The College Essay
Are you applying to college in the next few years? How much of your real self should you reveal in your applications? Your college essay is meant to be a glimpse into your story, not your entire life. This is not a resume, transcript or list of achievements. After all, you have 650 words to convey something that the rest of your application does not demonstrate. Therefore, this is not the space to show your grades, extracurricular activities or why you want to attend said university.
I want you to think of your personal statement as a way for colleges to get a sense of who you are through what values, qualities, and skills you’ve developed and will bring to their campus and community. Show who you are through what you value.
How can I give you a sense of who I am through what I value in the span of a few minutes? Why, you ask? Because that’s how long someone tends to spend reading your college application.
I’m not bringing this up to evoke anxiety. I want to manage expectations so that you write in a way that conveys all the beautiful complexity of you in the span of a few minutes.
This essay is also a place for exploration and discovery of yourself!
SHOW GROWTH.
I love when an essay helps me see how a student has grown through their experiences.
GET PERSONAL/VULNERABLE.
Vulnerability can be scary. Especially since we can be trained to think of vulnerability as weakness, which it definitely is not. In fact, it’s one of our greatest strengths. When a student opens up about their worries, fears, or difficulties, I feel closer to them. It feels like a gift when students bravely offer up a part of themselves.
DEMONSTRATE CRAFT.
Don’t try to demonstrate facility with language by using “big words” just for the sake of using big words. Think of someone you know who uses big, shiny words not because they fit the context, but because they want you to be impressed. Are you actually impressed? Unlikely. This will NOT impress admissions.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Don’t tell a story because you think it’s what they want to hear. Tell them about what matters to you, about what has shaped you.
A few important reminders:
Think from your reader’s perspective (for clarity, and for engagement—if you’d be bored, they probably will be too).
Don’t let a parent write/revise—admissions officers are really good at spotting this, and it will be the end of your application.
“The truth is, admission reviewers rarely know—or care—which prompt you are responding to. They are curious to discover what you choose to show them about who you are, what you value, and why.”- Brennan Barnard of The Derryfield School and Forbes
