Stories in College Essays

Stories in College Essays September 18, 2012 Stories in college essays matter a great deal. They speak to who you are, where you come from, and where you want to go. But too many students share stories in their college essays that have little if not nothing to do with them. They try to impress college admissions counselors with these stories only it backfires on them. What students should be sharing in their college essays are stories that reflect their own personalities, their own life experiences. Write about what you know in college essays. Dont write about that which you dont know. Its simple. If you dont know much about art, dont write about art! Theres nothing wrong, say, with writing about apartheid in South Africa, but dont just share a history lesson. Dont just try and impress us with facts that youve read in your history textbook. Dont just write about the facts surrounding Nelson Mandelas release from prison. Dont just write that he received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 with F.W. de Klerk. Spewing out facts will not improve your odds of admission. They will only improve your odds of putting college admissions counselors fast to sleep. Theres nothing inherently wrong with writing about history. If you want to write about apartheid in South Africa, though, there is more to share than facts. Write about what youve read outside of textbooks about the impact apartheid continues to have on South Africa, long after the end of this terrible time in world history. Write about what youve read that wasnt required reading on the subject. Write about how it makes you feel, about how South Africa can continue to distance itself from the horrors of its past. Your voice needs to be heard in this story and thats why its always essential to write what you know. If you dont know much about apartheid, dont choose to write about it. Its that simple. Dont try to impress. Write what you know. Write what you care about. And thatll come through.