Stand Out in Your College Application: Just Be Yourself

October 10, 2023 :: Admissionado Team

The college admissions process can be a daunting and often frustrating journey. With no definitive formula for success, students are left wondering what it takes to secure a spot at their dream school. While good grades, extracurricular activities, and strong test scores are essential, the most powerful tool in your arsenal is authenticity. This article explores how being yourself, telling your unique story, and showing vulnerability can make your college application stand out.

The Power of Authenticity

Be Yourself

One of the most common pieces of advice for college applicants is to “be yourself.” While this may sound cliché, it’s rooted in the truth. Admissions officers are looking for genuine, well-rounded individuals who are true to themselves. Instead of trying to mold yourself into what you think colleges want to see, focus on showcasing your true interests and passions.

Pursue Your Passions

Colleges are not impressed by a laundry list of extracurricular activities; they are more interested in your dedication and passion for the activities you choose to engage in. Whether it’s volunteering at a local shelter, playing an instrument, or participating in a sport, your commitment and enthusiasm for these activities will shine through in your application. For example, helping out with your local Little League team can be a standout extracurricular if you can articulate why the experience was meaningful to you and how it helped you grow.

Tell Your Unique Story

Your personal statement is your chance to tell your unique story. Many students feel pressured to write about extraordinary experiences or grand adventures. However, the most compelling essays are often those that are personal and introspective. Whether it’s a story about overcoming a fear, a hobby you’re passionate about, or a lesson you’ve learned, what matters most is that you write honestly and from the heart.

Example One: The Tempest in a Teapot

“When I walked onto the stage, I could feel the vast audience’s eyes boring into me, judging my costume. I was keenly aware of the amateur stitching, the tear at the elbow, and the cheap fabric that was all Hawkins High School’s theatre budget would cover. I put all my energy into a fervent prayer that the seams I had stitched in the wee hours didn’t tear as I delivered my opening monologue…”

There’s an interesting story buried in this melodrama. You could discuss a love of theatre, discovering a new talent in costume design, or the pleasure of putting together a production from start to finish, including your own costume. But we lose all the compelling, personal interest in this story because the author is focused on heightening the drama to make this story sound unbelievable, and that’s just what it is—unbelievable. The adcom won’t be fooled; the “vast” audience was your high school auditorium, their judgement probably looked more like a row of iPad cameras, and the fervent prayer? I mean, c’mon.

This mistake usually comes from anxiety that you don’t have the “right” kind of story to tell. But just because you don’t have an incredible experience to share, or you haven’t lived through some kind of Shakespearean tragedy, doesn’t mean you don’t have a unique story to tell. A seemingly humdrum subject, shaped into an insightful and personal essay that reveals who you are and what you are passionate about, will impress far more than a stunning experience told for the sake of the story.

Example Two: The Honest Take

The curtain went up, and I stepped into the spotlight. A veteran of the stage since playing pirate no. 3 in my 5th grade production of Pirates of Penzance, I wasn’t nervous for my lines, or thrown by the packed high school auditorium. My one nagging worry was the seam I could feel stretching at my elbow—the seam I had stitched myself in the early hours of that very morning. While I was an old hat on stage, I was a new to costume design. I delivered my opening monologue, and the seam held. As I leapt backstage I felt a new thrill in the theatre, and pride in my hand-stitched work…

Honesty is effective, and a safe bet to tell your story well and come across as genuine. In the second example, the author is much more focused on their own experience, rather than the audience, the stage, or the costume, and that’s exactly what the adcom wants to hear about—you, your experience, your take.

There are cases where it will be even more effective to take it one step further, and “get real” as kids these days say (just kidding, we’re down with the lingo). To take it further means being downright vulnerable in your application. In the era of social media, where it’s normal to take 18 selfies before settling on one to Insta, vulnerability doesn’t come easy. We all post, tweet, and snap our best representations of ourselves—flawless, confident, and positively killin’ it. So to tear down those walls as you approach the most stressful test of your life thus far, the college application process, is no easy feat.

Example Three: Vulnerable Done Well

I changed my outfit three times, self-conscious because I would be standing on stage in front of the whole school later that day. I was dreading it, but I wouldn’t take an out if someone offered it—this was my chance to atone for taking the annual prank too far. I sighed and headed out the door, rehearsing my apology in my head, and eagerly awaiting the flood of relief I knew was coming in the moments after the assembly…

The same principle of honesty applies when writing the vulnerable application. In example three, the applicant is rather boldly telling the adcom about a time they screwed up, but doing so in a straightforward way, and revealing how they felt as they dealt with the mistake. This can be very effective. Sharing a failure or a screw up is risky, you are definitely making yourself vulnerable to the adcom, but done well, this can demonstrate maturity, thoughtfulness, and growth—golden qualities on a college app!

While this can be a very effective tool if well executed, applicants often make a mistake similar to what we saw in the first example: going overboard with the melodrama. Don’t mistake sappiness for vulnerability, and you better believe the adcom, after hundreds of essays, won’t be fooled by an overwrought, melodramatic attempt to be genuine. We’ll say it one more time for good measure: straightforward honesty, whether tinged with a vulnerable side or not, always comes first.

Example Four: Vulnerability Gone Too Far

I didn’t want to get out of bed that morning, knowing it would be the worst day of my life. I was dreading the speech I had to make to the whole school, the consequence of my epic screw-up. I took ages to get dressed, discovering something to dislike in my appearance in every outfit, and bemoaning my physical flaws. I eventually dragged myself out the door, full of self-loathing and misery…

In this example, we see the vulnerability factor, but it’s buried in a self-pitying melodrama that neither reveals much about the candidate’s unique personality, nor about this particular formative event. Vulnerability done well will give the adcom insight into who the applicant is as a person, and reveal a very human, relatable feeling or experience. That should be the focus of the vulnerable approach, not self-pity or sappiness.

At the end of the day, you undoubtedly have a great story to tell—the painful part is finding it. But rather than reaching for the shock and awe factor, you should be reaching for the best way to present yourself authentically. Get out of your head, and tell a story about something meaningful to you, in an honest and personal way. If you feel the love as you’re writing it, the adcom will the feel the love reading it.

Conclusion

Making your college application stand out doesn’t require grand adventures or a list of extraordinary achievements. By being yourself, telling your unique story, and embracing vulnerability, you can create a compelling and authentic application that resonates with admissions officers. Remember, the key to a standout application is authenticity—show who you are, what you’re passionate about, and how you’ve grown from your experiences. If you do this, you’ll not only stand out from the crowd but also present a true and engaging portrait of yourself that colleges will find hard to resist.