December 2, 2011
College Admissions Essays
Ready for some self-reflection? Think about how you might respond to the prompts below:
- Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
- Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
- Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
- Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
For the past few months, the vast majority of this year's seniors have been grappling with these and other topics as part of completing "the common app" for colleges. There are few harder tasks for students. Over the years, I have observed highly accomplished students paralyzed by essay fear. Gifted writers' first attempts can be striking in their description, yet still leave the reader lacking the critical insight into the author that is required. Likewise, I have seen "B" students or students with a more uneven academic record find their voice through the college essay, giving a richer picture of themselves and their resiliency than any transcript or test score ever could. And for the many students who have seemingly never failed, writing an essay mirrors the entire college application process: the seemingly capricious procedure they must go through has no algorithm to create the "killer essay" and unlock the college admission vault. As difficult as it is--as they stand on the edge of adulthood--there is great value in going through this process.
I asked one of our students to share some of his reflections on writing his college essay. I think he speaks for many of his classmates when he states: "High school life is focused almost exclusively externally... the daily questions I am faced with deal with my ability to analyze something someone else has done. In a world of focusing on what's happening now, and as soon as you finish, focusing on what's next, we rarely take time to reflect. I realized more about how cool some of the things I've experienced in life were in the past two weeks [that I worked on my admission essay] than I have in the years since I had those experiences."
An English teacher shared these thoughts from one of her students: "While writing my college essays, I have been able to untangle some of my own values and beliefs that I never truly understood before. The college essay process required me to look beyond the events and actions I feel define me, and contemplate why these experiences matter to my life. Through this process, I think I am now better able to understand myself and my home, and therefore better able to both stay loyal to my values in college and also challenge myself to explore new passions."
When I have discussed success in postsecondary study with university officials, I am struck by how often the topic of "personal voice" comes up. Unlike the more well-worn paths that the high school journey necessitates, success in college requires a different roadmap. Forcing potential students to contemplate who they are and from whence they came can't help but give them a greater sense of self-knowledge for the next chapter of their life, and beyond.
One of the questions I wish I could ban from my own and our community's lexicon would be, "Where are you applying to college?" I am hard-pressed to find a way that this inquiry is helpful to the student. It can add pressure and underscore vulnerability. I now realize that asking, "What's the thing you are doing these days that you enjoy most?" encourages much more important thought and discussion.
Sometimes what we take on that is hardest is the most valuable. In the end, the college essays I have read are invariably beautiful statements that reveal the personalities, talents, experiences and promise of this most wonderful generation. My congratulations and encouragement go out to all the seniors in our community who are courageously taking on this challenge.
Kevin Skelly, Ph.D.,
Superintendent
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