Hey everyone! So I'm starting to think about my college application essays, and I'm a bit lost about what exactly they're looking for. Like, how personal should my essay be? Are there topics that are particularly favored or should be avoided altogether? Looking for tips on how to make my story stand out without oversharing.
The key with the essay is balance; you want to provide enough personal insight to give admissions officers a clear picture of who you are beyond your grades and test scores, while still maintaining appropriate boundaries. You'll want to showcase your passions, resilience, growth, and the unique perspective you might bring to a college campus, and writing about your deepest darkest secrets often isn't actually the best way to do that, as reflecting on those experiences can be challenging.
You should be cautious with deeply private subjects or anything that could be viewed as controversial unless you can discuss it with sensitivity and maturity. For example, a student who faced a serious illness might share how it shaped their perspective and inspired their interest in a health-related field, without delving into overly graphic medical details. If you want to read about some other common pitfalls with the personal statement, you can read CollegeVine's blog post on cliche topics, and how to fix them, here: https://blog.collegevine.com/cliche-college-essay-topics
Topics often favored are those that reflect a moment of significant growth or learning, overcoming a challenge, engaging with a community, or pursuing a passion.
Rather than baring your soul, to make your story stand out you want to focus on which experiences you have that are unique to you. Generally speaking, that could be a moment of significant growth or learning, overcoming a challenge, engaging with a community, or pursuing a passion. Let the importance of this experience shine with specific anecdotes, to fully immerse your readers in your life. You'll also want to reflect on your story in a way that's insightful and self-aware, as that shows you have the level of maturity needed to take full advantage of the opportunities for growth that will be available to you in college. Authenticity will go a long way in making your essay memorable.
I hope this helps, and if you want to check out some examples of strong personal statements, you can find 21 of them here: https://blog.collegevine.com/common-app-essay-examples
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