I had come to the conclusion that he had only a few topics to write about; one included his community service trip. I made the mistake of sharing this with his parents and when we spoke on the phone, the father said “…but I recently listened to a podcast and the guest said she might die if she read another essay about building homes in Costa Rica.”  

I remember having that feeling as an Admissions rep at Vassar. 

I said this young man’s parents, “Believe me, I completely agree 1000%. But his essay is NOT going to be about what he did – but rather WHY he did it. 

The difference between WHAT and WHY, and why it matters.

Importance of the Essay

The Reality: Which colleges you apply to will be determined by your Academic Qualities (AQs): grades, test scores, and rigor of curriculum. And, while your hard work has earned you the right to apply to selective, and in some cases, highly selective institutions, everyone else in that same applicant pool has the same AQs. Your academic accomplishments are NOT what will get you admitted. 

What will? The Personal Qualities (PQs) revealed in your essays. 

Limited Space: In a college application you have up to five essays to unwrap short stories about YOU. The opportunity to shed light on who you are, where you come from, and what you value comes with only 600 words – 1600 words. That’s it. 

The GOAL Of The Essay: The goal is simple: get the reader to want to learn more about YOU. Period. The way to do that is to create essays that are interesting, engaging, and compelling. Believe me, the WHAT will always be less engaging than the WHY.

The Essay Can Maximize or Minimize Your College Choices: Each year College Admission Officers read thousands of applications from thousands of high schools. It is no wonder that they all begin to look and sound the same. The role of the essay, when done well, is to maximize your college options. Each of your essays is an opportunity to convince the reader to advocate for you and ultimately admit you. 

There are No Do-Overs in this process. 

When it comes to the college essay, it is critical to get it right the first time.

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