Once upon a time, way back when, I was a college counselor. And although you may not have thought about it, college counselors do a LOT of writing – about college applicants, mostly. Every fall, I was responsible for writing the secondary school report for upwards of 80 seniors. My boss’s advice was “don’t get it right, get it written,” and sometimes that’s good advice for writer’s-blocked students, too.
As an admissions reader, the essay is my favorite part of any application because it’s where I get to know the parts of you that you WANT me to know – your story captures my heart and revs me up to go into battle for you. No, it’s not going to outweigh the academic portrait created by your transcript, scores, and teacher recs; and no, it might not matter as much as the years you’ve spent in marching band or Best Buddies or student government. But humans are story-tellers and story-learners by nature, so stories can help us understand and care about people and events. Your “essay” or “personal statement” gives you an opportunity to tell your story and to make me care – that’s its purpose and its value.
