Should I avoid writing about my experience as a Congressional Page?

13579 · 06-26-2007, 05:18 PM

I am currently serving as a Page in the House of Representatives, and I've haerd many different opinions about whether or not to write about experiences such as these in college application essays. Some have said it seems showy, while others think it would help immensely. What do most people think about the topic???

JJG · 06-26-2007, 05:20 PM

If your essay says a lot about you, it's a good essay. If it's just to highlight the fact that you were a page, you already have that listed elsewhere on your application, so use the essay for something else.

Don't worry about "showy" - good grief.

13579 · 06-26-2007, 05:26 PM

But it's not taboo or anything?

So the essay would be mostly about how it affected or influenced me instead of just blabbing about what I did, right?

By showy I meant that college admissions would think I was showing off or something.

JJG · 06-26-2007, 05:29 PM

What you learned from it, or maybe better yet, how some very specific aspect of being a page or incident that occurred while you were a page affected or influenced you. DEFINITELY don't just write about what you did - college admissions offices have a general idea of what congressional pages do.

13579 · 06-26-2007, 05:33 PM

Thanks for your input JJG. This experience will make choosing a topic for essays a bit easier- there are a lot of such incidents happening here.

TooRichForAid · 06-26-2007, 07:01 PM

Somebody in this forum got into a lot of prestiguous schools like Yale and Stanford because of this Congressional Page experience. He graduated from a lousy high school with so so test scores. Not sure it's a good topic to write an essay about, but I think the EC is excellent.

13579 · 06-26-2007, 07:46 PM

wow... I'm not applying to any schools outside of the UC system, but maybe...

prankityclankity · 06-26-2007, 07:55 PM

Are you a school year page or summer? I was wondering because I talked to admission counselors at GW and Catholic and they said that the program carries more weight as an EC if a school year page, rather than summer, because of the time constraints.

If you're a school year page, then def. write about it in an essay, but if you're a summer page it may be a little risky, but you can still pull off a good essay. Perhaps you write about the amount of maturity needed, and the independence, also short anecdotes that involve leadership and some humor. I know when I was a page, there was not one dull moment. Good luck!

13579 · 06-26-2007, 08:01 PM

Thanks! I'm actually serving as a summer page right now... yes I would assume that the school year pages have a harder school year... but I agree, page life is very exciting, during work and afterwards, hanging out. That might change things a bit, but still, there are plenty af things to right about!

prankityclankity · 06-26-2007, 08:05 PM

I didn't see the post about you applying to UC's until now. I think you should def. write about your experiences since those schools arn't that familiar with the program, despite it's prestige. May I ask are you GOP or Dem page?

13579 · 06-26-2007, 08:08 PM

I'm a Dem page, and I'm lucky that the dems just took the majority because their jobs are much more varied. What were you, and when did you serve?

Also, I'm surprised that schools on the west coast would have less knowledge than east coast schools would of the program. Does that make it less important on the west coast?

prankityclankity · 06-26-2007, 08:29 PM

I was a Republican page and I served Fall 2006-Jan '07. It was nice because we were in the majority then and you are right about the jobs being more diverse. It's lame only having runner, flag, and cloak pages, but majority gets statmentents, annex II, docs, more cloakies, and get to open the door for the speaker!

When I tell people I was a page, NO ONE knew what it was, and I got tired of explaining to people what it was. But when I was in DC, Foley was exposed and that was... interesting, but atleast more people know what a page is

. By no means is the page program less important on the west coast, it's just that most past pages apply to east coast schools (more specifically DC schools) so they are very familiar with the responsibilities, selection, and duties of a page. So it might be good to write about how the program has changed you or something of that nature.

13579 · 06-26-2007, 08:36 PM

Wow, I wrote an essay in my AP eng class using the Foley incident and ended up being a page, but you were there in the middle of it all... I've caught a lot of crap from people who don't know what they were talking about. But... it seems that a lot of pages do seem to stay in DC. Do you think I should apply to some D.C. schools as well, and what would my chances be there you think? Maybe I would even return as an intern later... by the way, you speak of annex like it's fun or something... crazy man making you package things (woot). But yes, the program is still changing me... I may even pursue politics into college...

MissBarbara · 06-27-2007, 10:56 AM

lol... I was an intern last year and people still ask me if I was ever hit on by sketchy Florida congressmen... I guess people still can't really distinguish between pages and interns...

UMrunner08 · 06-30-2007, 12:53 PM

ugh I wish the office I work for in Rayburn still had a page