PSA: Don't write your essay about building huts in Africa!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These essays are such a joke. My BIL wrote his daughter's (he won't admit it but it's obvious) and she got into a school she had no business going to. I have to assume this happens all the time. How do you expect a 17 year old to write anything meaningful? They're all told what "good" beliefs are, and haven't had the experiences that will lead them to anything authentic. And then they're told to avoid writing about genuinely meaningful experiences because they show privilege. For all the people saying "don't write about this"--well, that's probably what their experience is. So we're asking them to lie and second guess themselves. It's just nasty, like everything else in higher ed. Burn it all down and go back to admits on quantifiable, non-cheatable ability only.

So agree with this. One popular college counselor strongly advocates NOT writing about any extra curriculars or activities, food, exotic travel, COVID. My 17 year old has mostly studied and done ECs for the past few years (and count in the pandemic). What else can he write about? Esp. as part of immigrant family with no 'grandparent' story.

Well ... he can write about the immigrant story!

[Anonymous]

DD's writing about how she unexpectedly found herself watching the Taylor Swift ERAs concert from the VIP tent.
I'll let you know how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These essays are such a joke. My BIL wrote his daughter's (he won't admit it but it's obvious) and she got into a school she had no business going to. I have to assume this happens all the time. How do you expect a 17 year old to write anything meaningful? They're all told what "good" beliefs are, and haven't had the experiences that will lead them to anything authentic. And then they're told to avoid writing about genuinely meaningful experiences because they show privilege. For all the people saying "don't write about this"--well, that's probably what their experience is. So we're asking them to lie and second guess themselves. It's just nasty, like everything else in higher ed. Burn it all down and go back to admits on quantifiable, non-cheatable ability only.

So agree with this. One popular college counselor strongly advocates NOT writing about any extra curriculars or activities, food, exotic travel, COVID. My 17 year old has mostly studied and done ECs for the past few years (and count in the pandemic). What else can he write about? Esp. as part of immigrant family with no 'grandparent' story.

Well ... he can write about the immigrant story!

Refuses to. Thinks it is cringe to write about 'brown people go back to your country' while growing up in a diverse big city and living a pretty affluent life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These essays are such a joke. My BIL wrote his daughter's (he won't admit it but it's obvious) and she got into a school she had no business going to. I have to assume this happens all the time. How do you expect a 17 year old to write anything meaningful? They're all told what "good" beliefs are, and haven't had the experiences that will lead them to anything authentic. And then they're told to avoid writing about genuinely meaningful experiences because they show privilege. For all the people saying "don't write about this"--well, that's probably what their experience is. So we're asking them to lie and second guess themselves. It's just nasty, like everything else in higher ed. Burn it all down and go back to admits on quantifiable, non-cheatable ability only.

+1.

My spouse was at one point reviewing the application essays for a big state school.
Their flowchart was roughly this:
1. Did they write anything? If no, 0.
2. Check if this person needs a wellness/mental health visit (danger to themselves or others). If so, flag it.
3. Do they say in the essay that they're a URM that overcame obstacles? If so, 3 points.
4. Else, give 2 points and move on.

So perhaps people are overthinking the importance of essays?

I bet there are some essays that are so annoying it puts the application in the reject pile.

[Anonymous]

Ignore the essays at your peril unless you're absolutely sure to get in based on other criteria and you're not looking for merit aid.

I know my son was picked for a very selective program based on his essay. The instructions for that program actually said the essay of 1500 words was a very important consideration. If the college or uni tells you this, believe them. This was for the William & Mary International Relations joint degree programme with St Andrews. Only a handful of candidates are taken into this programme option every year.

I am also convinced that his other essays helped him get merit aid at other schools who might merely have given him an acceptance otherwise. One school specifically mentioned a point he'd made in his essay in the offer letter, so I know they not only read his essay, but that they appreciated it. They both gave him merit aid for all 4 years of undergrad (one tacked on an extra year, just in case).

Don't forget that you can tweak the personal statement even on the Common App. You copy and paste a version customized to one school, hit submit, then copy and paste another version customized to another school, and hit submit, etc. The Common App doesn't let you send off the same application to multiple colleges all at once (since they all ask for little extras that are different from each other)... so you might as well take advantage of that opportunity, if you believe you might need to stave off yield protection, or it's for a school that wants demonstrated interest, or you just want to express your deep motivation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD's writing about how she unexpectedly found herself watching the Taylor Swift ERAs concert from the VIP tent.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Like a lead balloon, one would assume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD's writing about how she unexpectedly found herself watching the Taylor Swift ERAs concert from the VIP tent.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Like a lead balloon, one would assume.

don't blame me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These essays are such a joke. My BIL wrote his daughter's (he won't admit it but it's obvious) and she got into a school she had no business going to. I have to assume this happens all the time. How do you expect a 17 year old to write anything meaningful? They're all told what "good" beliefs are, and haven't had the experiences that will lead them to anything authentic. And then they're told to avoid writing about genuinely meaningful experiences because they show privilege. For all the people saying "don't write about this"--well, that's probably what their experience is. So we're asking them to lie and second guess themselves. It's just nasty, like everything else in higher ed. Burn it all down and go back to admits on quantifiable, non-cheatable ability only.

