They Just Won't Do

A college-admissions consultant advises authenticity:

In my years handling applications to elite schools, from Harvard to Haverford, Davidson to Dickinson and everything in between, I was often surprised by where students did gain acceptance. But in every case it was a student who wrote a fabulously independent essay. Not necessarily hyper-sophisticated. But true. [snip]

I have had successful students write about the virtues of napping (Middlebury), failing a course (Harvard), and having to shoot a farm dog because it couldn't work stock (Princeton). Once a student came out to me in his fifth (and best) draft. His parents probably still don't know; but they got the Ivy Leaguer they wanted (Penn).

College applicants, write about what moves you, not about what you think they want to hear (admissions officers must be sick of reading about climate change, cultural diversity, and economic inequality, especially from students who have very little first-hand experience about these matters).

In addition to passion--which is probably not conveyed via ALL CAPS with !!!!!--one's thoughts still have to be organized, facts should be marshaled in support of the main argument, and the basic rules of grammar need to be followed. Sorry, a collection of your best text messages just won't do. © 2013 Stephen Yuen