The Secret to College Essays
Lean in. I’m about to tell you the secret to college essays. Ready?
Okay.
There is no secret.
I know, anticlimactic. But hear me out—while there’s no magical formula that will unlock admissions officers’ hearts, there is a clear way to make your essay do the job it’s supposed to do: reveal who you are as a human being.
And here’s the plot twist: colleges aren’t looking for your essay to sound like a superhero origin story (“I was bitten by a radioactive calculus problem and emerged as Pre-Med Man!”). They want to see how the pieces of your life—your activities, your passions, your quirks—tie together to show them the bigger picture of you.
Step One: Make a List
Grab a notebook, open a doc, or scribble on a napkin. Write down your extracurriculars, interests, jobs, volunteer work, random hobbies, that summer you accidentally became obsessed with birdwatching—everything you’ve done in high school that mattered to you. Think of it like dumping all the puzzle pieces on the table before you try to fit them together.
Step Two: Pick an Issue You Care About
Now, look at that list. Ask yourself: Is there an issue or idea that keeps popping up? Maybe it’s climate change, social justice, creativity, curiosity about technology, or even the magic of community. Whatever it is, this could be the “theme” that pulls your essay together.
Step Three: Connect the Dots
Here’s the key: don’t just tell colleges what you did. Show them how what you did connects to how you see the world. If you love tutoring, don’t stop at “I helped kids with math.” Ask: what did tutoring teach you about patience, education, or opportunity? If you’ve been in rock band for three years, it’s not just about playing guitar—it might be about collaboration, persistence, or finding your voice (literally and figuratively).
The Common Mistake
Many students think the essay is only about them—as if the whole point is to dazzle with personality alone. But colleges are reading with a bigger question in mind: is this student mature enough to think beyond themselves? When you connect your personal experiences to a larger issue, you show that you’re not just collecting achievements—you’re making sense of them in the context of the world around you.
The Real “Secret”
So, while there’s no magic trick to writing a perfect college essay, there is a mindset shift:
Start with you.
Expand to the world.
Circle back to you again.
That’s it. Not so much a secret, really—more like the recipe for a good essay soup. (Ingredients: one thoughtful student, a handful of experiences, a pinch of passion, and a dash of perspective.)
If you can show colleges that you know who you are and that you’re thinking critically about the bigger picture, you’ll be giving them exactly what they’re looking for—without needing a superhero costume.
I’ve helped hundreds of students write college essays that help their application shine. Book a free consult today to see if I can help your student today!
