Introduction: The Objective of College Essays
Writing admissions essays is undoubtedly one of the most important parts of the college application process.
As such, it’s normal for college essay writing to seem daunting: if you’ve not written many of these essays before, it’s hard to understand what to aim for.
That is exactly why we’ve decided to write this guide: to help you understand what the ideal response to these essays looks like, and to help you get to this level of writing.
To understand the ideal responses to college essays, you must first understand why admissions officers use them within the application process.
The reason for this is – essays are simply one of the best ways for admission officers to understand you as a person.
When admissions officers look at applications, they tend to see a bunch of numbers (your grades, test scores etc.)
Though these are very important in the admissions process, they don’t allow you to stand out from other applicants.
As such, essay writing is the part of your application that allows you to demonstrate your identity. They tell the admissions officers: this is who I am. This is what I’ve learned from my experiences.
Crucially, this means that a good college essay will be personal and authentic. The admissions officers simply want to find out more about you, and the reason you are the way you are!
Because we want your essays to demonstrate who you are, we need your essays to be thesis-driven, as opposed to activity-driven.
This means that the main message of your essay should never be about the activities you participated in, or the achievements you have accumulated over the years.
Instead, the main purpose of the essay should be to reveal a part of your identity.
This can be anything from, “I love problem-solving” to “Moving from my hometown made me appreciate my cultural background more” to “My experiences as a girl make me want to promote women’s rights.” This “thesis” about your identity is the same as your application angle.
The part of your identity that you put forward should always, always relate to your personal experiences and to what you are most passionate about.
Ten more examples of a potential “identity thesis” are listed here:
- “My multicultural heritage has shaped my worldview and my aspirations, allowing me to bridge gaps and create understanding in diverse communities.”
- “The richness of my Kazakh heritage has instilled in me a profound appreciation for storytelling as a means of preserving history and shaping identity.”
- “Growing up in a bilingual household has taught me more than just how to switch between languages; it has given me the ability to communicate and connect across cultures.”
- “Navigating the complexities of a gender identity that defies societal norms has empowered me to advocate for inclusivity and empathy within my community.”
- “My journey with neurodiversity has not only defined my personal identity but has also fueled my passion for pursuing a career in psychology to support others like me.”
- “The duality of my identity as both an athlete and an academic has taught me that the synthesis of physical and intellectual discipline is key to achieving balance.”
- “As a first-generation American, the synthesis of preserving my family’s cultural legacy while embracing new traditions has forged my unique personal narrative.”
- “Being an adopted child has not only shaped my understanding of family but has also inspired my interest in the legal field, where I can advocate for children seeking their forever homes.”
- “My identity as a military child has fostered resilience and adaptability, traits that I bring to every community I join and every challenge I face.”
- “Coming of age in the digital era has not only defined my generational identity but has also driven my desire to innovate in the field of technology, ensuring it serves as a tool for positive change.”
In most cases, the best way to reveal who you are is by using a personal anecdote. This is true for any essay with a 150+ word limit.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, an anecdote is a compelling story-telling device. Anecdotes will engage your admissions from the very start, while humanizing your application.
Secondly, anecdotes have conclusions. The endings of the best stories always have a message; the same applies to your personal anecdotes, whose message should reveal something about you and your identity.
These conclusions should demonstrate to admissions officers, “This is who I am as a result of this experience.” This is what we mean by a thesis – it’s the message of your anecdote.
However, a good essay will always reveal who you are to an admissions officer, without explicitly telling them. You never want to state your “identity thesis” – it should instead be obvious given the story you just told. Remember – show not tell!
The final purpose of college essays is to demonstrate to admissions officers why their school appeals to you. Keep in mind – this is only true for supplemental essays, not personal statements. Personal statements have to be the same for every college.
Admissions officers want to admit the students who will be happiest studying at their institution – which is why it’s essential for you to demonstrate a passion for their school in your supplementals.
Therefore, ideal supplemental essays will often want to connect the story you are telling to the college for which they are written.
A good way of doing this is by considering how the values, programs and culture of the college align with your personality and past experiences. More on this later.
So, to recap, effective essays have the following traits:
- they are personal and demonstrate who you are
- they are thesis-driven, as opposed to activity-driven
- they deliver your message/thesis through an anecdote
- they explain your interest in that college [supplementals only]