Let college essays reveal who you are, plans for the future
Dear Mr. Bradshaw,
I want to prepare a really solid college application. I know that you have said that essays and personal statements are important, but just how much weight do they carry in the admissions decision? I plan to apply to a wide range of colleges including Yale, Washington University-St. Louis, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt and Georgetown.
Curious Student
Dear Curious Student,
You are applying to a wide range of top colleges with admission rates in the low teens to single digits — with Yale University at 5.1% to the class of 2023. Applying to any of these schools means you must leave nothing to chance. All other things being equal, your essays will play a decisive factor in your admission. Rejection letters are typically sent to the applicants with subpar essays.
That said, pay close attention to the requirements for each of the schools of your choice. In these days of COVID-19 your personal statement and collegespecific essays will increase in importance because you will not have in-person visits. Your written communication may be the only thing that will distinguish you from other applicants.
Here are three ways that I classify essays: Greenhorn or First Generation: Who wrote this essay? It could have been written by any applicant. There are no details about the applicant’s personality or what excites them about learning. Notice that I said learning — not college. Many young men and women want to go to go to college, but not all are equally passionate about learning.
This essay is where high school science and math superstars often fall prey to the ho-hum essay syndrome. I will be honest, after 20 years of reading college essays I will go far as to call some of them just plain boring. This student may be capable of hitting a home run with his or her grades and test scores, but they settle for a base hit because they offer no concrete ideas about what they want to do with their college education or the interesting and exciting experiences that got them to their top academic status. My advice is to be prepared with a backup school, even with a 4.0 and 1550 SATs.
Another pretty face: Who wrote this essay? In this essay, we may see a picture of who you are and get an idea of your success quotient.
Your goals and interests may show up in lists of academic and extracurricular achievements, but you will fall short with the admissions office if you do not describe how these achievements helped to shape your personality and your will to seek new challenges. Unless you give details about your feelings and what you have learned, it will indicate that you do not understand the dynamics of those experiences.
The second time around: Who wrote this essay? I began helping students with their essays when I was in college. I applied for admission to several law schools and had received acceptances from all of them. Fellow classmates who were also interested in the law approached me with their essays and rejection letters and wanted to know why.
It was easy for me to see why they were denied admission. Their application essays were uninteresting and just plain boring. I knew them to be smart students with potential — some with higher grades and test scores than I had.
I advised them to rewrite their essays, make them more personal and revealing and apply again the following year to the same law schools. I suggested that they write a short autobiography including warts and all. I wanted to know the highs and lows in their lives both on and off campus. With their hopes and aspirations, failures and disappointments now on paper it was easy to tie everything together in a new essay. Most were accepted to their chosen school the second time around.
I remind my current clients that the goal is to write a great essay or personal statement — not vie for a Pulitzer Prize. Let the admissions committee see you as a real person. If your essay is too carefully composed, you often leave out some of the best parts of yourself. Trying to look on paper like a well-rounded person is all hype. Be genuine. Don’t attempt to impress or second-guess what you think an admissions board wants to hear. Just write about what’s important to you. Elite universities throughout the country continue to look for good citizens with concrete plans for the future. Your essays or a personal statement are your one shot to show the admissions office a glimpse of who you are and what you stand for. They are not looking for expected answers.
A student I am familiar with, who achieved a 34 on her ACT and a 4.0 GPA, was rejected by Stanford yet accepted by Yale. In her Stanford essay she wrote about dealing with the emotional pain of having to write obituaries about personal acquaintances for her high school newspaper. For Yale she chose to share cafeteria humor about gagging on mac and cheese.
She said, “My Stanford essay showed my serious side and the Yale essay was a silly topic.” She added that she “guessed that Yale does not get a lot of essays about cafeteria humor, but they must have been amused.”
As I have said, your essay and personal statement can elevate you in an admission committee’s eyes. This is your opportunity to draw distinctions between you and other applicants. Good writing skills are a must of course but show who you are.