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

[Anonymous]

Your niece should reconsider

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your niece should reconsider

College counselor is firmly “no medical problems” (and also said “no parents with cancer” which doesn’t apply to her but that also seems crazy to me.)

[Anonymous]

They should be judging by test scores grades and anything related to their major e.g. if they are freelancing software development and they are a cs major, influencer Twitter Instagram profile if they are marketing major, news articles if they are an English major etc. The rest of this stuff is garbage and should be thrown out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doubt that any essay is going to be make or break for selective college admissions if you are "standard suburban white kid" - even a wealthy one.

They're not going to notice anything that's not a URM "overcoming tremendous obstacles" essay.

It doesn't make or break unless you write one of the top 50 essays they read that season (that maybe goes on the website as an example of a great admitted student essay). My own view is you just want the essay to be different such that the AO at least wants to read it because it is a topic that nobody else is writing about. You then weave in your life story in a nuanced way...but you never write directly about an activity, sport, etc.

I agree completely. It’s about being authentic. Granted it’s a lifetime ago (and acceptance is way harder now), but I went to Williams and wrote my essay in part about a pay to play experience - digging fossils in South Dakota. The broader context was how desperate I’d been to try to fit in / how hard being a nerd in high school can be, and when I ditched that and went on a trip with adults who still liked fossils it made it easier to be authentic in other areas of my life. My guidance counselors only comment on my essay was that I meant million instead of thousand “because there weren’t any ice ages 26,000 years ago” so I ignored her. I write often for work, but my essay for Williams is still probably the piece I put the most work and heart and soul into. I remain proud of what I wrote though recognize “pay to play” can be off putting.

[Anonymous]

A recent addition to the forbidden essay list is the “When my mom the actress said to pose for a picture pretending to be on the rowing team, I thought she was kidding ….”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doubt that any essay is going to be make or break for selective college admissions if you are "standard suburban white kid" - even a wealthy one.

They're not going to notice anything that's not a URM "overcoming tremendous obstacles" essay.

It doesn't make or break unless you write one of the top 50 essays they read that season (that maybe goes on the website as an example of a great admitted student essay). My own view is you just want the essay to be different such that the AO at least wants to read it because it is a topic that nobody else is writing about. You then weave in your life story in a nuanced way...but you never write directly about an activity, sport, etc.

I agree completely. It’s about being authentic. Granted it’s a lifetime ago (and acceptance is way harder now), but I went to Williams and wrote my essay in part about a pay to play experience - digging fossils in South Dakota. The broader context was how desperate I’d been to try to fit in / how hard being a nerd in high school can be, and when I ditched that and went on a trip with adults who still liked fossils it made it easier to be authentic in other areas of my life. My guidance counselors only comment on my essay was that I meant million instead of thousand “because there weren’t any ice ages 26,000 years ago” so I ignored her. I write often for work, but my essay for Williams is still probably the piece I put the most work and heart and soul into. I remain proud of what I wrote though recognize “pay to play” can be off putting.

My rising junior is literally in Africa right now building huts. She is having the WORST time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doubt that any essay is going to be make or break for selective college admissions if you are "standard suburban white kid" - even a wealthy one.

They're not going to notice anything that's not a URM "overcoming tremendous obstacles" essay.

It doesn't make or break unless you write one of the top 50 essays they read that season (that maybe goes on the website as an example of a great admitted student essay). My own view is you just want the essay to be different such that the AO at least wants to read it because it is a topic that nobody else is writing about. You then weave in your life story in a nuanced way...but you never write directly about an activity, sport, etc.

I agree completely. It’s about being authentic. Granted it’s a lifetime ago (and acceptance is way harder now), but I went to Williams and wrote my essay in part about a pay to play experience - digging fossils in South Dakota. The broader context was how desperate I’d been to try to fit in / how hard being a nerd in high school can be, and when I ditched that and went on a trip with adults who still liked fossils it made it easier to be authentic in other areas of my life. My guidance counselors only comment on my essay was that I meant million instead of thousand “because there weren’t any ice ages 26,000 years ago” so I ignored her. I write often for work, but my essay for Williams is still probably the piece I put the most work and heart and soul into. I remain proud of what I wrote though recognize “pay to play” can be off putting.

My rising junior is literally in Africa right now building huts. She is having the WORST time.

More info please. How much did it cost? What country?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doubt that any essay is going to be make or break for selective college admissions if you are "standard suburban white kid" - even a wealthy one.

They're not going to notice anything that's not a URM "overcoming tremendous obstacles" essay.

