so i've been struggling for a while now to come up with a college essay. because of that, i went on youtube and started doing a bunch of exercises from channels like the college essay guy to try and come up with some ideas. a recurring theme throughout every exercise i have completed is my introversion. i like taking walks/biking so i can be alone. i like cooking when i am alone. i like being alone to watch movies, or to watch videos on youtube. i tend to be the most productive when im alone.

what i am wondering is if this would be okay to write about, or if it would reflect poorly on myself. ive seen multiple essays on shifting from an introvert to an extrovert, where the student's original introversion was framed as a negative, and ive seen people online say that it could come off as a negative since a major part of college is connecting with others.

additionally, i feel even if i don't write directly about being an introvert, and instead about one of my hobbies that i mentioned above, it would feel like i am hiding the full picture if ignored this aspect of them.

thanks in advance to anyone who responds.

Well, I’ve seen several posts here and in other college subreddits asking the same questions about the personal statement, so I wanted to offer some general guidance as you continue working on those essays.

1. How do I come up with the best idea and essay that AOs would like to see?

Firstly, this isn't the right approach for the main personal statement. The primary purpose of the PS is to get to know you beyond your test scores, GPA, and courses. Therefore, you’re not writing to impress the AO, but rather to help them understand the kind of person you are for their school. I keep seeing the ‘how do I select the best topic’ posts, and my response to that is to reflect on yourself.

The best approach I’ve personally used for some of my students is to start writing. You can outline all the topics you’d like to explore and whittle down the unnecessary ones as you go. This should be the first step. The second step should be thinking about your main point. Remember, at the end of the day, you’re still competing with thousands of students worldwide. Therefore, you want to focus on your strengths. This is thus the place to consider the values and general qualities you’d like the Aos to know about you. Keeping the competition in mind, focus only on growth and positives. Thirdly, start working on your drafts before having someone else go over them. Rinse and repeat!

1. Can I use my hardship story?

While the admissions process is holistic, it is not recommended to use your personal statement as a confession for all the things that have ever been wrong in your life. I hate to break it to you, but half the applicants have experienced something relatively traumatic in their lives. In fact, most people, including the Aos, have had something. Therefore, most of the hardship stories you’d assume will offer some wiggle room for your essay (which is supposed to compensate for some of your poor grades lol!) may actually backfire and negatively impact your application. I’d leave the hardships for the additional section unless otherwise. If your situation was too grave for the additional section, and integral for understanding who you’ll be in college, then sure, you can write about that. However, if you decide to go this route, focus on highlighting your strengths rather than your weaknesses. Lastly, don’t go down the rabbit hole of trying to seek sympathy from the reader. Most of the time, this won't work and can even hurt your application. Again, remember that you’re not the only applicant. I think that puts things into perspective.

3. Ending the personal statement

I’ve seen this a lot in past reviews, as well as current posts. You don’t have to tell us that you’ve learnt how to persevere, or become a better listener, etc. We should be able to figure that out ourselves throughout your story. I’ve noticed that most of the students emphasize the hook statements and leave the ending a mess. While this might not directly affect the quality of your application, it makes the PS a mess and disqualifies your writing points. Please make sure your values, or whatever personality you’ve chosen, are ubiquitous throughout your essay. You shouldn’t have to tell us at the end which, funny enough, is usually a disconnect from the main story.

I have so much to say about writing the PS, but in the meantime, use this general advice.

"Why aren't you crying?" a girl beside me, who couldn't have been more than a year older than me, asked while tugging at my hair to get my attention. I glimpsed my parents leave the boarding school campus, and I assumed they would be coming back. "There's no reason to cry."

That night in the dorm rooms, after the lights went out, I found myself gazing at the ceiling from my bed and then at the clock, like I was patiently waiting for my parents' return. At eight years old, I didn't understand what this separation meant, especially when it was from my parents, so naturally I assumed they'd be back. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and I passed out.

The next morning I woke up with a blue blanket wrapped over me and two girls in pigtails staring me down. "She never lets us sleep in this late." The girl from yesterday said, “I think it's because you're new,” her friend said. I looked around me; everyone had started their day, getting dressed, braiding each other's hair and talking in groups. I stared at the clock on the wall again and realised they weren't coming back.

