering school, where they don't expect you to write much.
So I would put the most effort into test prep and make sure you get the best scores you're capable of. I've never heard of someone with a 1400+ SAT being turned down by Michigan, even with poor grades.
Posts: 4600 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I was going to add to Desinteer's comment that the essay is very important at certain schools such as the ivies -- but he or she already said that!
Mark this: If you apply to NYU, for instance, you had best write your essay about some serious problem in your life. If it involves drugs somehow, you may be eligble for a 15k scholarship. Had I known about that, I'd have swallowed my dignity and told the few stories I have to tell...
Research is key. A lot of $ is involved here, though you may not emotionally feel it yet. If you -- throughout your next year -- check sites such as fastweb and apply to (say) 2 scholarships a month, you may save thousands.Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
Haven't you guys ever read Ender's Game before? If so, then you would know not to judge people until you understand their situation. Of course I will write about whatever I want for my college essay, no matter what my parents think. However, I'd rather not have to pay the $75 application fee myself considering that I'm making less than minumum wage this summer.
Posts: 77 | Registered: Apr 2007
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