A Harvard Student’s Practical Advice for the College Essay

When the leaves started falling, I knew I had to dive into that horrific beast known as the college process: making the list, filling out tedious applications, and surviving nerve-wracking interviews. But the task I dreaded the most was writing the personal essay. Those fateful 250–650 words I chose would be the deciding factor, the linchpin of my future, especially given the selective nature of the schools to which I was applying.

Along the way, I heard many different opinions on the perfect college essay: “It should be heart-warming,” “It should show your intellectual curiosity,” “It should make them laugh.” You will find these vague statements in any college essay writing book with promises that following such advice will ensure a thick packet in the mail come March.

I, on the other hand, would like to offer some specific details from my experience for those who are as lost as I was.

The mythical perfect topic

First and foremost, I would like to stress that, contrary to popular belief, no topic is the winning lottery ticket in college admissions. No amount of searching through flashy essay books or scrolling through College Confidential could tell me what to write about, just as I cannot tell you what to write about. You may be racking your brains for a life changing experience or a monumental discovery that never happened, as these seem the easiest to draw meaning from. In reality, straining to create some heart-wrenching or overly-analyzed moment from your past could be the fast track to cliché city.

A more successful writing technique is to choose an everyday scene or object and, through a tight, cleverly crafted narrative, demonstrate its larger meaning in your life. As in most writing, it’s not what you say, but how you say it that truly matters. I’ve read brilliant essays on hair, walking through the neighborhood, and a shoe collection. One even applauded Yale’s sanding policy in winter, and that was it — in all of 78 words.

The personal essay is more an exercise in creative and concise writing than a narration of the impressive feats you’ve accomplished.

Start at the beginning?

Now, you’ve found a topic you like. How do you start? It might actually be smarter to start at the end. The first sentence of your essay is the most important part, and that could take months to master. It should be intriguing, inviting them to read on — perhaps a startling exclamation or an unorthodox description. I always like to go for short and unconventional in an opening line, but you can think of that later. Rather than agonize over the wording, start by determining the main message of your piece. I hit upon the theme of one of my essays by simply saying to myself, What do I want them to know about me? Your response may vary for the prompt, but that is the essential question you must answer. Do you want to tell them about your zany personality, your love of miniature poodles, your unique family or your love-hate relationship with math? Once you’ve found your core message, you can work backwards and think of who or what demonstrates this theme in your life.

Say what you mean — or don’t

One popular way to communicate theme is by employing a metaphor, which will immediately add texture to the piece through evocative imagery. However, extended metaphors are not for the faint of heart; they lend themselves to easily becoming trite.

Do not write about a sports game as though it were the stages of your growth. Actually, don’t write about sports games at all (unless you’re a very good writer.) An interesting essay in Fiske’s Real College Essays that Work uses metaphor in the many objects sitting upon a student’s desk, from cheesecake to a vampire doll, and describes how each of them embodies her traits. Are you the dark charcoal that boldly makes its presence known on the white page or the last crescent roll that remains undisturbed at dinner? Without adding unnecessary dialogue or context, metaphors are a fun way to bring life to the piece, which brings me to my next point.

Be entertaining for God’s sake

For me, this was difficult as I initially tried my hand at humor. I’m not a knee-slapping, laugh-out-loud funny person, so this approach did not help in the slightest. Unless you are naturally comical, don’t force it. Instead, set up a scene with an unexpected topic. One of my essays involved Spock from Star Trek and another, at one point, concerned carrots. I even asked my friends what quirks I had in order to try and pinpoint my unique attributes. Sometimes the best essays are born from the most random ideas, so embrace the weird; it might be the only statement that sets you apart and at the very least it will be memorable.

Choose your words precisely

Even more specific, the diction you use could sway a college in your favor. In a study conducted by AdmitSee, students who used certain words or tones in their essays were more likely to be admitted to that specific college. Admitted essays to Harvard included words like “difficult,” “hard,” and “tough,” whereas Stanford liked essays with “happy,” “better,” and “improve.” Now using the word “happy” in your essay isn’t going to get you into Stanford, but the results do show that schools focus on different traits in the type of student they look for. Knowing your university’s values can help you tailor your essay to its committee.

Beta readers: find them, hear them, ignore them

Lastly, once you’ve written a draft, show it to your English teacher, a close friend and your counselor. The English teacher will tell you how it works as a piece of writing, the friend will tell you if it really conveys your personality, and the counselor will tell you how it will come across to an admissions committee. However, you should keep in mind that no one knows yourself as as you do. You should hear advice from everyone, but follow only your gut. From the moment I thought of it, I knew which essay I would send, and if you trust your instincts, you’ll know too.

Juniors, I don’t envy you. Writing about yourself will be hard; for me, it was far harder than any test I’ve ever taken. And even after all that effort and editing, you may not hear the result you wanted. Please keep in mind that, with acceptance rates as low as they are, your decision may merely be due to the right person reading your essay at the right time. I’m just glad my college representative was a Star Wars fan with an open mind.

I wish you every bit of luck. You might need it.