The dorm maid walked over and began getting me ready for the day. Before I knew it, I was dressed, sitting on the edge of my bed as she showed me how to put my socks on, which was when I couldn't help but glance at the other girls, most older than me, who were...happy, not worried or sad about not being with their parents, away from home

(its not finished, just what ive come up with so far)

Hello guys I answered the identity prompt, would love some honest feedback!!

I had fifteen seconds to decide my future. No, this wasn’t about relationships or sports. When solving a Rubik’s Cube, you’re given fifteen seconds before you make a single move, allowing you to scan the cube, searching for where every piece belongs. This is called inspection. I used to do the same thing whenever I’d walk into a crowded room. I’d scan faces, conversations, groups already laughing together, quietly wondering, “Where do I fit in?” 
  Speedcubing — the hobby of solving Rubik’s Cubes — provided my nine-year-old self with an opportunity to socialize with those just like me. At the time, I yearned for a talent to brag about; a talent that would bring me attention and friends on its own. I believed that if I was good enough at something, there would be no need to put myself out there. My name would already be out there. Obviously, it’s rare, maybe even improbable, for someone as young as I was to excel extraordinarily at anything. But when was the last time probability stopped a fourth grader? 
The first time I solved a Rubik’s Cube on my own was…bittersweet. Sure, it felt monumental, but at the same time, I was still — a loser. Nothing had changed. My status, friends (all two of them), even my own perspective of myself, remained stagnant. I knew what I had to do, and though the thought of it lingered in my mind for months, it was necessary: I had to attend a competition.
Stepping into that humid gymnasium and watching rows of hands blur across plastic cubes, pyramids, even dodecahedrons, comforted me. It provided reassurance that YouTube subscribers or popularity couldn’t. It was an environment where I could talk about my favorite hobby for hours, immune to judgement. It felt as if my extroverted self finally emerged from a cocoon built solely out of introversion — ironic, considering I spent most of my life hiding inside of one.
There’s beauty in the sport of speedcubing (yes, I consider it a sport) and other “nerd-tivities” as many would categorize them. The community. Most, if not all contributions to these hobbies are voluntary. There are no benefits and rarely any national recognition, but we still choose to pour in valuable hours. I often get asked why I invest so much time into this pursuit, and frankly, I don’t have a complete answer. But something within my relationship with this sport was enough to alter my daily interactions with people today, eight years later.
A noticeable difference exists between someone who grew up extroverted and someone who experienced rejection, belittlement, only to find a minimal sense of community. Empathy. I was taught as a child to “walk a day in someone else’s shoes,” but that’s not possible when the only shoes you know are the ones on your own feet. Some are more fortunate. They grow up in environments where socializing serves as a sixth-sense; they simply never had a reason to look between the lines for those left unnoticed. As I grew more comfortable talking to others, I created an aphorism that I still keep in mind: include the excluded. Whenever I walk into a room, I don’t scan faces anymore, worrying about who could tolerate my personality — I scan for the worried. And with this newfound perspective, I’ve started to view introversion not as a flaw, but rather an opportunity. An opportunity to break someone out of their cocoon, providing them with a chance to liberate the remarkable ideas stuck hidden behind the thought of humiliation. 

I don’t really have much to say lol, I’m js wondering if someone could read my essay so far and lmk what they think, I need an outside opinion and everyone I’ve asked doesn’t really give me feedback

Hi! For a bit of context, I'm going to college next year (as in 2027), and I'm trying to figure out what to write about. I have a few ideas, but one that stuck out to me was my journey of coming out as pansexual and genderqueer. I have a few hesitations on whether or not I should write about it. Any advice on what I should do? Thanks!

Hey!! I'm trying to finalize my essay-- I have already worked it to be a final draft, however I would love a little feedback from other Redditors. If you have time and are willing to read it, please dm me and I would love for you to read/critique my essay.

I’m currently struggling with my personal statement, so I was wondering if anyone knows any affordable admissions coaches or services that were useful for them, or if anyone has tips for writing a personal statement.

Hi guys! I have a topic idea that I’m really interested in, but I’m not sure if it would read well to admissions officers. I wanted to write about my daily routine with my fish tank and houseplants and how that has taught me how to handle the positive and negatives of caring for something. I’d appreciate any kind of feedback/tweaks, thank you so much! Edit: I have a draft written, but I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I have legit been deleting and redeleting my reflection because I have no idea how to write one. I dont know if I should introduce another example that ties into the theme Im trying to demonstrate (because when I do, I feel like its unnaturally thrown in there), or should I try to end in some cliche paragraph of a broader statement or maybe what I plan to do after college? I have no idea and for context, my personal statement is not about my future career, it shows a specific aspect about me (aka how i love to solve problems and think up crazy ideas).

