How to Approach Your Common App & UC essay
College admission officers have three sheets of material to judge your entire existence. Your resume, transcript, and teacher recommendations can only say so much about your life and interests. This makes your essays potentially the most important part of your application – take this opportunity to showcase a side of yourself that can’t be easily surmised from your list of activities and grades.
Things to keep in mind:
Avoid writing about: death, sports victories, academic struggles, mission trips, illness, etc.
You might be thinking, “so… I can’t write about…anything?”
This is not to say you absolutely CANNOT write about these topics – the problem is, these topics are fairly universal and can therefore end up sounding generic/overused.
One issue with talking about a death or illness is that applicants will sometimes use the essay to trauma dump and garner sympathy. While the circumstances of any death or illness is quite sad, admissions officers have read quite a lot of these. Additionally, if applicants don’t write about how they may have changed or grown because of/in spite of challenges, then the essay does not actively help to build a positive image of the applicant.
Admissions officers are not interested in how difficult or amazing your life is. What they care about is how because of/in spite of these events: you have changed or grown or gained a deeper understanding of yourself.
You want to introduce yourself in a way that is genuine and unique so you are memorable. Unless your essay about the above topics is OUT of this world, it might be best to avoid them.
2. Instead of a recap of your resume, dive deeper.
Admissions officers have your resume in front of them already, so don’t use your precious essay space to rehash your list of activities and accomplishments. Instead, dive into the experience of 1 or 2 key events or activities and show how they were substantive and meaningful.
Your main essay topic does not even have to be something that is found on your resume. Do you have a family tradition? Mantra you repeat to yourself? Favorite TV show? Favorite hobby? Why do you treasure these specific things and what do you think it says about you as a person? These life experiences can be quite mundane on the surface, but could reveal a lot about who you are and what you value.
Another idea is to look through past diary entries, photos, and other pieces of writing. Whether it was for a class or for personal development, you’ve probably amassed a large amount of material that required you to reflect before submitting or “calling it a day.”
If a past diary entry: what about that day made you want to reflect? What was special (or boring) about that day?
If a photo: why did you take this photo? What about this day made you want to capture and keep this moment in time?
If an essay (for a class?): why did you choose to write in the direction that you did?
3. Make sure you answer the question.
I know this sounds like a rather basic piece of advice, but you would be shocked at the number of essays that don’t address a prompt fully.
If, for example, the prompt is: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Applicants are great at answering the first part of the question. It is easy to recount the times we have failed and wallow in the aftermath. However, the second part of the prompt asks: How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Remember, the purpose of these essays is to show how you have grown and will continue to grow as a person. Colleges want to admit people who reflect on their own experiences and are willing to continuously learn.
You know that you’re a curious and thoughtful person – now, write an essay that will let colleges know too.
By mentor Carrie, a graduate of Yale University.
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