College Application Essay - Topic is Magic

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Aug 18, 2008
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I am doing my college application on magic. I think I am going to talk about how it has influenced my life and given me something to be passionate about and work hard at. Also the effect it has on others, and the people skills it has helped me with.

Does anyone else have any suggestions
 

morpheis91

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2007
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Philadelphia
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I am a sophomore in college and before I went away for college, while I was in high school I worked in the counselor's office and read & edited just about every essay that was sent out from our school. The best thing to do would be to talk about your passion (as you mentioned) for magic and how you worked hard to achieve your skill level. Then turn that into how you will use that same dedication and passion in your school work. Also at the end in your conclusion it wouldn't be a bad thing to use a metaphor or something that will emphasize on how the college/university will help you, not only expand socially and logically like magic has but help you expand academically. Its important that you state how the college will help you and what you have to offer the college.
 
Dec 14, 2012
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I read & enjoyed above comments.today i came to know many things about college application essay .i want to know more about it.i love to gain knowledge from these sort of posts thanks
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
Intermix an effect in with the essay. There are a number of effects that can be performed entirely by the spectator. Some require cards, others just a pen and paper. I would go with something not involving cards.

So, here is what I'm thinking....

I'm a magician. That means I study magic. I've learned that magic is not something that happens in the magician's hands, but something that happens in the spectator's imagination. It's easier to show you then to try to explain. Do you have a dictionary? Can you get it? I want to try something. Dont't worry, I'll wait while you go and get it.

While I'm wIting, let me tell you how I got into magic.....

Now we need to randomly pick a page number....

While your doing that, let me continue my story by explaining how I started to learn magic....

You now have a randomly determined page number, can you turn to that page in the dictionary? While you're doing that, let me tell you what I've learned while learning magic....

Now you need to pick a word...

As you are picking a word, I want to tell you about how people react to my magic....

You've got a word. Good. Hold it in your mind. Is it an object? I thought so. Visualize the object. It the object a particular color? It is... Think of that color. Is the color...? Before I tell you the object you are thinking of, I want to tell you how performing magic will help me succeed in college and in life...

Is the object you are thinking of a ....?
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
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Northampton, MA - USA
On the thought from R1. . . look up "Mail Mentalism" from Eddie Joseph. I've used it for years with great success.

Using Magic as the focal point for such a project sounds a bit "dangerous" to me; UNLESS, you have a clear idea in your head when it comes to sharing/demonstrating examples & situations in which the particulars of the craft have helped you socially & scholastically. For an example, how mnemonic development has helped you in retaining information in class. . . same can go with some of the mathematical short cuts we use and when it comes to Mentalism, the many subtle observational techniques that allow us to discern details from total strangers be it something as simple as knowing which hand they are holding a coin in to where they hid that same coin within a large building.

If you are looking at taking a Psychology Major or Minor, demonstration of how such things are used in magic will prove of great benefit though you will need to be cautious when it comes to how much detail your reveal. I see nothing wrong with demonstrating the Forer principle and the psychological dynamics that are at work but I would have problems if one were to reveal things like Brad Henderson's "The Dance" and certain anagram based techniques associated with the skill of being an effective Reader.

I applaud your passion for magic but spend time thinking things through before you start writing, so you can give the academic reviewers an academic perspective and sense of appreciation when it comes to how your hobby of magic has empowered you and made you both, a better student as well as a better person.
 
Apr 6, 2011
540
6
Lansing, MI
Intermix an effect in with the essay. There are a number of effects that can be performed entirely by the spectator. Some require cards, others just a pen and paper. I would go with something not involving cards.

So, here is what I'm thinking....

I'm a magician. That means I study magic. I've learned that magic is not something that happens in the magician's hands, but something that happens in the spectator's imagination. It's easier to show you then to try to explain. Do you have a dictionary? Can you get it? I want to try something. Dont't worry, I'll wait while you go and get it.

While I'm wIting, let me tell you how I got into magic.....

Now we need to randomly pick a page number....

While your doing that, let me continue my story by explaining how I started to learn magic....