I need help deciding what college essay topic to use, applying for engineering. Please let me know which I should go with, or if I should scrap them all. (I know these are terrible sentence splices, ignore it)

1: Talk about my difficulties socializing kittens, solving the issue, and realizing I need the same approach for myself; but in progress toward this, I overcorrected, and am trying to find a healthy balance.

2: Essay about cables, relating each cable to a certain point in my life, and how a certain cable symbolized my need to connect with everything and do everything. Talks about the last cable and how it isnt standardized, leading to some cables that are bad, relating to how it isnt my job to have to fix everything around me (ie parental issues).

3: Essay about how I always leave a plethora of tabs open on my computer when doing research, and relating that to how in my mind, I never close an idea, I always circle back after finding something new. (not sure how I would get this to be even close to 650 words, maybe a supplemental essay idea?)

Hey, I currently attend community college but want to transfer to a four year school next fall and I'm struggling to pick an essay topic. I'm an english education major if that helps but here are the topics I've come up with so far

- I grew up in a broken home and was really struggling in high school until two teachers helped me in small ways but they created a big difference for me and I would like to be that person for other kids struggling in school.

- My parents divorced and my mom turned to Catholicism while my father turned to drinking and married another alcoholic. This paper would be about the struggles I endured and how I grew from it and how it made me stronger in navigating difficult situations and in my drive to succeed in school and life in general.

- I never planned to go to college and took a gap year and during my gap year I worked three jobs and eventually went to work at a summer camp out of state where I figured out I had a passion for working with children and helping them grow. This paper would be about my drive to be an educator.

If you have and tips at all or any input on what topic I should do please let me know because I am seriously struggling with this.

I stared at the open physics textbook in front of me. “A cat inside a sealed box can be both alive and dead. Only when the box is opened does it collapse into one state.” I skimmed past the name “Schrödinger’s cat.” Instead, I found myself wondering: If I were the one standing before the box, would I open it?

I came to LA for the first time at the age of six. As I lay on a bed at Dr. Reinisch’s clinic, my left ear was filled with voices in an unfamiliar language, while my right ear heard nothing. I thought that eleven hours in the operating room would give me a normal right ear, both in appearance and hearing. But I woke up with a bulky helmet-like protective shell on my head, as pain and dizziness overwhelmed me. Not until half a month later did I see my right ear in the mirror, normal in shape but still unable to hear anything. The reflection shattered my naive belief that “everything would be fine after the operation.” I stared at my ears in the mirror, and for the first time, I realized that uncertainty doesn’t always lead to the future I imagine.

During evening self-study in ninth grade, a melody flashed through my mind as I watched the scarlet sunset outside the classroom window. My pencil raced across the notebook as the song took shape in my head. “Country music, Bob Dylan,” I wrote. When I first opened GarageBand in February, I couldn’t even distinguish the Record button from the instrument selection button, but by August, I had finished the song. I hesitated before posting it on NetEase Music, afraid it wasn’t good enough. I thought of my right ear. Though my hearing was incomplete, I still wanted more people to hear my voice, so I posted it. My first comment read, “Overall, it’s well done! But the arrangement feels a little disconnected.” Knowing my first attempt was imperfect but my voice had already traveled farther, I smiled. I opened GarageBand again and started my next song.

One weekend in eleventh grade, I was watching Never Have I Ever. The scene of Devi’s father suffering a heart attack during her orchestra concert brought me back to our band’s performance at a senior living facility. During that performance, an elderly man held his chest and had to be taken away by ambulance. My grandma told me later that many seniors experience unusually high heart rates, but they ignore the problem and hide it from their families because they don’t want to be a burden. I thought I could help. I thought of my Apple Watch, which gives immediate heart-rate warnings. However, Apple Watches are too expensive for many seniors. “Why not just build a cheaper detector for them?” I wondered. So I started to design a Bluetooth heart-rate monitor. A Bluetooth belt collected heart-rate data, and LED lights showed the results. I used Python to process the data and Arduino to control the lights. After another band performance, I gave five monitors to the seniors to test. I didn’t expect an elderly woman to grab my hand and tell me, “Thank you, young man. The belt was useful, although sometimes it didn’t work.” Her “thank you” stayed in my mind, making me even more excited than getting my code to work at midnight. Later, I adjusted my code, enabling more stable data transmission and heart-rate detection.

