Nov 28, 2014 · A college application essay is a personal essay, which is a completely different genre. Contractions are fine. Contractions make your writing sound like it is written by a normal human …

Jan 10, 2010 · I think stupid rules like “always avoiding contractions” really stop people from expressing who they are in their essay. If this was an essay for English class I would say sure avoid …

Jul 18, 2013 · Your essay should “sound” like you, as if you’re standing in front of the Admissions Committee reading your essay out loud. I suppose if you are a formal person and never use …

Dec 27, 2012 · <p>^In scholarly papers or research journals or any professional paper of that kind, there are no contractions. They are considered unprofessional because of the colloquial tone they …

Dec 21, 2006 · <p>i’ve been getting mixed answers on using contractions in personal college essays. some say that it’s informal to use them because this writing is ‘professional,’ but others tell me that …

Dec 26, 2009 · <p>What's the rule of thumb for using contractions in college essays? Too informal, or ok? I don't want to come off as informal, but on the other hand some spots seem to sound robotic if I …

Sep 11, 2010 · <p>Is it frowned upon to use contractions in your personal essay? I think it sounds more personal and flows a little better with contractions, but what do the adcoms think about it?</p>

Dec 22, 2007 · <p>Personally, I think it's fine to have contractions. It give your essay a more personal feel and the point of the personal essay is for the colleges to know what your "voice" is.</p> …

Nov 27, 2009 · <p>Generally, for whatever college, you should not use contractions. Despite their personal nature, college essays are formal, and you should always spell out words in formal essays. …

Oct 24, 2015 · I personally think that they’re usable in certain circumstances like instances where it would sound weird without them, but some people have been telling me to delete them. But if I do …