College Essay Idea

College Essay Idea July 11, 2012 Dont write about your grandmother in your college essay. She wouldnt want you to either as she would want you to get in (photo credit: Catherine Scott). A number of students have the college essay idea of writing about loved ones who have died. Maybe theyre writing about a grandmother, grandfather, great aunt, or dog. Maybe they view their college essay as an opportunity to pay tribute to their grandmother for the many lessons she taught the college applicant throughout his or her life. And its a very sweet gesture. The applicants grandmother would likely be very happy with this essay. But, as harsh as this may be, that doesnt mean its a good idea to pay tribute to your grandmother in your college essay. Do you realize how many tributes to grandmothers college admissions counselors read each admissions cycle? Way too many! Its very nice that a student wants to write nice things about his or her grandmother and share the wisdom that she gave them, but the college essay is neither the time nor the place for this. We imagine your grandmother at the end of the day would want you to gain admission to a highly selective college of your dreams. Writing about her isnt the best way to do that. And whys that? In addition to the plethora of other grandmother essays, this kind of essay often sheds little light on the actual applicant. Your grandmother is not applying for admission to this highly selective college you are. They want to know about you. They want to get to know you and what youre all about. They want to get inside your head to understand how you think, what you like, what you dont like, and what makes you the person you are. Sorry, grandmathis is an opportunity for a college applicant to make a statement that doesnt come around again. So take advantage of it and dont write about your grandmother. Check out this post on College Essay Pointers.