.

[plat]

.

[sofa king]

I used the word "perineum" when describing a bike accident...

naw, I'm just kidding. I did have the word "penultimate" in my early draft, but took it out - I thought it was too showy to fit with the tenor of the statement, and I found myself having to write an extra sentence just to show adcoms I wasn't misusing the word (I described an experience as the penultimate step in deciding to go to law school, but I didn't address the final step until much later in the essay, thereby giving adcoms plenty of time to think I was using the word wrong).

[Vannabunny]

I think all of mine are pretty normal words

[likewise]

Brief list of no-so-common words:

knave
nadir
piqued
circumspection

My style is rather straight-forward compared to many.

 

[redemption]

interstices

[likewise]

Piqued as in "piqued my interest" ?

Bonus points for piqued as in offended or indignant.

Sry to disappoint..."piqued my interest."

[jb1246a]

Interesting thread. I've included phrases, too.

-"clocked on the head"
-pomegranate
-vagabond
-insecticide
-"feminine hygiene products" (seriously)
-prostitutes
-foot binding
-Chinatown bus

[Mr Shears]

I didn't use any words that aren't in my normal vocabulary, but I tend to use some words that people around here at least don't typically use.

[redemption]

interstices

nice.  unusual but overtly thesaurusy

I've never used a thesaurus in my life. But, it may look like I have. That's sad, in a way.

[Mr Shears]

In the personal statement I tried to avoid using words that people may think I looked up for the sake of a personal statement, but some of them found their way in there:

- facet
- propriety
- enumerated
- precursor
- conversely
- mental faculty
- detrimental (not really weird or uncommon, but people around here don't use it)