College Admission Essays: Painting a Portrait of You, the Applicant

Granted, the letters of recommendation submitted with your application may address your personality and experiences. However, you have no control over the content of those letters, and frankly, not all recommendation writers actually know how to write well. Their letters may be vague and limited to statements like “So-and-so is a fine person. Please accept him.” The only way you can be sure that the application paints a true portrait of you, the applicant, is to write at length about yourself. Enter the essay.

I say “essay” because in English-teacher terminology, that’s what you’re writing: a short interpretive or analytical piece of literature with a personal point of view. On applications, the essay is often called a “personal statement” or has no name at all, just a large blank space and instructions to write about “an experience that has shaped you” or “a person who matters to you” and the like. Whatever it’s called, this piece of writing is important. All by itself it can’t make or break your application’s chances, but it’s often the deciding factor for close calls.

Specifically, an admission essay can

• show how you react to challenging situations (“When the last lifeboat sprang a leak I. . . .”)
• reveal your values and priorities (“Nothing is more important to me than finding the perfect pickle. . . .”)
• explain factors in your background that have influenced you (“Growing up on the summit of Mount Everest, I. . . .”)
• interpret your academic record (“I got a D in everything but lunch because. . . .”)
• discuss how you will contribute to the life of the institution (“I would love to join your chapter of the Pun Society. . . .”)
• relate the reasons why you and the institution mesh well (“I am attracted to your unlimited cut policy. . . .”)
• display your logic and writing skills