Off-the-wall essay format

College Essays
1

<p>For Yale, I submitted the two essays required: One about reasons for transfer, etc - which was mainly a serious, somewhat informal enterprise in a bit overly poetic prose - and the second one, asking I write an essay on topic of choice.</p>

<p>Now, I do have a topic. There is a thesis as well as a conclusion, and the first essay refers to the second as an, uhm, way of warning the committee for what is to come.</p>

<p>The second essay was actually just a larger, thicker paper, with random images doodled all over (I was an Art major in my previous country’s gymnasium system but am majoring in the social sciences now), and small boxes of poetry-like text all over the page, flowing in some sort of order with arrows pointing the reader towards the next installment. The thesis as well as conclusion is, certain forms of knowledge and expression are not considered as “valid” as others, and the body of the essay-ish work is about encountering insiduous racism in my host country in the form of having one’s culture degraded and downgraded as a barbaric imitation of the superior norms of our new country, etc.</p>

<p>I guess what I’m asking is, any chance this will fly? Several teachers have OK:ed it (generously), and I feel very proud of my work (I rarely ever feel satisfied!). Is there a possibility they may</p>

<p>1) not even read it
2) dislike an applicant taking too much liberty with the rules
3) dislike the poetry (I know, see… pretentiousness nags me, too)
4) think “oh gosh, what a creative student”
5) think “oh GOD, what was she smoking”
6) like it, yet HAVE to dismiss it because of format?</p>

<p>I understand the transfer deadline for Yale has been extended to the 10th, so I still have a chance to call and ask and all that, but I don’t know of how much help the administrative staff can be here. Anybody have any suggestions?</p>

<p>Oh, and I’ll update you on this if anyone has similar questions or just feels curious. Background: I’m an international transfer student, disadvantaged background (not poor-poor, “oh my god our neighbors are killing my people in an organized campaign of genocide and the red cross handouts are being shot at and Jesus dad stop dressing like it’s still the 70’s” kind of poor), schizophrenic secondary school grades due to skipping class a lot, 2 years at an American CC (yes, I got myself all the way over here, I advise everyone to try it), strong faculty recommendations and a personal recommendation letter from the president of my large college (hello-i’ve-had-deep-discussions-with-this-lunatic kind of letter). 4.0 GPA and a 27 ACT (the math argh!), no EC:s or work experience since I got to the US (worked cleaning old ladies up, for rent mind you, before that. Cheeky volunteer kids drove us NUTS). </p>

<p>Basically, the essay should brake it or make it.
And on that happy note…</p>

2

<p>Bump
I know it’s lengthy!
Here’s a snapshot:
<a href=“http://img.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/v605/perp/duppelt.jpg[/url]”>http://img.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/v605/perp/duppelt.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://img.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/v605/perp/duppel.jpg[/url]”>http://img.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/v605/perp/duppel.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>… i don’t get it… is that all there is to it? </p>

<p>sorry… best of luck</p>

4

<p>No, there’s much more. I was trying to really make structural racism understandable.</p>

5

<p>it seems complicated, you should have made it simpler</p>

6

<p>i think it’s very intriguing. i’d love to see more, to see how it all fits together! but of course, i understand if you don’t exactly want to plaster it all over the internet. the fact that your teachers think it’s wonderful speaks volumes, but most importantly, you’re very proud of it! and as you said, that’s a special thing. maybe this sounds dumb, but i think that’s what matters the most - the fact that you created your best. if yale can’t see that, maybe it’s not a place you want to be?</p>

<p>but given your background, yale should be all over that.</p>