So agree with this. One popular college counselor strongly advocates NOT writing about any extra curriculars or activities, food, exotic travel, COVID. My 17 year old has mostly studied and done ECs for the past few years (and count in the pandemic). What else can he write about? Esp. as part of immigrant family with no 'grandparent' story.

Well ... he can write about the immigrant story!

Refuses to. Thinks it is cringe to write about 'brown people go back to your country' while growing up in a diverse big city and living a pretty affluent life.

Well if he can't think of anything interesting about himself or his point of view on the world, maybe he's right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Ignore the essays at your peril unless you're absolutely sure to get in based on other criteria and you're not looking for merit aid.

I know my son was picked for a very selective program based on his essay. The instructions for that program actually said the essay of 1500 words was a very important consideration. If the college or uni tells you this, believe them. This was for the William & Mary International Relations joint degree programme with St Andrews. Only a handful of candidates are taken into this programme option every year.

I am also convinced that his other essays helped him get merit aid at other schools who might merely have given him an acceptance otherwise. One school specifically mentioned a point he'd made in his essay in the offer letter, so I know they not only read his essay, but that they appreciated it. They both gave him merit aid for all 4 years of undergrad (one tacked on an extra year, just in case).

Don't forget that you can tweak the personal statement even on the Common App. You copy and paste a version customized to one school, hit submit, then copy and paste another version customized to another school, and hit submit, etc. The Common App doesn't let you send off the same application to multiple colleges all at once (since they all ask for little extras that are different from each other)... so you might as well take advantage of that opportunity, if you believe you might need to stave off yield protection, or it's for a school that wants demonstrated interest, or you just want to express your deep motivation.

I think an essay can make a difference. I think with our child it helped them get into the schools they did in RD and also with merit aid and honors programs. The essays were really well written and they really worked hard on honing their essays. In the end the essays really reflected who our kid was as a human being and I think that authenticity shone through. One college referenced their essay in the acceptance letter. The earlier poster who said be authentic, be thoughtful, be yourself gave good advice. Don’t try to be something you aren’t in the essay but do try to let them know who you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD's writing about how she unexpectedly found herself watching the Taylor Swift ERAs concert from the VIP tent.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Like a lead balloon, one would assume.

don't blame me

Karma

[Anonymous]

I was talking to a friend who used to be a college admissions officer at an Ivy league school. She said the best essay she ever read was about running to catch the bus to school in the morning. The student used that to tell a story about her life, her circumstances and who she was as a person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like how other countries do essays.

Like SAT, students have to write an essay on the spot in a given time.
They give you the topic at the testing place.

This will give you real ideas about kids' thought processes and writing skills.

US system is totally F'ed up.

Agree. It only perpetuates the system of privilege.

[Anonymous]

I can’t recall what I wrote about, back in the dark ages. I do remember not wanting to sound like a charity case (upbringing was far from perfect), so it probably was trite.
My best admittance was to a school that had multiple short response questions. I suspect that might have revealed more about my true personality.
A friend drew a picture in the open response spot for his dream school. Got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These essays are such a joke. My BIL wrote his daughter's (he won't admit it but it's obvious) and she got into a school she had no business going to. I have to assume this happens all the time. How do you expect a 17 year old to write anything meaningful? They're all told what "good" beliefs are, and haven't had the experiences that will lead them to anything authentic. And then they're told to avoid writing about genuinely meaningful experiences because they show privilege. For all the people saying "don't write about this"--well, that's probably what their experience is. So we're asking them to lie and second guess themselves. It's just nasty, like everything else in higher ed. Burn it all down and go back to admits on quantifiable, non-cheatable ability only.

So agree with this. One popular college counselor strongly advocates NOT writing about any extra curriculars or activities, food, exotic travel, COVID. My 17 year old has mostly studied and done ECs for the past few years (and count in the pandemic). What else can he write about? Esp. as part of immigrant family with no 'grandparent' story.

What's wrong with writing about meaningful ECs? Obviously, don't write about being president of a made up school club, but talking about a sustained commitment and what it means.

[Anonymous]

These private counselors often offer terrible advice.

Also, "how the pandemic affected me" can be a great topic if it's sincere, interesting, and sounds authentically like an 18yo.