Let’s start with some hard facts! This may be disheartening to hear, but college admissions officers spend just a few minutes reading your application. We know, we know. You work on it for weeks, months even. It feels unfair, but it’s true. Let’s say they spend five minutes reading your application in its entirety. What this really means is that you have five minutes, and just a few opportunities, to add depth to your application and to show them that you’re a dynamic high school student who has a lot to offer to any given college.
You might be wondering where we’re going with this, but stick with us. The college admissions team is going to look at your grades and test scores, obviously. Then they’re going to read your letters of recommendation. Then they’re going to read through your activities list, before finally moving on to your common app essay.
If you’ve worked on something for quite some time, as in all long enough to obtain a leadership position, you’re most certainly going to include it in your activities list in your common app account. In fact, it’s probably going to be the first or second entry on the list. And this is exactly where things get dicey.
If the first entry on your activities list is that you’re the president of the student body, they know that you’re a leader. They get it. If they turn the proverbial page and then read an entire common app essay about what it means to be a leader of student government, you’ve just doubled down on one characteristic. This is hugely problematic because you only have so many chances to help colleges understand who you are as a person, and when you go all in one trait one more than once, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to add depth to your profile.
The number one rule of thumb to keep in mind here? Don’t write a common app essay about an extracurricular activity. We empathize with those students who have spent four years working towards a goal and are planning to write about it for their common app essay. We have this conversation all the time with our TKG clients. Ultimately, knowing what you shouldn’t write about helps you brainstorm things that you can write about, so while it’s a tough pill to swallow, it’s best to move on.
But there are two more risky aspects of writing about “leadership.” The first roadblock is that it’s highly likely that you won’t come off as humble. We don’t say this to take away from your leadership role. We say this because you never know who’s reading your essay, and you need to keep them in mind. Let’s say that they’re going through a hard time at home and are stressed at work. The chances of them connecting to an essay about the hardships of being the soccer team captain are extremely low. Leadership essays often aim to say “look at how well I can manage all of this!” But when “this” is a snarky team member, or a budgeting issue in student government, your essay could rub people the wrong way. Additionally, you might sound like you’re bragging – which isn’t good either. The second issue is that your leadership essay could easily turn into a savior essay, and that’s a very bad thing. While we’re sure this wouldn’t be your intent, it’s not worth the risk.
The entire point of the common app essay is to explain how you think, and who you are, through a tiny lens. And while we understand the tendency to try to think of the biggest story possible, you’re best off thinking small. Think about why your friends call you, the qualities you feel speak to what it’s like to spend time with you, your routines, and the things that you can’t stop obsessing over. If your heart is set on writing about leadership, we suggest going with an unconventional interpretation, and something that isn’t listed in your activities section.
We understand how difficult it is to brainstorm essay topics on your own. Contact us here if you need help.