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Bulletpoints in essays?

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pm4553
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Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 08:16
Do you think its advisable to have bullet points in your essays?
Also, in your essays - should you mention numbers or rather write them - eg. 2 examples to illustrate or two examples to illustrate?

thoughts??

P.S > I realise these are small aspects, however, if your applying to some of the niche universities, every details counts.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 08:20
Hi

No sample essays I have seen have had bullet points in them. I believe there has to be a certain flow in the essay.

Regarding your second question - I know there was this discussion last year, I think that the final consensus was that you should be consistent irrespective of which style you choose. Maybe someone else here can confirm.

Hope this helps.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 08:32
Do you think its advisable to have bullet points in your essays?

Business schools want to see how well you can put word to paper, not use writing crutches. Bullet points are frowned upon in the essays. The structure of the essays should be formal, while the tone may deviate slighly from formal conventions (you don't want to sound like you have a stick up your rear).

Also, in your essays - should you mention numbers or rather write them - eg. 2 examples to illustrate or two examples to illustrate?

You should use correct grammar, which involves spelling out single-digit whole numbers--in this case, you would write "two." This probably seems anal, but the schools do care. Writing correctly probably will not count for much, but writing incorrectly will count against you.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 08:35
small numbers write out...ie eight. Larger numbers I think once you are in the 20+ range use numbers...ie 73. I tend to think even the teens should be written out since they are one word fifteen, while twenty-eight looks silly. For percents, figure, dollars and things like that always use numbers...28%, $150,000, etc.

Dont use bullet points unless they are on chicago's ppt. You want essays to flow and read. Its not a resume.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 08:46
In one of my essays I mention how after some agonizing over a certain "challenge" I developed a framework for approaching it. I then put a simple three point list of the approach:

1) blah blah
2) blah blah
3) blah blah

Do you think this is frowned on? It's only 3 lines of the page that are quasi-bulleted.



Oh, and I agree, write out numbers less than 20 (except if it's currency related). When it comes to currency, I typically write out the full number up to $999,999. Above that I would write $1 million or $25 billion.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 08:58
I would get away from lists...transition so it reads well. If you read it out loud it should be perfectly clear what you are trying to get across.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 09:18
Thanks guys, very helpful!
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 09:45
I'm all for bullet points in the optional essays, the other main ones not so much. I do however remember seeing one instance in one of those books by Bodine and Montauk.

The three point list you're referring to can easily be organized into a prose structure - "Initially, ..... subsequently....., and finally" etc.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 10:12
rca215 wrote:
In one of my essays I mention how after some agonizing over a certain "challenge" I developed a framework for approaching it. I then put a simple three point list of the approach:

1) blah blah
2) blah blah
3) blah blah


Not a good idea.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 11:42
solaris1 wrote:
The three point list you're referring to can easily be organized into a prose structure - "Initially, ..... subsequently....., and finally" etc.


Yes, it will be easy to put in a prose-like way. I honestly felt it had more impact as it is, but I'll change it.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 14:51
I recommend you use windings font for added mystique and intrigue.
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   06 Aug 2008, 15:06
rhyme wrote:
I recommend you use windings font for added mystique and intrigue.


LOL rhyme :lol:
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink] New post   31 Aug 2014, 05:10
And all this while I thought that bullets tend to highlight the matter you wanna use for the essay. Bullets based highlights are to essay what steel structure is to a buildings. You use highlights for building the final thing and later these highlight become part of your essay. How to maintain the flow of these highlights? As @solaris1 said,
Quote:
The three point list you're referring to can easily be organized into a prose structure - "Initially, ..... subsequently....., and finally" etc.


Regarding use of text for numbers, I guess the issue is well handled and closed. :)
Cheers for this interesting topic...
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Re: Bulletpoints in essays? [#permalink]
31 Aug 2014, 05:10

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