Do adcoms hate it when an essay tries too hard?

College Essays
1

<p>Do you think essay readers hate it when they see an essay in which a student clearly tries way too hard to sound deep and meaningful?</p>

<p>What I mean are excessive use of high level words, words that no normal 17 year old would use in everyday life. </p>

<p>Also, trying way too hard to sound like Charles Dickens, by using too much parallelism, or too many adjectives that it pollutes your essay, because, only the most talented writers can pull those things off. </p>

<p>There’s also such a thing as trying too hard to make your essay dramatic, or funny.</p>

<p>IMO, the best essays are the ones that have the most voice, are the most interesting, or have the most well thought out points. Meaning, you don’t have to fluff up your essay with dictionary words or crazy analogies. </p>

<p>I’d rather have an essay with good points that sound like it’s written by a 17 year old, than a essay with strong points that clearly tries too hard to sound like it’s written by a novelist.</p>

2

<p>Firstly I thought this was a question, and then it turned out to be a preach…</p>

3

<p>^ Hence the limited number of responses, I suppose. :)</p>

4

<p>You seem to know the answer to your own question OP.</p>

5

<p>**1) To answer the question of the topic…everyone has their own unique style. Many people pull off using a lot of fancy words quite well. It’s only when you force the words that it becomes contrived, and that’s easily distinguishable in reading an essay.</p>

<p>2) To answer your preachiness: you don’t have the authority to say what you think works and doesn’t work. In truth, anything could work and anything could backfire. There are too many variables to make sweeping generalizations on “successful” essays.</p>

<p>Just my .02**</p>

6

<p>If someone tries to force it (dramatics, funniness), then chances are it’s going to sound forced. </p>

<p>My advice would be to “be yourself”. Don’t try too hard to be someone you’re not.</p>