Why College Admissions Boards Want College Application Essays
College application essays can feel unfairly high-stakes. How many other places in your life does so much ride on so few words? But pause for a moment and consider what applications would be like if everything was based on your test scores and grades. It’s not only the difficulty that some excellent students don’t test well—or that many people go through a justifiable rough patch for one reason or another that drags down their cumulative GPA. The fact is, with the number of applicants across the country, no matter what your scores look like, there are many others exactly like you. And no school can accept everyone—not even every 1600 or 4.0. So what do they do?
Two for the Price of One
The essay does two key jobs for a college: It verifies that you can write at the level you will need to in order to be a successful student at their school; and it gives them a more vivid picture of who you are than your transcripts, test scores and activities list. Both of these jobs are important, and both represent great opportunities for you! Whether you’re concerned that your test scores are holding you back, or whether you want to really make an already stellar application stand out, your essay is your best place to do that.
Show You Can Write
If high school has not challenged you yet in the writing department, then college will. You need to be able to analyze (or break down) what you read, and synthesize (or put together) ideas from multiple sources to answer questions about history, literature, psychology, economics, sociology … basically any of the disciplines that aren’t primarily math! You will write much, and you will write often. You’ll write long papers and take essay-based exams.
Of course, the personal essay that they’re asking of you on the application is not actually demonstrating those skills you’ll need for research, analytical or persuasive writing. But it is demonstrating how clearly you can express yourself. It shows your range of natural vocabulary, your fluency in crafting clear sentences that don’t all sound the same, and your correct use of language and punctuation. If you can’t successfully convey the more basic ideas of a personal essay, that does not bode well for your ability to write even more complex ideas as a college student.
Show Who You Are
The most obvious reason you’re required to write a personal essay rather than an academic one is that two-for-the-price-of-one point we started with. In reading your essay, the admissions board wants to believe they are getting to know the kind of student and the kind of person you are. (For more thoughts on whether they’re really getting to know you, read here about the FAE.)
I like to think that this exercise of choosing and expressing characteristics in your essay is like signing up for a matchmaking service. Your goal is not to express the characteristics you think a college is looking for in you—your goal is to express the characteristics you are most proud of about yourself. And the school that is looking for just those characteristics is not only the one where you will get in, but it will be the one where you will feel at home and thrive.
Consider two very different, equally positive descriptions: competitive and cooperative. If you are a person who thrives on teamwork, you don’t want to end up at a school where everyone is a proud individualist. If you love competition, you do want to find a school where your classmates enjoy competing with you, rather than see you as a show-off.
Make Your Essay Work for You
So remember that your essay is an opportunity to show off both your best writing and your best personal characteristics. It’s your best place to show a school why you’ll be able to handle the challenges they have in store for you, and be an asset to their community, as well.
(Photo by Felicia Buitenwerf on Unsplash)
