<p>Is it ok to mention nerdiness in why CMU essay?</p>
<p>Yes 10char</p>
<p>I hope it does not have any negative connotations , any thoughts</p>
<p>Its cliche 10char</p>
<p>You will be seen as a good fit for the school</p>
<p>here is the exact phrase
Does CMU welcomes nerdiness</p>
<p>You could, but it’s a seriously cliche move.</p>
<p>Is it bad to be “cliche” ? or being nerd?</p>
<p>
Not sure if ■■■■■, serious, or international</p>
<p>I overheard my english teacher tell someone today, that cliche is ok in their college essay… everything in moderation.</p>
<p>Yeah… for your state school</p>
<p>Cliche is passable if you’re an excellent writer who can execute the cliche either flawlessly or ironically.</p>
<p>However, 99% of high school students writing college essays… can’t do that.</p>
<p>If I were OP, I would not take bets that I am in that 1%.</p>
<p>I don’t see what’s wrong with mentioning CMU’s tech/nerd culture. It’s one of the things that made me really enjoy the school. </p>
<p>Heck, I remember one of my essays was about my experience the first time I built my computer. The frustrations, the excitement, the stuff that just doesn’t work for no good reason, etc. If that doesn’t scream nerd then I don’t know what does.</p>
<p>But Racin, those experiences you had building your computer were the beginning of a passion for a certain subject. That’s fine, and that’s what a college essay should be about.</p>
<p>What an essay should not be about is labeling yourself as if that somehow gives you an elite status or a leg up at CMU. Just saying haha omg all my friends think i’m suuuuch a nerd lol doesn’t mean anything. It’s akin to calling yourself pretty or calling yourself a badass.</p>
<p>On the other hand, having hobbies and passions that happen to be nerdy is awesome and amazing - just don’t mention that they’re nerdy. No one cares, especially not in a university setting, what high school labels you apply to the work you do.</p>
<p>^this 10char</p>
<p>@CMUCompFinance My state school? Well you obviously aren’t really that bright are you? I said that I overheard say it to someone, therefore it didn’t apply to me. And anyway, I’d rather go to a state school than spend $50k+ a year and have to associate with arrogant people like yourself.</p>
<p>Did I say it applied to you? All I said is that cliche is really only ok for your state school. This is because with so many applications, your essay isn’t really considered as long as its passable, and your scores/gpa are what matters.</p>
<p>But take it personally if you want.</p>
<p>funny how CC seems to bring out the nastiness of students. In some ways, it is helpful because a student who reacts so strongly to a perceived insult (like number 42x) is probably not going to flourish in an environment where he/she doesn’t test reality before jumping to conclusions. Don’t take this so seriously…you asked whether you should refer to nerdiness in an essay and several people have warned you that it may be a dangerous strategy on an application where the essay does have some sway on admissions. CMU wants to see that you have given some serious thought about how you may fit in academically/socially at the university and the nerdiness route could be seen as refreshing or annoying depending on the reader. </p>
<p>My S wrote one very silly essay (in my opinion) for one school that was a reach but I think the admissions officer was either going to love the essay or hate it. IT was a risk and I think S felt he needed to be a little outrageous to have a chance at such a reach school…I think it backfired but we will never know. When I told S this…he didn’t see the criticism of the essay as silly as me calling him silly and me telling him it was a risky approach didn’t mean he was stupid…we just disagreed on strategy…I think he did a more straightforward essay for CMU because he really, really wanted to get in and didn’t think being outrageous was necessary or wise given that it was a close fit in terms of stats etc. Your application is yours but you are trying to get a little reality check from others about how a topic may be perceived by a reader but in the end you pick the style/theme of the essay that best conveys who you are and what you think. You asked for opinions on your strategy; accept or discard these opinions with grace (or silence).</p>
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<p>First, I was the one who said that it was ok to be cliche in the essay. Then directly after that you make your comment. Second you put state school in italics… as if to say it isn’t ok for my amazing private school, but for your state school, it is perfectly acceptable, because it is inferior. It is amazing how the real meaning of your comment can be revealed by quickly taking a look at the syntax of it. Not to mention your ellipsis usage like: “… insert punchline here.”</p>
<p>^Dude, no skin off my back. I don’t really care if you go here or not.</p>