What
They are Looking for in these Admissions Essays
The admissions committee
wants to admit students who will be active in the community and care about
things outside of themselves. The 3 primary things they will be looking for in
these admission essays are:
-
The
extracurricular activity that you selected
-
The
reasons you selected this extracurricular activity
-
How
this activity has shaped your development and/or outlook
The
Extracurricular Activity You Select
Think hard
about the different activities you care about. The goal is to paint a picture to the
admissions office about what makes you unique and separates you from the myriad
other applicants.
It is
perfectly acceptable to think "outside the box" and select an issue
such as caring for a disabled sibling or helping an elderly neighbor. The
activity you select does not necessarily have to be school or church sponsored.
Your
Reasons for Selecting the Extracurricular Activity
The
admissions committee wants to learn more about you, not necessarily the activity
you selected. As a result, be sure to include your personalized reasons for
selecting the particular activity as your favorite -- or most important or
significant, or other variant included in the essay version you must answer.
How
this Activity has Affected You
It is not
often asked explicitly, but you will want to include how the activity has
affected you and your development. It is a perfect way to keep the essay
centered on you, the applicant as well as show off your analytical and
communication skills by describing how this activity has impacted your
development.
Some
Additional Thoughts on these Admissions Essays
All
colleges -- and in particular the most selective ones -- want to admit students
that will give back to the campus community and enrich the lives of those around
them. Contrary to what you might want to believe, they are not looking for
quiet, shy students who will take copious notes during class and then disappear
into the library until the late hours of the night. Every school would rather
have a 3.5 GPA student who is involved in campus activities and contributes to
class discussions than an introverted 4.0 GPA student who does not do these
things.
What is our
point? This is the ideal essay to demonstrate that you fall into the former
rather than the latter group of students.
A Final
Word of Warning
Do not
rehash your many accomplishments in this essay. This will not read impressively.
Besides, you can include them in the schedule in the application.