You now have a randomly determined page number, can you turn to that page in the dictionary? While you're doing that, let me tell you what I've learned while learning magic....

Now you need to pick a word...

As you are picking a word, I want to tell you about how people react to my magic....

You've got a word. Good. Hold it in your mind. Is it an object? I thought so. Visualize the object. It the object a particular color? It is... Think of that color. Is the color...? Before I tell you the object you are thinking of, I want to tell you how performing magic will help me succeed in college and in life...

Is the object you are thinking of a ....?
I knew someone was gonna say it..
 
Nov 8, 2007
1,238
3
I used to teach senior English, and one of the assignments we spent a lot of time on was the college application essay. morpheis91 pretty much gave you all the advice on your college app essay that I would have. I advise you not to get caught up in trying to be clever by doing a magic effect for your reader via your essay. While it's a clever idea, and certainly unique, it will more likely than not veer you away from the purpose and point of your essay. If the focus of your essay leaves the reader feeling your essay is just a copy and pasted magic effect, that's not going to be good. Just write something solid that you know is going to fit the criteria they're after. Again, morpheis91 gave you the same advice I would. This is exactly what they're looking for:

I am a sophomore in college and before I went away for college, while I was in high school I worked in the counselor's office and read & edited just about every essay that was sent out from our school. The best thing to do would be to talk about your passion (as you mentioned) for magic and how you worked hard to achieve your skill level. Then turn that into how you will use that same dedication and passion in your school work. Also at the end in your conclusion it wouldn't be a bad thing to use a metaphor or something that will emphasize on how the college/university will help you, not only expand socially and logically like magic has but help you expand academically. Its important that you state how the college will help you and what you have to offer the college.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Aug 23, 2018
3
0
Intermix an effect in with the essay. There are a number of effects that can be performed entirely by the spectator. Some require cards, others just a pen and paper. I would go with something not involving cards.

So, here is what I'm thinking....

I'm a magician. That means I study magic. I've learned that magic is not something that happens in the magician's hands, but something that happens in the spectator's imagination. It's easier to show you then to try to explain. Do you have a dictionary? Can you get it? I want to try something. Dont't worry, I'll wait while you go and get it.

While I'm wIting, let me tell you how I got into magic.....

Now we need to randomly pick a page number....

While your doing that, let me continue my story by explaining how I started to learn magic....

You now have a randomly determined page number, can you turn to that page in the dictionary? While you're doing that, let me tell you what I've learned while learning magic....

Now you need to pick a word...

As you are picking a word, I want to tell you about how people react to my magic....

You've got a word. Good. Hold it in your mind. Is it an object? I thought so. Visualize the object. It the object a particular color? It is... Think of that color. Is the color...? Before I tell you the object you are thinking of, I want to tell you how performing magic will help me succeed in college and in life...

Is the object you are thinking of a ....?

For that last bit, do you suggest ending it with an ellipsis? Or do you think we should guess what object they are thinking of?

Please advise. Thank you
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
For that last bit, do you suggest ending it with an ellipsis? Or do you think we should guess what object they are thinking of?

Please advise. Thank you

No, end it with what they are thinking. There are a lot of effects you can do this way. The ellipsis throughout the essay were for the writer to add his own thoughts. The effect I had in mind was a Jim Steinmeyer dictionary test and the object they would be thinking of would be a yellow taxi cab.

this is a 10 year old thread bud

I didn't realize it was already four years old when I posted my response. I'll leave this open since the question was relevant, but @Grahdenz post a new thread in the future rather than reviving an old one.
 
Aug 23, 2018
3
0
this is a 10 year old thread bud
No, end it with what they are thinking. There are a lot of effects you can do this way. The ellipsis throughout the essay were for the writer to add his own thoughts. The effect I had in mind was a Jim Steinmeyer dictionary test and the object they would be thinking of would be a yellow taxi cab.



I didn't realize it was already four years old when I posted my response. I'll leave this open since the question was relevant, but @Grahdenz post a new thread in the future rather than reviving an old one.

Sorry. This is my first time on any thread/forum/thing. Thank you for the advice though.
 
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