<p>For the short answer quote, im using one by Karl Marx and explaining how its hard being a communist in my conservative community and how communism has attained such a bad connotation. Also, I’m explaining my communist-anarchist theories.</p>
<p>Will this turn adcoms off or will it serve to distinguish me from other applicants?</p>
<p>You sure you wanna go to Princeton?</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that the adcoms can seperate their political views from their decisions, but if you write about how you plan to use your Princeton education to violently overthrow the government, they might not want to be associated with you -_-</p>
<p>Princeton has been known by some as the baston of conservatism. Are you sure you want to go from your conservative community to another?</p>
<p>writing about communism is not a good idea. it’s unique, and it may be honest, but it won’t go well, especially if any of the admissiosn officers are patriotic…and i would bet that they are. (princeton’s unnofficial motto: service in the nation…"</p>
<p>i would strongly advise you not to write about that…unless someone who is more experienced advises you otherwise</p>
<p>i think its risky, but it COULD be a factor in helping you get in. its one of those things where theres no middle ground. its eithe gonna hurt bad or help a lot</p>
<p><em>shrug</em></p>
<p>be true to yourself</p>
<p>i wrote about being agnostic in my “favorite quotation” essay</p>
<p>God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh
-Voltaire</p>
<p>write more about how hard it is to be communist in your community and less about why you’re a communist. You’re not really going to convince an adcom person who is very jingoistic that communism is a good idea, but if you focus more on your individualism, I think that would be okay.</p>
<p>sljaeger, I like the quote, but personally, I find that Voltaire pales in original thought to Jean-Jackques Rousseau. PM me if you wanna discuss it.</p>
<p>And as for the OP, I think it’s an unnecessary risk. But doable.</p>
<p>i think it’s a REALLY good topic…makes you stand out…i dont think adcoms are jingoistic to the point where they will throw ur application out because of this…</p>
<p>My older sister wrote her essay about being a communist and she’s at Princeton now. There’s nothing wrong with writing an essay with an obscure topic to attract attention to your application.</p>
<p>Theres a risk/reward analysis you need to do. If you are a 4.0 valedictorian with 2400 SATs whose cured cancer, why risk writing about being a communist, although I agree the risk is probably small? On the other hand if you think you need your essay to stand out to have a chance, then go for it.</p>
<p>Try to avoid political issues.</p>
<p>hahaha i am getting responses all over the place. here are a few of my thoughts:</p>
<p>i dont care if princeton is the bastion of conservatism, im not going there for politics and i dont try to impose my views on others. i obviously am not writing about overthrowing the government…communism is about total equality and reeducation of people. it is an ideal that, unfortunately, will never work due to instrinsic human flaws.</p>
<p>i definetely am a borderline applicant (2200, 3.98, crap EC’s) so i think taking a risk would be worth it. i am surprised by the number of people saying to not take the risk, but i dont think there are many communists at princeton. the whole thing is about building a class with diverse views and talents, so i think an untraditional essay might get me in.</p>
<p>Maybe you should redefine the essay to “socialist.” Communism, with its history, has some pretty negative totalitarian connotations. Socialism is the economic aspect, and I think better reflects the more realistic side to your views. Communism implies political overtones like dictatorship as a means to utopia, something that as you pointed out “will never work due to instrinsic human flaws.” Basically, socialism implies the same economic beliefs without much of the negativity, and an essay on socialism would still be very different and risk-taking without sounding naive or ignorant about the very thick associations with the word “communist.”</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure Marx called for the violent overthrow of the borgois…? (Princeton)</p>
<p>To be honest, it seems kind of boring for a personal essay. It’s more like a history paper.</p>
<p>cityknight, read above, it’s for the quote essay, and it will be much more personal. also, if i decide to do communism, ill speak about how it has attained a negative connotation, as i mentioned in my first post.</p>
<p>Well, I mean, what I’m trying to say is that socialism = communism - negative political overtones. VERY basically. And that it makes no sense, given “communist-anarchist theories”, for you to even be applying to college, because college is just a continuation of established systems of control through which you must pass in our systematic world. In other words, I don’t see how the adcoms (or anyone) is going to take the whole anarchist/communist (very different ideologies, by the way) seriously given that you are applying to college (and not just college, but a college which represents the nation’s elite establishment.) An essay on the negative connotations of communism would be very interesting; an essay on how you’re a “communist” and an “anarchist” but are applying to the very bastions of establishment capitalism would seem very immature and out of place. Princeton may no longer be a “bastion of conservatism” as the student body is actually fairly moderate, but I just can’t see anyone accepting a position that given the context, makes no sense.</p>
<p>i am a political idealist…i’m not going into politics because it is too slow and formal and change occurs over decades if at all. im planning on becoming an engineer, i feel thats the best contribution i can make to facilitate change, if not in a political sense in a technological one. you’re taking this too seriously my friend…i just want to show them a few of my views, explain the contrast between them and those of my community, and highlight the reasons why my views have attained such a negative connotation. i am not explaining my entire political theory and ways i will use my princeton education to create an anarchist utopian society with only positive reinforcement (Skinnerian ideals).</p>
<p>Princeton is not a bastion of conservatism. Sure it is the most conservative of the Ivies, but does that really say much? And the right is much more organized at Pton that at other schools. And the old order still has some power. But then again as I’m a conservative I like this. I don’t think they will reject you because you are a communist (which is a sin), but still you can be forgiven. It’s probably not going to help you. Hey, enough with the jokes. Seriously, writing how you are a communist in what you claim to be an oppressive conservative community would be interesting. At least you are not just holding onto some random dogma, but at least trying to prove it. Trying is the key word.</p>
<p>Try reading the essays in The Truth About Gettin In by Katherine Cohen or Admissions Confidential by Rachel Toor. One of them has an essay about how someone joined the ACLU. That may help.</p>