It doesn't make or break unless you write one of the top 50 essays they read that season (that maybe goes on the website as an example of a great admitted student essay). My own view is you just want the essay to be different such that the AO at least wants to read it because it is a topic that nobody else is writing about. You then weave in your life story in a nuanced way...but you never write directly about an activity, sport, etc.

I agree completely. It’s about being authentic. Granted it’s a lifetime ago (and acceptance is way harder now), but I went to Williams and wrote my essay in part about a pay to play experience - digging fossils in South Dakota. The broader context was how desperate I’d been to try to fit in / how hard being a nerd in high school can be, and when I ditched that and went on a trip with adults who still liked fossils it made it easier to be authentic in other areas of my life. My guidance counselors only comment on my essay was that I meant million instead of thousand “because there weren’t any ice ages 26,000 years ago” so I ignored her. I write often for work, but my essay for Williams is still probably the piece I put the most work and heart and soul into. I remain proud of what I wrote though recognize “pay to play” can be off putting.

My rising junior is literally in Africa right now building huts. She is having the WORST time.

Ha! Ha! That was me in the 80’s when my mom forced me to dig latrines in Mexico. She was one of the early tiger moms. My essay got me into Stanford though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doubt that any essay is going to be make or break for selective college admissions if you are "standard suburban white kid" - even a wealthy one.

They're not going to notice anything that's not a URM "overcoming tremendous obstacles" essay.

It doesn't make or break unless you write one of the top 50 essays they read that season (that maybe goes on the website as an example of a great admitted student essay). My own view is you just want the essay to be different such that the AO at least wants to read it because it is a topic that nobody else is writing about. You then weave in your life story in a nuanced way...but you never write directly about an activity, sport, etc.

I agree completely. It’s about being authentic. Granted it’s a lifetime ago (and acceptance is way harder now), but I went to Williams and wrote my essay in part about a pay to play experience - digging fossils in South Dakota. The broader context was how desperate I’d been to try to fit in / how hard being a nerd in high school can be, and when I ditched that and went on a trip with adults who still liked fossils it made it easier to be authentic in other areas of my life. My guidance counselors only comment on my essay was that I meant million instead of thousand “because there weren’t any ice ages 26,000 years ago” so I ignored her. I write often for work, but my essay for Williams is still probably the piece I put the most work and heart and soul into. I remain proud of what I wrote though recognize “pay to play” can be off putting.

My rising junior is literally in Africa right now building huts. She is having the WORST time.

More info please. How much did it cost? What country?

Did you not get the memo that this doesn’t work anymore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doubt that any essay is going to be make or break for selective college admissions if you are "standard suburban white kid" - even a wealthy one.

They're not going to notice anything that's not a URM "overcoming tremendous obstacles" essay.

It doesn't make or break unless you write one of the top 50 essays they read that season (that maybe goes on the website as an example of a great admitted student essay). My own view is you just want the essay to be different such that the AO at least wants to read it because it is a topic that nobody else is writing about. You then weave in your life story in a nuanced way...but you never write directly about an activity, sport, etc.

I agree completely. It’s about being authentic. Granted it’s a lifetime ago (and acceptance is way harder now), but I went to Williams and wrote my essay in part about a pay to play experience - digging fossils in South Dakota. The broader context was how desperate I’d been to try to fit in / how hard being a nerd in high school can be, and when I ditched that and went on a trip with adults who still liked fossils it made it easier to be authentic in other areas of my life. My guidance counselors only comment on my essay was that I meant million instead of thousand “because there weren’t any ice ages 26,000 years ago” so I ignored her. I write often for work, but my essay for Williams is still probably the piece I put the most work and heart and soul into. I remain proud of what I wrote though recognize “pay to play” can be off putting.

My rising junior is literally in Africa right now building huts. She is having the WORST time.

That’s damn near the only thing they’re capable of building for themselves; why are people helping with that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doubt that any essay is going to be make or break for selective college admissions if you are "standard suburban white kid" - even a wealthy one.

They're not going to notice anything that's not a URM "overcoming tremendous obstacles" essay.

It doesn't make or break unless you write one of the top 50 essays they read that season (that maybe goes on the website as an example of a great admitted student essay). My own view is you just want the essay to be different such that the AO at least wants to read it because it is a topic that nobody else is writing about. You then weave in your life story in a nuanced way...but you never write directly about an activity, sport, etc.

