While I don’t usually publicly comment on current events, I am often inspired by them for my blog posts. This week, a college admission scandal surfaced in the US, involving high profile, wealthy individuals and the alleged lengths they went to in order to secure admission to highly selective schools for their children. Some people may focus on the injustice of it all, on the bribery, the cheating on standardized tests, and the perpetual cycle of haves versus have nots. I like to think of it as a reminder of the importance of authenticity in the post-secondary application process. You can either become completely disillusioned and cynical, blaming everyone one else for a rejection letter or you can owe it to yourself to share your story and your voice as part of your application. At the end of it all, at least you can be comfortable knowing that you communicated who you are as a person and what you can offer. Ideally, an admission representative will hear your words and will think of you as a “best-fit” candidate for their school.
Many colleges and universities ask applicants to write personal statements or essays answering a wide range of questions. As I watch students struggle to determine which experience to share and which words to share, I am reminded of Gus Van Sant’s film Finding Forrester. This story follows a reclusive author who ends up mentoring a high school prodigy. As a fan of the written word, I remember feeling inspired by the film as it romanticized the act of writing for me. More importantly, it focuses on the importance of authenticity in the writing process. One line that stands out for me and one that I admittedly use with my students is: “You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think.” But what does this really mean? How does one write with their heart? The suggestion here is not to be bogged down by every word, searching for “perfection” and to not be concerned with what you think the person reading wants to see. It is almost a stream of consciousness in memory form. You can always go back and edit your words with your “head”, but to truly express your emotions and to find your voice, you cannot be distracted with thoughts that wonder which words are best to use and what the admission officers are expecting.
A quick search on Google will reveal hundreds of websites that offer advice on how to write authentically, however, the following are what I believe to be the five most essential tips:
1. Become more self-aware: often, as part of guidance courses, counsellors will ask students to reflect and write about their experiences – while some students groan at this exercise, they are unknowingly practicing the art of self-awareness – they are becoming more able to not only describe the event (e.g. a service trip abroad), but also to identify where they fit into it all and slowly become the protagonist in their own story
2. Write how you speak (kind of): most college admission essays are really not essays, well at least not in the academic way – they are meant to be personal and narrative in nature. What better way to find your voice than to use it? Get rid of the formality without the colloquialisms and you’re well on your way…
3. Focus on your senses: when we speak to people, we help convey our emotions through body language – to compensate for the lack of this element, students should attempt to focus on their senses more – describe the way something felt, smelled, looked like, sounded, and tasted. Doing this will help create imagery and ultimately connect the reader more to the piece.
4. Add rhythm: everyone has a natural flow in the way they communicate – there is no reason why this can’t be duplicated through the written language. Again, these pieces are not formal in nature - you can mix long sentences with short ones, ask rhetorical questions (and even answer them if you want), use literary devices, deliver punch lines to jokes, add dialogue, etc…. read your piece back to yourself aloud – if you don’t like the tempo, re-write it!
5. Be concise: I’ll admit; I’m still working on this myself! The basic rule here is to get to the point, do not fill, trim the fat – and remember, every word you use should be directly related to answering the prompt that is provided by the universities.
Being genuine during the application process will undoubtedly help you become a more authentic person in your life. We cannot control what other people do or the lengths they will go to in order to get a job, a spot on a sports team, or an offer from a post-secondary institution. What we can control, however, is the person we are, the person we want to become, and how we communicate our true self.
If you require any assistance finding your voice as part of the post-secondary admission cycle, contact us at info@guidingyourfuture.com or visit our website at www.guidingyourfuture.com.