Should my Common App essay follow a standard essay format?Answered
I was curious to know if the standard "short and concise introduction/conclusion, three body paragraphs" formatting of lit essays is expected in the common app essay? I've gotten mixed reviews on my essay, all agreeing that the flow and topic are interesting, but one mentioned my conclusion and introduction paragraphs exceeded 3 sentences and that that would "cause problems." While I don't agree, am I in the wrong?
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1 answer
If you go for the average intro body conclusion style paragraph then besides the word count there’s no issue with a longer intro and or conclusion as long as it doesn’t subtract from the main theme/message of the essay. I will note that in my opinion that having more than 3 paragraphs in the intro is almost expected from my understanding.
Also I’d recommend that you try out the peer essay review on CollegeVine if you haven’t already as it has been super helpful for me when I previously used it.
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I have gotten my essay peer-reviewed on CollegeVine, this question actually stems from a suggestion I received here! The other two times it was reviewed I got reassuring feedback and no comments regarding the length of my intro and conclusion, but now I'm worried they overlooked it or they were being too nice :( I've gotten into my head about this so I'll have it reviewed one final time and see if someone else sees an issue with it too. Thanks!