Your cursor blinks on the screen. Other than that little black arrow, the Google doc you’ve got open is as white as Antarctica in a snowstorm. You’ve been sitting at your laptop for the better part of an hour, trying to draft your Personal Statement. But the words just won’t come. In fact, you have no idea what to write about.
I can understand why the main college application essay (the 650-word essay you’ll be sending to all Common App schools on your list) is a daunting task. You’re somehow supposed to capture your personality, passions, and values…in 650 words…that are so vividly composed that an anonymous adult hundreds of miles away will read them and decide to let you onto their campus for four years.
Well, when we put it THAT way—why, it seems perfectly natural to feel anxious about this essay! And most students I've worked with personally to craft the perfect Personal Statement report at least some nerves or confusion about the task (before they get my customized guidance and support, that is).
"What do 'they' want me to say?" they ask me, again and again, in our first few writing sessions. And look, I won’t sugarcoat it: this IS an important question, given that your admissions reader will only spend a few minutes (at most) reading your essay. That means you must manage to make a (good) impression, and convey the essence of who you are, in just a couple hundred seconds.
Never fear. Today’s post is going to bring you the four questions that will help you pick a phenomenal personal statement topic...that’s both true to who YOU are and opens up the doors to your dream school.
Article Contents
2. What do colleges want to see in an admissions essay?
3. Key brainstorming questions to help you pick a topic
a. What are you passionate about?
b. Where do you show initiative?
c. What has changed you the most?
4. Next steps
Watch this article as a video:
What are admissions officers looking for in a Personal Statement?
First of all, let me dispel a common myth. Many college hopefuls (and their well-meaning parents) think that it’s important to look well-rounded on their applications.
But this is, in fact, NOT the case. Because colleges want a well-rounded CLASS, not a well-rounded applicant.
Think about it: 70 students who are all decent musicians and also so-so volleyball players and ok debaters are NOT going to field a top-of-the-line performing arts department with an exceptional student orchestra and also be able to compete seriously against the other universities' volleyball teams while also winning debate tourneys.
Instead, these universities need excellent musicians, STANDOUT volleyball players, and great debaters, the kind who can win tournaments for their home team. Top-notch teams and departments earn bragging rights and better rankings for their university…and encourage their alumni to donate generous amounts of moolah. This is, of course, a big incentive for colleges.
Thus, for the purposes of your application, it's better to be (and to frame yourself as) “excellent” at one thing than as “fine” at several things.
And believe it or not, the people reading your application really WANT to like you. It would be no greater joy to the college admissions readers to determine that you, the kid whose application is in their hands, are a slam-dunk fit for their school, ensuring that their student body has one more superlative member who fills a niche that would otherwise sit empty. So, how do you convey that YOU are indeed that slam-dunk?
Questions to Ask Yourself for the Best Common App Essay Ideas
I promise: even if you’re not an all-star water polo player or your state’s top clarinetist, even if you have won absolutely no awards proving how talented or selfless or brilliant you are—that’s ok. Because you still possess a vast array of strengths and traits that a college wants in its freshman class.
The key to figuring out which qualities to play up in your essay (and across your application) is to ask yourself these four soul-searching questions:
1) What are you PASSIONATE about?
As in: what inspires you to get out of bed in the morning because you’re so excited to do it? Is there an activity or interest that you'd feel lost without? How did you get into it?
This doesn't have to be something that wins you gold medals or that you get formal academic or volunteering credit for. I've seen fantastic (and successful) Personal Statements about developing the perfect lemon bar recipe while working at a bakery; about learning to love their own geekiness through doing ComiCon cosplay; about teaching themselves to play chess because they loved the suspense and the mystery, even if they never exactly became a Grandmaster.
Basically, if you truly love an activity, that love will shine through in your essay’s words. Once they’ve glimpsed that genuine spark, college admissions officers will understand that you have the capacity to be passionate about other activities at their school, too.
2) Where do you show INITIATIVE?
Where do you go above and beyond to find opportunities outside the classroom and school? If you claim to feel strongly towards volunteering, it means much more to an admissions reader that you started your own group or located a group all on your own to work with native plants several days a week every summer…rather than just signing up for your school's pre-fab trip to Nicaragua to build water filters or helped out with an annual costume drive for leukemia patients simply to check off your community service requirement.
Did you find a way to start competing in whitewater rafting races or flower arranging shows because your school doesn't offer those opportunities and you had to nurture these interests yourself? This shows a proactive personality that colleges want on their campuses. It means you might be the future freshman who founds an origami club or starts a textbook lending library for low-income students.
3) What experience, person, or activity CHANGED YOU the most?
If there's someone or something that transformed you into the person you are, the admissions readers want to know! Did your relationship with your younger sister teach you how to respectfully disagree and resolve conflicts, and now you want to advocate for abortion rights? Did figuring out how to thrive despite your learning disability teach you that kids with dyslexia need more support in your school district, and now you want to be a learning specialist yourself? Did serving as Dungeon Master for your friends’ weekly Dungeons and Dragons game teach you how important creativity is in solving the world’s problems? If anything contributed to your personal philosophy or life goals, write it down!
4) What makes you *YOU*?
Most of all, admissions officers want to understand the core YOU—the fascinating, unique, three-dimensional person behind all the numbers and lists on your application (activities, grades, scores, awards). Are you compassionate, positive, and curious? Are you a person they'd want to have coffee with? What type of roommate would you be, and who might they match you with? And where do they see you participating in their campus community?
And you know how you can tell from an email if someone was annoyed or joking? They might use different punctuation or put certain words in all-caps for emphasis. Well, admissions officers can tell from the tone of your essay—your VOICE, if you will—if you take yourself too seriously, are kind, funny, self-aware, hyper-critical, etc. So more than any facts you include in your essay, make it sound like YOU.
Next steps
I can guarantee this: once you’ve done some slow, intentional reflection upon the above questions, you’ll be much closer to choosing or perfecting your Common App essay subject.
For some of you, this free post may be the only springboard you need to start writing. Others among you may still feel intimidated by the question of how to present yourself to admissions officers. Luckily, I spend countless hours helping seniors and parents do just that. I offer one-on-one essay brainstorming, editing, and polishing services, available in several different formats to meet your needs:
Or, if you’re more of a lone wolf when it comes to tasks like essay drafting—but want more detailed written guidance than this post is able to provide (including lots of specific examples and follow-up questions to ask yourself)—you can purchase my PDF guide to Acing the Personal Statement here for $9.
