Personal statement agony over here

[Anonymous]

Can you try a trade school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He isn't ready for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He isn't ready for college.

I'll let you in on a secret. Colleges are filled with successful students who had some help on their applications.

[Anonymous]

At the end of the day they don’t care. It’s all about the GPA, SAT and how many AP classes. Fluffy answers to a litany of get to know the real you questions are inconsequential.

[Anonymous]

My son's applications were definitely made stronger by his personal statements. He got in to all but one of the schools he applied to and his now current advisor heard about one of the essays he wrote because it was unique. Admissions folks want to get a sense of your child's personality, not hear more of what they can see in their stats. I would encourage your son to really reflect and be creative - especially on those that have super short word restrictions. We went to an college application session at my DS's school and they encouraged us to think outside the "I'm a star student because and here are my accomplishments" box. DS ended up writing about a favorite pair of shoes and how it felt having to give them up when they wore out, the first time he remembers seeing a shooting star, woring hard to hit a specific skateboard trick, and why he values bitter truth in friendships, among a few other topics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son's applications were definitely made stronger by his personal statements. He got in to all but one of the schools he applied to and his now current advisor heard about one of the essays he wrote because it was unique. Admissions folks want to get a sense of your child's personality, not hear more of what they can see in their stats. I would encourage your son to really reflect and be creative - especially on those that have super short word restrictions. We went to an college application session at my DS's school and they encouraged us to think outside the "I'm a star student because and here are my accomplishments" box. DS ended up writing about a favorite pair of shoes and how it felt having to give them up when they wore out, the first time he remembers seeing a shooting star, woring hard to hit a specific skateboard trick, and why he values bitter truth in friendships, among a few other topics.

I agree with this. Encourage your DS to just talk about himself and not what he thinks might impress an admissions counselor. My DD didn't let us read her essays but I know she talked about ham sandwiches and loving Disney musicals in some of them. She did well in admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son's applications were definitely made stronger by his personal statements. He got in to all but one of the schools he applied to and his now current advisor heard about one of the essays he wrote because it was unique. Admissions folks want to get a sense of your child's personality, not hear more of what they can see in their stats. I would encourage your son to really reflect and be creative - especially on those that have super short word restrictions. We went to an college application session at my DS's school and they encouraged us to think outside the "I'm a star student because and here are my accomplishments" box. DS ended up writing about a favorite pair of shoes and how it felt having to give them up when they wore out, the first time he remembers seeing a shooting star, woring hard to hit a specific skateboard trick, and why he values bitter truth in friendships, among a few other topics.

OP here. Congratulations to your son. Yes, I agree completely. DS is aware of this, and his preferred school's admissions officer said they wanted thoughtful essays customized to their school, and that there was nothing worse than a "form" essay sent out to every school, which is why they were not on the common app. Which has intimidated DS a little, hence the starting block difficulties. He knows what he wants to write about, but strategizing about what goes where is the tricky bit, since there are 4 statements. He has a compelling story that could fit either of the 2 main essays... anyway. He needs to get out his funk and WRITE already!

Thank you all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One student got in by writing “Black lives matter” in all of the allowable space provided it worked. Got him into Stanford. Google it.

Not surprising, they are always looking for the "edgy" kid to add spice to the sea of whites and Asians.

Utter BS. The question was: “ What matters to you and why?"

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/04/05/us/stanford-application-black-lives-matter-trnd/index.html

So everyone else follows directions and he fails to answer half the question and gets in. Where else are kids getting in when blatantly not following directions. And don’t say his app probably mentioned his nonprofit so they knew why it mattered to him…bc it doesn’t change the fact that half the question wasn’t answered, in the question itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
He's working on a school app that's not the Common App, and the college requires 4 statements. All his ideas would work for 3 out of 4 essays, but then he comes up short for the personal statement, because he's used his best stories for the others. What kind of sadistic person demands 4 essays anyway? How much material can he re-use, if the perspective and life lesson is different? How to make it different enough?

Blaargh. There is nothing worse than asking a 17 year old to psychoanalyze and philosophize over his life experience.

Agree. Most every single example of "great essay" I've read makes my skin crawl. They are so corny and self absorbed. My son will have to write exactly 0 things like this in college, yet that is the game admission counselors want to play, so you play it. Agree with the suggestion to check out some of the College Essay Guy stuff. Website, book, whatever. Also, this is where an experienced essay tutor can be helpful. DS says he'll write something super cringe, and then his tutor reads it and says "Yes, more like this!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
He's working on a school app that's not the Common App, and the college requires 4 statements. All his ideas would work for 3 out of 4 essays, but then he comes up short for the personal statement, because he's used his best stories for the others. What kind of sadistic person demands 4 essays anyway? How much material can he re-use, if the perspective and life lesson is different? How to make it different enough?

Blaargh. There is nothing worse than asking a 17 year old to psychoanalyze and philosophize over his life experience.

Agree. Most every single example of "great essay" I've read makes my skin crawl. They are so corny and self absorbed. My son will have to write exactly 0 things like this in college, yet that is the game admission counselors want to play, so you play it. Agree with the suggestion to check out some of the College Essay Guy stuff. Website, book, whatever. Also, this is where an experienced essay tutor can be helpful. DS says he'll write something super cringe, and then his tutor reads it and says "Yes, more like this!"

And then when your have a very humble child who won’t highlight any true accomplishments because he was raised to be humble and not brag. It’s like pulling teeth.