Dating Challenge: Woman In England Asks Suitors to Write 500-Word Essay

Lauren Kempton, a single mother from Portsmouth, England, has revealed that she requires potential suitors to write her a 500-word essay if they want to date her. After two years of unsatisfying online dating experiences, Kempton asked men to "write a 500-word essay on how you will not waste any time."

She received several responses, including a standout application from one man who made a presentation to accompany the essay. Although she went on a date with the winning match, their relationship never took off, and she remains single.

Kempton has since taken a break from dating apps and is putting her faith in the power of the universe.

Woman's Suitors Write Essay

Kempton got the idea of asking for an essay challenge after growing tired of ghosting and flirty chats that lead nowhere. She jokingly added a request for a 500-word application on her Hinge profile in May 2020 and was surprised to see that some men had taken the time to send her an essay.

After receiving a few responses, she landed a date with a man who sent her a detailed essay, promising to reply promptly to messages and not to waste each other's time if there is no spark.

In the essay, he promised to prioritise communication and to make sure that any plans they made were kept, including indoor and outdoor date plans depending on the weather, time, and cost. He also emphasised his appreciation for knowing where he stands with people and stated that he would not want to waste Kempton's time on a connection that does not exist.

Kempton said that she did not expect someone to put so much effort into writing the essay and that the application request was a bit of fun. However, it was a good way to weed out what she did not want and to get people to show their humorous side. She believes that it also shows whether people have read her profile and understand her humour.

Although the essay challenge did elicit good conversations, Kempton is not using dating apps as much anymore and is waiting for something to happen when it is supposed to.

The strategy of asking for an essay from possible suitors is a recent development in online dating. Recently, a new dating phenomenon called "zombieing" took the internet by storm.

While ghosting is the act of suddenly disappearing and not responding to any messages or calls with no explanation, zombeing is when someone reappears after a period of time and attempts to reconnect.

Suggested Reading: Is It Worth It For Women To Lower Their Dating Standards?