College essays should be thoughtful, authentic
Dear Mr. Bradshaw,
I am in the process of filling out my college applications for next year. I am eager to attend a top school and because I know an in-person visit will not be possible in the near future my application will be even more important as it represents me in the admissions process.
From what I gather from the individual college entrance paperwork, most colleges want to know about my academic and extracurricular activities and require references and essays.
My question is what are they not interested in reading about?
Signed,
Student
Dear Student,
That is an excellent question and one that is not often asked. Both as a college consultant and as someone who interviewed applicants to Harvard for a number of years, I have three words for you: Don’t be boring!
By that I mean what admissions offices at top colleges want to see in your applications are accomplishments that help you stand out from the global mass of applicants which feature straight As and top test scores. They could easily fill the freshmen class with students with these credentials if that was all they were looking for in an applicant.
What colleges are looking for is the student who has achieved something really outstanding, using their brains and/or physical talents to set a record in sports, as a national champion debater, or the winner of or a top finisher in a national or world class competition. It is not how many activities you participated in but the ones where you played a leading role with positive results.
Harvard, Yale and Stanford, to name just a few elite schools, draw the best students because they have professors who are among the best in their fields and well-endowed academic programs that support their work. Admissions departments are charged with providing a steady conduit of talent for these world-class professors, who are dedicated to producing the next generation of top scholars in their respective fields. Each year the freshmen class becomes the life blood of the university.
So, having played four years of football but not becoming a state champion, even with outstanding academic credentials, is unlikely to impress colleges who have a choice of high school football players and top scholars that won the state championship. Same with playing an instrument or singing in an opera unless it was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, or the Berklee College of Music and you plan on pursuing a double degree at Harvard.
The Harvard Crimson is arguably the best and oldest student newspaper in the country. They not only need writers and business personnel, but cartoonists too!
So, if your high school newspaper has won national awards and you are a top staffer, it will alert the admissions officials to the fact that you have what it takes to meet their very high standards. Once you are admitted you will have to compete all over again for a spot on the paper.
Colleges want to see that you have chosen challenging high school classes and that you have maintained a high GPA. If your college requires standardized tests, take them early so that you can retake it if necessary.
Your essays should be thoughtful and show your true interests because your application has only a few minutes to make an impression. Be authentic. You are more than your test scores and grades. It is important to research each school to which you apply and to gear your application to the specific programs at the college that your background supports. Do not try to be someone you are not and once again I remind you to cleanse your social media accounts because some colleges will look to them for more clarity on a candidate.
Gerald Bradshaw is an international college admissions consultant with Bradshaw College Consulting in Crown Point.