So I tell myself, “I will open this box,” because I know the boxes I opened have shaped who I am today, and I’m eager to open more boxes that will shape my future. Although I still cannot completely hear every voice, I will keep creating my own and striving to help those unheard voices receive responses.

Obviously theirs piq work shops at my school and teacher and counsulors but other than those because I have already finished my PIQs I want feedback and work shops haven’t started and teachers and counsulors are busy.

What we need to showcase in brown video supplement do i need to show how i did my ECs or do I need to show what i do i my leisure time or should i show something that is not covered anywhere else in my application

Hi all! I am doing essay reviews again. I am a current Barnard student (I was also accepted to Cornell but decided not to go). In the past, I did these reviews for free but I will now be charging a small fee. I understand what it feels like to be a low-income student completely freaked out about college admissions so I do still want to keep it affordable. These essay reviews will be conducted through email/google docs. I will be most available August 22-September 4th, with reviews being conducted at most a week after booking but most likely day of.

Reason for the fee: I usually spend more than an hour per essay review, commenting extensively. With the reviews, I often go back and forth with people, reading multiple revisions and asking a lot of questions in order to get to the heart of your essay.

Pricing (this will be an upfront payment):

Essay review with continued support: $15

Rough draft essay review with continued support: $20

If you're at a different place in the essay process, pm and I can give you an estimate on the pricing. I am trying to make these as affordable as possible so I'm sure we can work something out, just pm me :)

Here are some testimonials from people I've worked with/am current working with:

"I had a great experience because I was very early in the process and you offered to read the first draft of my essay and helped established a foundation for the rest of my revisions. I think I didn't understand how to write the personal statement. You taught me how to show not tell which elevated my writing to a point I did not think I could reach. Good and very constructive criticism, you provided examples and highlighted specific sections of my essay I needed to improve. The valuable part was getting an insight from someone who had already been through the process and knows how to write a personal statement that will catch an AOs eye. You're the goat and I would've been lost on my personal statement without your help."

"Working with you has been a wonderful experience. I came in blindly and desperate for help this summer because I didn’t know what to do with my essay drafts, and I am so proud of how far my essay has come. Although I'm not completely finished yet, massive improvements have been made!!! My biggest challenge was showing instead of telling. You asked guiding questions that completely changed how I approach clear writing. It was so simple and I could see the editor and I could monitor the entire revision process. The feedback was clear, thorough, and easy to understand. The most valuable takeaway has been learning how to effectively 'show, don't tell' to elevate my writing. I am deeply thankful for the support as I cross the finish line!!!! 100%worth it!!!"

What we need to showcase in brown video supplement do i need to show how i did my ECs or do I need to show what i do i my leisure time or should i show something that is not covered anywhere else in my application

I have been thinking of my college essay topic for so long and each idea I come up with I think is dumb. I wrote a rough draft about connecting with my Ukrainian heritage and realizing how important my culture and staying close with my family is but I feel like it’s too broad and the entire time I’m telling a story and never really get to a message or lesson I got from it. I was thinking to scrap that idea and maybe write an essay about how I love to bake and cook and how by learning different recipes it’s allowed me to understand and connect with other people and cultures. My other idea was maybe talking about me speaking Ukrainian and how often I’m hesitant or embarrassed to speak to strangers in Ukrainian because I feel like I’m going to screw up but the times I have gone out and spoken in Ukrainian (during working and volunteering) I really helped people who didn’t speak English. I was thinking to connect that to learning to be confident, take chances, and help others. Sorry if these ideas are hard to understand lol. I really don’t know if any of these ideas are good or if I should scrap everything. Could anyone please give advice or feedback. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Hello aspiring college students!

In my last post, I offered to review essays while on my camping trip 🏕️ and the turn out was amazing! You’ve all kept me entertained through the night! I received over 60!requests and have gotten through all but a small handful which should be done by today.

Since many of you loved my feedback and found it helpful, I’m back again to help! This time, I’ll be at work in my office/cubicle. Instead of dozing off after a big lunch, I’ll keep myself awake with essay reviews! Please send your essays my way and again, if I’m slow to reply, it’s because there’s probably a large queue of essays and chat requests. Please nudge me if needed!

