Is it OK to write a sad college essay?

Students should not tell a sad or harrowing story simply for the sake of its shock value or emotional impact—a strong essay is forward-thinking and deliberate, showing admissions committees who a student is and what they will contribute to the college's campus.

Should you write a sad college essay?

1. Avoid writing a sob story: Your essay should not be an attempt to gain sympathy from the admissions officers. Instead, it should convey important aspects of your personal growth, values, or resilience in the face of adversity.

Is it OK to talk about depression in a college essay?

Mental health history or a disability might be an integral part of who a student is, but that doesn't necessarily make it relevant to a college application. Keep in mind that it is actually illegal for colleges to ask for these types of details about your life because it can be considered discrimination.

What shouldn't you write about in a college essay?

Some people think rolling with an inappropriate topic and shocking the admissions committee is a great idea: but it's not. Stay far, far away from anything to do with illegal activity, alcohol, substance use, and anything else following these themes. You don't set yourself up for success using topics like these.

Do sob story college essays work?

Students need not make up sob stories to improve their cases for admission to elite universities. In fact, we always discourage students from telling sob stories. We don't want students writing about illnesses that they, their parents, or grandparents have faced.

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Do colleges want sob stories?

In recent years, we've observed many students becoming fixated on discovering or manufacturing a hardship or "sob story" to incorporate into their college applications. Unfortunately, this approach is more likely to result in rejection.

Is it OK to write about mental health in college essays?

Conventional wisdom would caution students against discussing mental health issues in their applications. College essay consultants have discouraged students choosing it as a topic in the past. However, we also encourage students to be bold, speak their truth, and stand out from the crowd.

Can a bad essay ruin your college application?

After months or even years of working to achieve excellent test scores, strong grades, and relevant work/volunteering experiences, fatigue can get the best of people. However, a weak college application essay can severely hurt your chance of admission.

What is considered a bad essay?

If an essay is poorly structured, then it will be very difficult to comprehend and to evaluate the quality of its content. Therefore, a poorly structured essay is almost always also a substantively bad essay.

Can I cuss in my college essay?

Avoid swearing in a college essay, since admissions officers' opinions of profanity will vary. In some cases, it might be okay to use a vulgar word, such as in dialogue or quotes that make an important point in your essay. However, it's safest to try to make the same point without swearing.

Can I talk about trauma in my college essay?

While it's true that some students may have experienced personal trauma that has shaped them into the person they are today, this is not a requirement for writing a strong personal statement.

Is it okay to talk about trauma in college essays?

However, students should consider avoiding including traumas in their essays because traumatic moments don't always demonstrate the best aspects of one's personality. “If I was applying to college or any other part of my life, I would not want to feel obligated to be judged on my worst moments,” Henderson said.

Is it good to talk about trauma in college essays?

Trauma should not be a deciding factor in college admissions. Students should not need traumatic experiences in their past in order to be competitive applicants, nor should they feel forced to disclose anything that they may have gone through.

Can college essays be emotional?

Try including an emotional impact in your college essay – it can help create a powerful and memorable experience for the reader. Don't be afraid to share moments of vulnerability and honesty to create a genuine emotional connection with the reader.

Is name dropping bad in college essays?

Consider your impact carefully before name dropping specific professors. This may be appropriate to include if the professor's research covers a specific academic interest of yours or if you've read a book they've published. However, steer away from browsing the school's website just to drop in a professor's name.

Will a bad essay get you rejected?

Period. A bad essay will prompt an admission officer to assume one of two things: 1) either you don't care enough about your future at their school to take the time to write a good essay or 2) you aren't academically up to attending their college or university. Neither of those assumptions will help you get admitted.

Is 92% on an essay good?

A 92 is generally considered a good grade, as it usually falls within the range of an A or A- in the typical grading scale.

Is one typo in a college essay bad?

You double and triple-checked each essay, and you were positive that everything was perfecto. But then, you reviewed your submitted materials and — gasp — you noticed a mistake! Don't panic. One mistake is not going to jeopardize your admission.

How serious should a college essay be?

The point of a college essay is to convince the reader that you would be a good person/an asset to have at the institution. It doesn't have to be serious; it just has to showcase YOU.

Is lying on a college essay illegal?

First, we will deal with the easy bit: if you knowingly employ deception (stating something on the application that you don't believe is true) in order to receive an advantage (admission to college), then that is most definitely fraud.

Can a good college essay make up for a bad GPA?

You can boost your college admission chances by writing a stellar essay. Talk about your personality, background, dreams, talent, and why you prefer your college of choice. Make it your best essay, as it will count in assessing your abilities and offsetting your low GPA. Check out this college application essay guide.

Is it bad to write about love in a college essay?

Don't write about falling in love. Don't write about how a breakup changed your life. Don't write about how much your girlfriend means to you. College admissions officers do not want to read about your love life.

Do college essays have to be happy?

The college essay should relate one moment, one characteristic, one experience, or one single thing that succinctly captures the student's persona and motivation. It can be happy. It can also be sad or challenging as long as the student shows growth, self-awareness, and hope by the end of the essay.

Do colleges care about mental health?

The UC, CSU, and CCC have long recognized the need to provide mental health resources on campus, but have differed in their responses to meet increasing demand due to budget constraints and other factors. For that reason, students' access to mental health services varies depending on the sector and campus.

Do colleges care if you read?

Reading can be an advantage for college applications and interviews too. Many high school students are surprised to learn how often college admission interviewers ask students to talk about a favorite book.