Do not write your college essay about how…
your life changed because of your summer camp/
a near-death-experience/
a solo adventure in the outdoors ending with a crested mountain peak and summit snickers
that helped you develop an appreciation for nature like never before.
how your only-a-minor-failure failure taught you a life lesson that made you a better/
more mature/
woke
person today who is so much more interested in human rights and activism.
your early-season injury had you, an incredible athlete, watching from the sidelines, an experience that made you understand/
realize/
learn
that sports are a metaphor for life, and that teamwork, collaboration, and respect are integral to success.
through your trial and error, you realized that…
you came to understand that…
you learned that…
yada. Yada. YADA.
Sound familiar? They do to me! I’ve read close to 5000 applications as an admission professional, and hundreds prior as a college counselor. I can assure you, the vast majority have arcs, themes, and culminations that sound like these. Sure, these essays may be true to you, but we’ve unfortunately read them all before (maybe 5000 times).
Remember that while colleges have only a small team of readers to render decisions on thousands of applications annually, you and your writing deserve their attention and time. Don’t let your essay bore your reader and get skimmed rather than read (hint: stating that you “woke up” through an experience of hardship may in fact show them how un-woke you still are).
So, think about who you are and why you’re applying to college. Think about what an admission professional needs to know about you to simply get to know you. Your essay doesn’t have to showcase the coolest thing you’ve ever done. It doesn’t even have to be cool at all. It just has to be you. As for me? I wrote my college essay on my toes. Yes, the toes on my feet (my right foot, to be exact).
So, think about avoiding writing the “my experience doing x taught me y” essay unless that story is so integral to you that your application would be incomplete without it (#commonappessaytopic). You’ll feel more creative, more honest, and more of an individual if you write an essay that you love so much you want to show it to your friends– and your friends will immediately recognize the person in your essay as you.
Because that essay will not get skimmed; it will get read.
About Cari:
Cari has a BA in Psychology from Carleton College and an MA in Leadership from the School of Education at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She first found her niche in the college counseling world as a college access coach with College Possible in Milwaukee, WI, where she helped 36 students gain the acceptance and funding necessary to pursue higher education. She moved to Colorado in 2014 to run Multicultural Recruitment in the Colorado College Office of Admission and spent the next four years traveling around the country and managing operations. She now directs both the Public Interest Fellowships Program and Nonprofit Initiatives at Colorado College where she’s thrilled to have a foot in each of her favorite doors – nonprofits and higher education. She loves analyzing the successes of students pursuing post-graduate careers, and uses this knowledge to support her approach to college and career counseling. Outside of work, Cari serves on nonprofit boards, is constantly trying to train her dog, captains an all-women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, and reads books at a similar speed to normal humans drinking water.