The Importance of the Common App Essay (Hint: It’s Not What You Think)
Many of us have memories of overzealous parents taking over an elementary or middle school project. Thinking they were helping us and only with the best intentions, they got excited and saw how they could make this at-home assignment shine. On one hand, we were thrilled because we knew that surely this parental involvement would result in a stellar grade. But simultaneously we felt kind of empty and fraudulent because we knew the work wasn’t ours. What did this say about us? Were we not good enough to be successful on our own?
Not surprisingly, this is how our students feel when we take their common app essays and think we know best. Whether telling them which of their life stories would make the best topic or having an adult edit the essay to the point of non-recognition, the message is clear: We don’t think you’re capable enough to master this endeavor. This is not to say that these students don’t need guidance (if I believed that I’d be out of a job!), but there is a way to help them write their best essay while simultaneously empowering them in the process.
The common app essay is unlike any essay they’ve been asked to write before. In this essay, the Why It Matters? is even more important than the What Happened? They are required to dig deep and reflect in a way that they’ve seldom been asked to do before. Who is a better expert on their experiences and their feelings about those experiences than them?! They are the experts of their stories; the process of writing a personal statement essay should make them feel like that!
Each time I meet with new students for our brainstorming session, I am reminded of my teaching days and the feeling of walking into my old classroom. I’m percolating with excitement over who these kids are and what awesomeness I can help them see in themselves. The method I use to help them write these essays automatically puts them in the driver’s seat of their story. The various steps we go through help them see what details are necessary to convey the meaning behind their story. It never requires me to cover the doc with red marks or fill the page with my own words. The process naturally brings it out of them and the pride on their faces when they see the finished product that they know deep down is all theirs is nothing short of exhilarating.
For these students, many of whom are already pretty checked out of the high school academic grind, this is the last big push before college. This means we have an opportunity to instill these kids with a massive boost of confidence before they leave. If done right, this college essay writing experience can be one of empowerment, where students who had never previously considered themselves writers, realize they have something worthwhile to say. This matters! Yes, having a fabulous personal statement essay is important (again, if I didn’t believe that I’d be out of a job!) but if done right, it can be a means to an even bigger, and more important, end! These students can be stepping onto their college campuses knowing their worth, owning their voice, believing in what they’re capable of, and taking pride in how they got there. I, for one, can’t think of a better recipe for success.