This College Common App Lesson for New Englanders is One You’ll Never Forget
School is back in session, and students all over are readjusting to days filled with studying, homework, tests, papers, and all the things that come with classes resuming.
These next few months are invaluable for high school seniors in particular, as many are researching colleges, sending out applications, and ultimately deciding on where they'll go to school the following fall.
A common step in the college application process involves the Common App, an application that can be submitted to over 1,000 schools nationwide, according to US News. It's a great way to save time by applying to multiple schools at once, and when you're a student, time is of the essence.
An important part of the Common App involves the essay component. Each year, several prompts are provided, and students are responsible for selecting one and coming up with a responsive essay that's well-written and stands out.
Now, about this "lesson for New Englanders"...
This writer remembers sitting in her high school English class and receiving some valuable advice from her teacher about a certain word that should be avoided when writing the Common App essay: "wicked".
You may be thinking "Huh? What's wrong with 'wicked'?"
Here's the thing. It's a New England slang term.
Essentially, if you describe something as "wicked exciting" and your application is sent off to a college in Los Angeles, California, the person reading your essay isn't gonna know what the heck you're talking about. Sure, they'll probably get the idea of what you're trying to say, but your word choice may confuse them unless they've spent time in New England.
It's always important when writing the Common App essay that you leave out any regional words or phrases unfamiliar to folks outside your area. The minute you apply to a school that's further away, you may encounter some confusion.
So, there's your helpful little nugget of wisdom for the day. We're wishing all the high school seniors out there the best of luck as they prepare to embark on this exciting new chapter of their lives.