Mould or Mold?

College Essays
1

<p>Okay so, this is funny. In one of my app essays I had a sentence that was to the effect “…when others try to conform to a mould, variety is lost” (only it was superbly eloquent yadah yadah haha). “Mould” meaning a cast, the form by which something is made.</p>

<p>ANYWAY. Today I’m watching Shrek, with subtitles of course, and this song printed in the subtitles said…“only shooting stars break the mold.”</p>

<p>And I was like OH. NO. Did I seriously write about fungi in my essay and not even realize it?</p>

<p>But then I looked up the spellings, and it seems “mould” is just a more European-version or something. So it still works?</p>

<p>What do you think the admissions team will think as they come across this? Bahaha.</p>

2

<p>Haha, I doubt adcoms will care!</p>

<p>Sometimes I write “European” style too (ie. colour, flavour, tonnes, programme, theatre, maths, ect).</p>

3

<p>It should still work. I’ve never seen fungus referred to as “Mould”.</p>

4

<p>The whole situation cracks me up, because the sentence would be so hilarious if it refered to fungus. Oh no.</p>

<p>But yeah, I write European/Canadian all the time. I think it’s because half of my family is Canadian…</p>

<p>…or maybe I think I’m entitled to be a hoity toity American. Hmm.</p>

5

<p>Oh, an davnasca, “theatre” is generally more correct when referring to an actual THEATRE. Like an opera house/place where actual theatrical productions are held.</p>

<p>I think “theater” is supposed to refer to a “movie theater.” That’s how I use it anyway.</p>

<p>And “grey” is the only way to spell the color/“shade”…</p>

6

<p>I have a friend who reads The Economist and does that all the time. lol</p>

<p>Grey and gray are interchangeable, and Americans don’t use “theatre”.</p>

7

<p>Well, I do.</p>

8

<p>Actually, I know a lot of Americans who use theatre.
Mould is definitely not as common, but I don’t think it would be a problem.</p>

9

<p>I was born/raised/live in America, and I use a lot of English spellings. Admissions officers are intelligent people; they can realise that it’s another form of the American word.</p>

<p>(note usage of “realise” above =D)</p>

10

<p>As for the theatre vs. theater thing, I learned that theatRE is like the art form. i.e. I take a theatre class. or I participate in theare, while theatER is the actually building. Bah?</p>

11

<p>Yes, Kevin. Yessss.</p>

<p>Me too.</p>

12

<p>Your essay should be fine. Mould, I believe, is acceptable. Mold has 2 meanings, anyway.</p>