Can I reuse my 250 word essay?

[applicationoverload]

I'm hoping one of the school consultants on this board could share some thoughts.

I'm in the throws of applications and wondering how much (if at all) i need to differentiate my essay's from school to school. Many of them ask for a brief of our child in 250 words or less. Is it bad if I just submit the same thing for any school that asks that?

In my head I imagine admissions directors talking and feeling like we "phoned it in" or just "recycled" an essay. But writing 250 words about my kid takes some thought and if I am really proud of the work I have done, why wouldn't I send it to the schools that all have the same essay question?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Christina]

Hi Application Overload,

As a mom who has been in exactly the same situation, I understand how tempting it is to want to reuse essays. But, I think the main issue you need to be careful about is using an essay written for a traditional school and then re-using it for a progressive school. In other words, if you're applying to very different types of schools, you need to tailor the essay for each school. Schools look for kids and families that will fit THEIR school, not just any school. You should try to make sure your essay tells the school why and how your child and your family will fit THAT school. Re-use parts, for sure. But, also write specifically for each school if you can. It does make a difference, especially in a competitive private school city like SF or LA.

Hope that helps!

Christina Simon