What
They are Looking for in this Admission Essay Question
The admissions committee
believes that you have been heavily influenced by other people in your life.
There are 2 questions they will be asking themselves as they read this
application question:
-
Who
did you select for your role model?
-
How
has he or she influenced you?
The
Role Model You Select
Think hard
about the people in your life and spend some time narrowing this list down to
your role model. Many applicants will feel the need to write about some famous
person in history such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, or Abraham Lincoln. If you
do decide to go with one of these individuals for your role model, be certain
your essay doesn't read like the hundreds of others that are certain to send the
weary admissions staffs racing for the coffee machine.
Your better
bet is to write about someone you know personally such as a teacher, coach, or
grandparent. This can be more refreshing for your reader and you won't risk
sounding insincere and superficial like so many other applicants who choose a
historical figure for their role model.
How
this Role Model has Influenced You
Don't
forget that the admissions office also wants to know how you were influenced by
the role model and not just the role model's identity. Which nuggets of wisdom
or personality traits have been most influenced by the role model you selected?
Try to include a personal anecdote or two to help illustrate these points and
bring your essay to life for your audience.
A Word
of Caution...
The most
frequent -- and biggest -- mistake we encounter with this admissions essay is
that the application essay becomes too heavily focused on the role model instead
of the applicant. Be sure that your essay is primarily focused on you. After
all, you are the one the admissions staff is considering to admit!
