One of the best parts of my job is helping students craft their college admissions essays. During this time of year, I sometimes have thoughts about college essays running through my head during every conversation. When I meet someone, I wonder what they’d write an essay about. When I connect with a new person, I often judge if what we talk about might be a decent college essay topic. I frequently drive my family crazy talking about these ideas.
I love Trader Joe’s. It’s in a great location, has good produce, and offers great value on many unique foods. But why do I really shop at Trader Joe’s? The friendly employees.
When I was there yesterday, I pulled my items from the shelves and got in the shortest line. I had never seen this cashier before. He struck up a conversation, and asked me how my summer was going. I told him I was about to take a trip to Montreal. He shared that he was also going to try to go to Canada, and it was all a last minute scenario to visit family in Hamilton, Ontario. He seems to enjoy mapping out, planning and budgeting for travel and hotel costs. As he was having this conversation with me, he was also doing a wonderful job as a cashier, even talking to me about the availability of a product that I couldn’t locate.
He then asked me if my dog was going to Canada with me. How did he know about my dog? I didn’t tell him I had a dog, he just took notice of the dog treats in my cart! I said, “No, we’re flying and she’s too big to take.” I asked if he had a dog and said, “No, but I have a giant lizard. She’s really good but would not be able to handle going on a road trip.” I asked what her name was and he said Hoptag, named for a real estate agency in the UK where his mom worked.
Why am I sharing this with you? Because this guy could write a killer personal statement essay! Why? Here are my observations:
- He’s interesting. In the span of three minutes, I learned some fascinating, fun, and memorable things about him. And I wanted to learn more!
- Through his stories and actions, I noticed some of his strengths. He pays attention to others. He likes to plan and was able to multitask.
- He’s a strong communicator. It was easy to interact with him and he had a knack for telling stories.
If you are a rising senior and don’t know what to write your personal statement about, start by brainstorming your quirks. What makes you you? How are you unique? Ordinary things make you who you are. You don’t need to have a history of solving a huge world problem, and it’s not essential that you participated in several international research opportunities. Just talk about what makes you special. And tell your stories.
I help families navigate each of these pieces of the process (and more). Feel free to sign up for a chat to see if we might be able to work together!
