Well, most active and passive basses when you don't use EQ are very similar. After all, the front end of your head is basically an active preamp! An active bass merely moves part of that EQ circuit into the bass where it more convenient to adjust while you are playing.
In the Common Application, it says that the Personal Essay should be at least 250 words, and attached on a separate sheet (presumably, if you're submitting it online, you attach a one-page file).
Read You Quote It, You Note It! (a tutorial that takes about 10 minutes to complete). Good writing takes time. This means that students need to set time aside to brainstorm, pre write, plan, draft, and then revise, revise, and revise. If students leave their essay to the last minute, they tend to become overwhelmed by the writing task and panic by looking for an alternative.