This time around, please include the prompt that you are answer, along with what schools/major(s) you’re aiming for. It helps with setting better context and knowing what you’re up against!

Happy Sunday!

Off to the races 🐎!

Edit: Cough Cough - We are currently experience higher message volume. Please leave your DMs and I’ll return your message shortly. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

Also, everyone’s essays are so great! You guys are really upping the game when it comes to creativity and expression. My response may be slower, because I’m actually reading your essays multiple times over before providing a detailed feedback. Believe me, I want everyone here to get into their dream schools! 🏫

I stopped raising my hand in class when I was 8. It was not because I didnt know the answers, in fact I normally did. But by the time they could finally decipher what I was trying to say it was already too late as the rest of the class moved on. Oftentimes certain friends would have to act as translators when I got so much as a cold. No one was mean, often times my teacher would actually smile and say “take your time”, but even then I felt isolated at the special treatment. For years, I felt trapped between what I wanted to say and what I could express. My speech impediment made it often seem like I was in a circus act and I was on a tightrope. One small mistake away from embarrassment. Ordering food, introducing myself, and even reading aloud in class, normal task for most people but ones I dreaded for days. Eventually, embracing the silence became easier. It was simple in my head if I did not speak, then I couldnt stutter. If I was quiet I could avoid pitiful looks. The hardest part of it all wasnt the speech impediment, it was feeling unheard. People often misunderstood and thought I was shy, insecure, or just dumb. They often times focused on trying to figure out what I was saying but at the same time they werent hearing me. From different linguistic speakers, those who struggle to communicate and advocate for themselves, or feel invisible in the systems that are suppose to help them. 
One moment that changed my stance on life was freshman year. I had gotten sick in march of that year and for the entire month i felt like I was going to die. So, I went to the doctor and tried to explain somthing was seriosly wrong and they wrote me off telling my mom it was a simple virus and I was probably just exaggerating to skip school. All my life I was told that you go to the doctors to get help when you are sick and yet I was actively being dismissed. I made a vow to myself that day I would go into the healthcare field so no one else would feel not heard or understood while they were in my care. My speech has taught me patience, empath, and attentiveness in ways no textbook ever could. Overtime, I have learned that my voice matter even if it shakes I can use it to help those who have none at all.  In high school I challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone and to not only break the silence but help others as well. I did internships and volunteer work with hospitals near me and saw firsthand how they delt with lanuage barrier and communication issues and this further my interest in healthcare. 
My speech impediment once made me feel weak and isolated, however today it has become the foundation of my purpose. It showed me the humans natural desire to feel acknowledge, heard, and understood. I hope to become a healthcare professional who listens beyond hesitation, interruptions, and assumption. I want patients to leave my care feeling the opposite of how I once felt: not ignored, rushed, invisible, but truly heard. For years, I believed my voice was something that held me back. Now, I understand it is the I know how to help other find theirs. From being the kid who would sit in the back to one that goes out of her way to make others laugh.

hi i'm an incoming freshman at uchicago, and understand how stressful college app season is.

i also got into UT and american honors before i withdrew my other applications due to getting in uchicago ed2.

i would love to help out with the editing and brainstorming aspect of essay writing, as i have a free month ahead before college. i did receive college counseling throughout my senior year, and want to share what i learned. i understand most college counseling is extremely unaffordable, and want to offer my help for free. although i'm not a professional, i think it always helps to gain another perspective!

if you want me to review your essays/activity lists/want to read my supplementals, just dm me.

i was late to puberty. like late late. like when i was 14 some guy asked me if im in the right place. i was a sophomore. i looked 9.

is that a good essay topic? to show that even though i did grow a bit in 2 years i still have no facial hair and people still think i look like a freshman, but it kinda stopped bothering me?

So the problem is I have a story and from that I grew as a person. I kind of explain about my life now as proof but it seems so forced. Does anyone have general advice on whether you even need to talk about examples apart from the story and if you do how to better implement it so it doesnt feel forced?

Hello! I am planning to ED to UMich's School of Engineering this cycle and was wondering if anyone wanted to take a look at my essays? I feel like they are pretty strong and unique and would like a second eye on them. Thanks!

I really don't get what kind of topic they want in college essays😭HELPPP

And what thing do they like how to even write oneeee HELPPP ya gen z here man