Cracking the Code: The Evolution of College Essays
Is the Importance of a College Essay under Question?
Let's dive into the nitty-gritty of the college essay game and uncover how it's transformed the college admissions process.
Back in the 19th century, the college admission process was simpler than today. Students mainly needed to ace the essential subject exams, with multiple retakes at their disposal. But this system disproportionately favored the upper classes, making it a struggle for those from public schools to crack the top colleges.
As the call for higher education equalized, the need for a more selective approach emerged. Thus, the college essay came to be, serving as a window into a student's personality beyond academics.
Post World War II, when veteran veterans flocked for higher education, schools tightened their admission criteria by introducing additional essay prompts. Institutions like the University of California, Berkeley, sought to accommodate more students while dealing with space limitations. Meanwhile, private colleges used essays to preserve their desired student body composition, sometimes by manipulating the criteria to restrict certain groups.
During the 1960s and '70s, social movements began pushing back against this exclusionary process. Essays suddenly transformed into tools for fostering diversity, as financially well-endowed colleges started recognizing the profound impacts of students' backgrounds on their experiences.
Fast forward to the present, personal statements have become a staple in the college application process—a recent addition compared to traditional components like standardized test scores, AP exams, or extracurricular achievements. Originally designed to humanize the process, essays allow students to narrate their unique tales, ultimately shedding light on their character and fit for the institution.
Today, essays face their own sets of challenges. They've put students under immense pressure to create the "perfect" story within a mere few hundred words. This quest for the ideal personal narrative has often steered students towards focusing on attention-grabbing drama rather than everyday experiences, causing stress and even forcing some to share traumatic moments they'd rather keep private.
To tackle this issue, educators advise students to concentrate on impactful moments instead of casting a wide net over their lives. By crafting essays around specific stories and experiences, students can highlight their character traits, values, and personal growth without feeling like they need to overshare. Additionally, teachers recommend the "show, don't tell" strategy—using vivid details and concrete examples to make essays more engaging and authentic.
Another helpful approach is to share essays with friends, mentors, or industry experts who can provide valuable feedback on clarity, cohesion, and authenticity. Revising and refining their work enables students to present their unique selves in the most accurate and compelling manner possible, despite the tight word limit.
In summary, the college essay continues to be a double-edged sword—it allows students to express themselves while simultaneously placing immense pressure to create an ideal personal narrative. Yet, by focusing on impactful stories and seeking feedback from trusted sources, students can craft essays that genuinely reflect who they are, even within the restricted word count.
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Tags:
- college
- college applications
- college essay
- essay
- high school
- life story
- personal narrative
- students
- writing
- In the realm of education-and-self-development and personal-growth, understanding the evolution of college essays can be beneficial for students as they tackle their personal statements, helping them focus on impactful moments and stories for a more authentic and compelling narrative.
- As history demonstrates, the college essay played a crucial role in making admission criteria fairer during the 1960s and '70s, becoming a tool for fostering diversity and recognizing the impacts of students' backgrounds.
- For those interested in learning more about the intricacies of college essays and uncovering strategies for crafting a successful personal statement, an editorial on news platforms delving into tips and best practices for writing persuasive college essays would prove insightful, aiding in their educational journey and pathway to personal-growth.
