<p>What is the best strategy for the common app… I find myself becoming very repetitive? </p>
<p>Talk about an ec for the short obviously. Write a personal essay just about you.
Then write about your academic essays in the supplement.</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>if your main ec is like research and a passion for science… Write about an ec, write about that passion for science and then write a more objective general thing about the intended major in the supplement.</p>
<p>um…reiterating your ec’s in the essays in any form is not the best approach. Talking about your love of science in general is great, but not for both essays. Try picking a more creative topic.</p>
<p>so first approach is best.</p>
<p>Yes. The point of the essay is to tell them something about you that is not obvious from the rest of your application. If you were meeting someone for the first time, and you wanted to become friends, after you’ve listed the objective stuff, what would you want them to know?</p>
<p>Your essays need to be as subjective as possible. If an adcom learns nothing about you from reading the essay beyond what you had in your EC list, you haven’t done a thorough enough job.</p>