4
2 years ago
Admissions Advice

I need advice on choosing a prompt for Occidental College, could someone help?
Answered

Here are my two options: in response to the prompt "Briefly describe a current event or social movement that is affecting a city, town, or place that is important to you. Describe its significance to the community, its significance to you, and future implications for that community." I could use an essay I wrote about the pollution of a river I live next to, and how that pollution harms the native tribe that relied on it for centuries. I'd have to change the essay because it's currently specific to a different college, and the problem is I'm not the main community affected.

Or, I could respond to the prompt "Oxy’s central mission emphasizes the value of community amidst diversity. What do you value in a community and how do you see your perspectives and life experiences enhancing it?" and talk about being transgender and the queer community, and how representation and support systems are important. I haven't written a specific essay on this, but I've written separate ones on community and on being LGBTQ.

What do you think?

admissionsadvice
promptexamples
collegeessays
Admission
prompt
4
4

Earn karma by helping others:

1 karma for each ⬆️ upvote on your answer, and 20 karma if your answer is marked accepted.

4 answers

1
Accepted Answer
2 years ago

Hi @sidonierose!

I would suggest choosing the second prompt. The first idea is good, and you already have it written, but it's not specifically about you. The prompt is asking less about a social cause you care about and more about your relation to your community, so you'd have to rewrite it (perhaps with a focus on your town) in order to make it work.

I think the second prompt then would be a better choice, because it would give you a better opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions committee. (After all, that's what these essays are for.) It should be easier since you've already written on the topic and just have to apply some of those ideas to this format.

Good luck!

1
2
2 years ago

Hi! I personally would go with your first option for two reasons. One, it is already written. You know it is a strong essay that will need very minimal work. And two, the prompt doesn't say that it has to be your community that is mainly affected, just a community you care deeply about. Just be sure to explain why you care so much about that specific community in your essay, and you'll be set. While you could definitely write about the second prompt, I personally would not just because I feel as though it is a topic that other people could likely write about. While, of course, your specific details and experiences are going to differ, the common theme is the same. Along with this, I believe that there is a question on the Common App (if that is what you're using) regarding if you are in the LGBT+ community. So, while you would be giving more details, it wouldn't necessarily be completely new information to the university, if that makes sense. I hope that this helps, good luck!! :)

2
1
2 years ago

I think that both topics have some good potential. If you being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is a major part of your identity that has greatly impacted the course of your life and where you want to go to college, then you should choose the second prompt. I just think that it has more potential for you to talk about your own life experiences and personal values as they relate to your identity. The essay about the river sounds really interesting, but if you aren't a part of the main community affected and you don't have any personal connection to that native tribe, then I think that the essay on on you being part of the LGBTQ community would be stronger.

1
1
2 years ago

I would suggest to write about the first option, describe an event affecting a city that’s important to you. Since you already wrote a similar prompt before, it probably gave you some kind of ideas and experiences of what to include, which it might be easier and might have more knowledge on it. However, it actually depends on yourself, which one you are more confident to write about.

1
What are your chances of acceptance?
Your chance of acceptance
Duke University
Loading…
UCLA
Loading…
+ add school
Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

Community Guidelines

To keep this community safe and supportive:

  1. Be kind and respectful!
  2. Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
  3. Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!

How karma works