The short answer is this: it’s okay to discuss religion in your essay as long as the take-away (or values) promoted in the essay are universal.
What should you not write your college essay on?
College Essay Topics to Avoid
- Controversial Topics. Controversial topics, such as current political hot buttons, should be avoided at all costs.
- Highly Personal Topics.
- Personal Achievements and Accomplishments.
- Most Important Place or a Role Model.
- Creative Writing.
- Athletic Topics.
- Humorous Topics or Jokes.
- Tragic Events.
Is writing about religion in a college essay cliché?
Religion is generally a very tricky topic, and it’s difficult to cover it in an original way in your essay. Writing about your faith and reflecting on it critically can work, but basic religious essays about why your faith is important to you are a little more cliché. It’s important to also remember your audience.
Can you put dialogue in a college essay?
Dialogue is an underutilized tool in the college essay. So many students don’t even consider adding an outdated adage from a parent or a hilarious crack from a high school coach to break up their prose, set the scene or build the profiles of their stories’ characters.
Can you curse in your college essay?
Avoid swearing in a college essay, since admissions officers’ opinions of profanity will vary. In some cases, it might be okay to use a vulgar word, such as in dialogue or quotes that make an important point in your essay. However, it’s safest to try to make the same point without swearing.
Do colleges know if you lie?
Colleges know how to spot inconsistencies in your application. They notice when things you say don’t match with what your teachers or counselors say in the letters of recommendation. And colleges won’t hesitate to call your counselor to verify information that doesn’t seem right. They don’t do it to catch you in a lie.
Do colleges care about religion?
However, generally, there will be no reason for a college to discriminate on the basis of religion. Indeed, even parochial or faith-based schools often accept applicants from outside the faith.
Can I write about addiction in my college essay?
Likewise, if a story arc of addiction and recovery is an essential part of your past, it may be a worthy topic to tackle. However, students should never mention casual use of drugs or alcohol. It sounds like obvious enough advice, but you’d be surprised…
Can u lie on college apps?
The short answer to this question is yes, you can be expelled for lying on your college application. If the school authorities suspect you of lying on your college application, you have to face a code of conduct violation.
Do colleges like essays on religion?
Colleges do want you to have strong beliefs that you’re willing to stand for, and some essay questions give you the opportunity to do just that. Still, it’s best to avoid especially polarizing topics such as religion, abortion, and other hot-button debates.
Can a personal statement have dialogue?
A great way to capture admission officers’ attention in the application essay is starting with dialogue. This approach is certainly not a Band-Aid for an otherwise mediocre essay, but it might just keep someone reading long enough to get to know you as an applicant.
What reading level should a college essay be?
Most students in first-year English composition college courses probably are writing at a readability grade level of 8 or 9. Students in such courses occasionally are able to write essays with a readability level of 12, but this is rare.
Can you use dialogue in an essay?
Dialogue in an essay can be implemented when writing fiction or nonfiction narrative work. As an example, working with (or citing) movies, plays, books or reports, its usage may even become obligatory for greater effect.
Is it OK to talk about mental health in a college essay?
Recently, I’ve noticed a concerning uptick in the number of students asking whether it’s appropriate for them to write about mental health issues, most frequently ADD and/or anxiety, in their college applications. So the short answer: don’t do it.
Do colleges like essays about mental health?
A well-conceived and well-delivered narrative about your struggles with mental illness can be beneficial to your admissions chances; a poorly crafted disclosure may have the opposite effect.
What are colleges looking for in essays?
As part of the college application process, colleges ask prospective students for a personal essay in order to learn more about them. They want to see context on each student’s background, positive traits that the student could bring to campus, and examples of the student demonstrating those qualities.
Can colleges see your Google searches?
Colleges have no way to access your search history during the application process. They don’t have any access to your computer, laptop, or phone and you aren’t using their wifi. They can’t access your search history nor do they want to. Colleges don’t care about what you search on your own time.
Do college interviewers read your essays?
The person who reads your application in a college admissions office might be a dedicated admissions officer, a faculty member, or a student or part-time essay reader. They are reading your essay in the context of your application overall.
Do colleges check social media?
Yes, colleges can look at the public version of your social media accounts, but they don’t have some sort of secret, government-like power to access your private information. It’s much more likely that your social media behavior would only be brought to their attention if it causes a stir.
Can a university ask your religion?
Under the law (ARS 15-1862), a public university or community college: Cannot discriminate against a student on the basis of the student’s religious viewpoint, expression or belief.
What percent of colleges are religious?
In fall 2015, of the 34,600 private elementary and secondary schools in the United States, 20 percent were Catholic schools, 12 percent were conservative Christian schools, 9 percent were affiliated religious schools, 26 percent were unaffiliated religious schools, and 33 percent were nonsectarian schools.
