What Are Colleges Looking for in a College Essay?
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What are colleges actually looking for in your essay? It’s simpler than most people make it. They want insight into what makes you, you: how you think, why, and how you do what you do. They’re looking for reasons to say yes to highly qualified applicants.
They want evidence that makes it easy for them to defend their recommendation of you to the admissions committee. Think of this as non-romantic speed dating. They want to get as many reasons to fall in love with you as an applicant. As the world’s leading expert on you, you’re uniquely qualified to give them exactly what they’re looking for.
Short answer: Insight into what makes you you — how you think, why and how you do what you do.
Longer answer: They are looking for reasons to say yes to highly-qualified applicants. They want evidence that makes it easy for them to defend their recommendation of you to the committee.
Think of this as non-romantic speed dating. They want as many reasons to fall in love with you as an applicant.
Fun fact: As the world’s leading expert on you, you are uniquely qualified to give them exactly what they’re looking for in your essays and across your entire application.
Reference: the Common App essay prompts.
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