In an attempt to differentiate the academically-minded from independent thinkers, a new trend has recently emerged where colleges are revamping their essay questions to allow applicants to demonstrate their creative side, according to various colleges’ websites and a New York Times article published on Saturday.
Colleges typically ask applicants to answer supplemental essay questions, in addition to completing the Common Application. Some colleges ask applicants to answer essay questions based on personal experiences and concerns, while others draw from more creative prompts to assess applicants.
Tufts University’s website for undergraduate admissions says applicants must answer three required short response questions while thinking creatively. One options asks students to explain what they think the popular motto “you only live once” means.
The University of Chicago uses their essays as a way for students to show more about themselves in an intriguing and quirky way, according to its website.
“The University of Chicago has long been renowned for its provocative essay questions,” its website reads. “We think of them as an opportunity for students to tell us about themselves, their tastes and their ambitions. They can be approached with utter seriousness, complete fancy or something in between.”
The University of Chicago asks their students to answer one of three essay questions that were inspired by submissions from newly admitted students. These questions are “eloquent, intriguing and wacky,”, according to its website.
One question asks applicants to write about their favorite joke without ruining it, while another asks them what a mantis shrimp can see that humans cannot. The last option allows students to come up with a topic of their own.
“In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, pose a question of your own,” the prompt reads. “If your prompt is original and thoughtful, then you should have little trouble writing a great essay. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun.”
However, BU officials do not seem to have made similar changes to its application, according to its page on the Common App website. Applicants are asked why they believe BU is a good fit for them, in addition to the standard materials required.
Courtney Ellenson, a College of Engineering junior, said creative essay questions allow the voice of an applicant to come through more so than a generic and straight-forward question would.
“It has a pretty big importance because being able to communicate yourself through your writing is a huge thing for the rest of your life,” Ellenson said. “And that’s really important, it just shows you are able to express what you want to say.”
Ellenson said essays might not be the most important factor in a student’s application, but should have some significance in the admissions process.
Christopher Grover, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said admissions officers can learn more about their applicants from an essay than they can from a standardized test score.
“The more the essay allows them to be creative, the more you get to know who that person is, rather than a number on an SAT score,” Grover said. “Because it’s [SAT scores] labeling …essays just seem to be more representative of a person.”
Giselle Blanco, a CAS sophomore, said the way a person answers an abstract essay question can be representative of the way they think.
“It’s not like a test question, so you actually have time to think about it, so you definitely have people who answer it in the way that they think,” Blanco said. “One person could lean more toward a literal sense, and another person could lean toward the artistic sense.”
Raquel Woods, a CAS junior, said since the Common App does not allow applicants to really show their creativity, it is important to give students the chance to express themselves during the application process.
“It [creative essays] would put a spin to things a little bit,” Woods said. “Maybe it will show that you can look at things differently, while everyone sees a box, you may see a circle or triangle. It shows individuality.”
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