<p>[SparkCollege:</a> Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: Admissions](<a href=“http://college.sparknotes.com/school/admissions.epl?inun_id=9544]SparkCollege:”>http://college.sparknotes.com/school/admissions.epl?inun_id=9544)</p>
<p>So why do them?</p>
<p>Yes, they do. I applied last year and wrote the “optional” personal statement and was accepted. My friend with similar stats as mine did not write the optional person statement and was waitlisted.</p>
<p>I think it is more likely that “Sparkcollege,” whatever that is, is wrong than that VT lets you write something just to waste your time. Besides, I think what they mean is a mandatory essay, which some colleges require but others don’t.</p>
<p>Do you all think I should just copy + paste an writing sample?</p>
<p>That somebody else wrote? They’ll notice, consider it plagiarism (which it is) and not let you in. So no, don’t do that.</p>
<p>^No, no…</p>
<p>It will be my writing sample, from a paper I did a few months… that is what I’m asking.</p>
<p>Dude, they started ■■■■■■■.com </p>
<p>Thats all I needed to know when I went there</p>
<p>Just piece together bits of other application essays. It should take no more than 5-10 minutes of your time.</p>
<p>Haha, yes, ■■■■■■■ is invaluable when you’re in the lower level classes. Not so much for the higher level classes though, since they’re smaller (fewer people to have uploaded stuff) and more project/paper based. It is a lifesaver freshman and sophomore year though. I should probably make a thread for it some time unless somebody else beats me to it.</p>
<p>It’s still recommended to write three short essays, though, right? Not just one or two or even none? </p>
<p>Call me lazy, but my motivation levels are running pretty low right now.</p>
<p>Our son decided up front, before filling out a single application, that any time a college app asks for an “optional” essay, the essay is “mandatory” in his book. </p>
<p>By the time all his apps were complete, he had written many, many essays (which are pretty short and I personally would not have called them essays in my day). As he worked through his applications, he was able to use bits and pieces from previously written essays for use on all of his applications. </p>
<p>Writing the first few essays, on topics and events in his life that just about every college asks, is where he spent most of his time. After that, it was cut and paste, and some basic rewording to fit character/word counts.</p>