I agree completely. It’s about being authentic. Granted it’s a lifetime ago (and acceptance is way harder now), but I went to Williams and wrote my essay in part about a pay to play experience - digging fossils in South Dakota. The broader context was how desperate I’d been to try to fit in / how hard being a nerd in high school can be, and when I ditched that and went on a trip with adults who still liked fossils it made it easier to be authentic in other areas of my life. My guidance counselors only comment on my essay was that I meant million instead of thousand “because there weren’t any ice ages 26,000 years ago” so I ignored her. I write often for work, but my essay for Williams is still probably the piece I put the most work and heart and soul into. I remain proud of what I wrote though recognize “pay to play” can be off putting.

My rising junior is literally in Africa right now building huts. She is having the WORST time.

More info please. How much did it cost? What country?

Did you not get the memo that this doesn’t work anymore?

She signed up for it because she wanted to do it, not because she wanted a bump on her applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Just make sure she doesn't identify as a woman and is a POC and she'll do just great.

DS told us that a couple boys asked and were permitted to keep their phones on during class while they were in the queue for fan verification and whatnot for TS concert tickets - the teachers at the all boys schools did not want to be their anti-hero. I thought that experience could work its way around to an essay.

Ha! I agree. Could be an exploration of gender relations, pure love of music, allyship within an all-boys school ...

It just writes itself …. and DS looks at me like I’m nuts again.

What does this topic say about your kid though?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doubt that any essay is going to be make or break for selective college admissions if you are "standard suburban white kid" - even a wealthy one.

They're not going to notice anything that's not a URM "overcoming tremendous obstacles" essay.

It doesn't make or break unless you write one of the top 50 essays they read that season (that maybe goes on the website as an example of a great admitted student essay). My own view is you just want the essay to be different such that the AO at least wants to read it because it is a topic that nobody else is writing about. You then weave in your life story in a nuanced way...but you never write directly about an activity, sport, etc.

I agree completely. It’s about being authentic. Granted it’s a lifetime ago (and acceptance is way harder now), but I went to Williams and wrote my essay in part about a pay to play experience - digging fossils in South Dakota. The broader context was how desperate I’d been to try to fit in / how hard being a nerd in high school can be, and when I ditched that and went on a trip with adults who still liked fossils it made it easier to be authentic in other areas of my life. My guidance counselors only comment on my essay was that I meant million instead of thousand “because there weren’t any ice ages 26,000 years ago” so I ignored her. I write often for work, but my essay for Williams is still probably the piece I put the most work and heart and soul into. I remain proud of what I wrote though recognize “pay to play” can be off putting.

My rising junior is literally in Africa right now building huts. She is having the WORST time.

That’s damn near the only thing they’re capable of building for themselves; why are people helping with that?

WTF? Have you been to Africa? Unbelievably condescending.

And people are building huts on service trips because these “volunteers” don’t have the skills to do anything actually useful and are essentially wasting everyone’s time, but the money they provide via fees and/or to the local economy is of some minor value; alternatively the companies that arrange the trip are making profit and it’s of no local value. Depends on the trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A recent addition to the forbidden essay list is the “When my mom the actress said to pose for a picture pretending to be on the rowing team, I thought she was kidding ….”

Interesting. Are you willing to share more ? TIA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doubt that any essay is going to be make or break for selective college admissions if you are "standard suburban white kid" - even a wealthy one.

They're not going to notice anything that's not a URM "overcoming tremendous obstacles" essay.

It doesn't make or break unless you write one of the top 50 essays they read that season (that maybe goes on the website as an example of a great admitted student essay). My own view is you just want the essay to be different such that the AO at least wants to read it because it is a topic that nobody else is writing about. You then weave in your life story in a nuanced way...but you never write directly about an activity, sport, etc.

I agree completely. It’s about being authentic. Granted it’s a lifetime ago (and acceptance is way harder now), but I went to Williams and wrote my essay in part about a pay to play experience - digging fossils in South Dakota. The broader context was how desperate I’d been to try to fit in / how hard being a nerd in high school can be, and when I ditched that and went on a trip with adults who still liked fossils it made it easier to be authentic in other areas of my life. My guidance counselors only comment on my essay was that I meant million instead of thousand “because there weren’t any ice ages 26,000 years ago” so I ignored her. I write often for work, but my essay for Williams is still probably the piece I put the most work and heart and soul into. I remain proud of what I wrote though recognize “pay to play” can be off putting.

My rising junior is literally in Africa right now building huts. She is having the WORST time.

More info please. How much did it cost? What country?

Did you not get the memo that this doesn’t work anymore?

She signed up for it because she wanted to do it, not because she wanted a bump on her applications.

DCUM will not be able to compute this.