Beware Covid plus the College Application Essay
When counseling students on finding great topics for their college application essays, I often direct them to explore problems they’ve faced in their everyday lives.
Problems give you the perfect springboard for writing a compelling personal statement. (Problems = challenge, obstacle, mistake, flaw, phobia, conflict, change, etc.) If you faced a challenge, big or small, it means that:
1. Something interesting and personal happened
2. You had to deal with it
3. You learned anything
This simple framework can help you share your own personal stories in your essay, and then also examine, explore and share how they shaped you and what you care about (your values).
And voila! a college application essay that is engaging, meaningful and memorable.
RELATED: Use this post to learn just how to write about a challenge for your personal statement essay.
So if this simple approach works, and all you’ll need is a juicy problem to spin into an effective essay, wouldn’t you want to write on the biggest problem the planet is facing right now?
A global pandemic that includes literally shut down life as we realize it, killed hundreds of thousands of innocent men and women, snuffed out jobs, forced families to cover in their homes and contains no clear end in sight?
Isn’t that the perfect topic?
Well, no.
When you can avoid it, I would strongly help you find almost any other topic to write about than the Coronavirus.
RELATED: Read this post to learn where to find an awesome topic
The main reason I don’t think it could serve you is that Covid-19 is a problem shared by all of us, including other students writing these essays. It’s simply too common.
When a topic is common or overdone, it is more difficult to make it interesting.
One of the main goals of those college application essays is to help differentiate students from the competition–other students. Should your topic is just one that numerous others will be writing about, you’re already fading into the crowd.
Of course, there are exceptions to my advice to steer clear of the Covid essay topic. Here’s the main one I can think of:
Your Covid experience has impacted you in a way that is far unique of how it offers affected practically all others. I might say it would have to be anything extreme, or highly unexpected, or unusual. Even better, somehow bizarre, or shocking. (Remember, it probably feels as though it offers hit you harder than others, but chances are your experience isn’t as radical as it feels.racism persuasive essay That’s just the nature with this nightmare–everyone feels as though their life was turned upside down on some level.)
Tragically, those students hardest hit by this pandemic, with parents and loved ones losing jobs, losing homes or getting evicted, and even worse, falling ill, simply aren’t that unusual. (These, nonetheless, are the exact students which MUST share their Covid hardships elsewhere in the Common Application, which I discuss next.)
I also wish to flag the idea that finding the positive in your Covid-19 experience, or that you’re actually enjoying this time, would not be enough of a ‘spin’ to justify Covid as being a topic.
I really believe admissions officials are attempting to discourage students from by using this as their main college app essay (aka personal statement) topic also.
The normal Application has added one more, special prompt where students can share their Covid experiences if they feel the pandemic has slammed their world in under 250 words. The Coalition Application (an alternative to The Common Application) has offered a similar covid prompt. In my experience, this implies colleges want students to save their main essay topic for anything but Covid.
RELATED: listed here is the New Covid-19 Prompt from the Common Application
Even though this new short Covid prompt is optional, I would highly encourage students to address it, since I can’t imagine anyone not impacted by Covid. This is an additional opportunity in your application to talk about anything about yourself.
Since it’s so short, my advice is to be direct in your answer. To give it focus and interest, I would make an effort to think of one or two qualities or values that you used or developed in adapting towards the new pandemic reality and related challenges. And brainstorm specific examples you can use to illustrate them.
Then share a specific challenge you faced due to Covid, and explain the method that you handled or managed that problem, and end using what you learned (associated with a personal quality, characteristic or value).
A simple outline would look like this:
- Share an example of problem you faced related to Covid
- Explain how it affected you
- Describe how you dealt with it
- Reflect on what you learned from handling it (about yourself, others plus the world)
As far as your main personal statement or CommonApp essay topic, make an effort to brainstorm beyond the pandemic as much as possible.
Of course, you are able to mention Covid plus the pandemic as part of the background of your essay. It likely will likely to be hard to escape.
Be do whatever you can to steer clear of coronavirus as your main topic or focus of your essay. I simply don’t believe it will serve you in addition to just about any other topic at this point.
Very good news? There are numerous other problems on the market. Start brainstorming!
This is usually a totally weird time. Applying for college can be very stressful even in the good old days. So take deep breaths, know you are not alone and push forward. You got this!
I am aware this is usually a hard time for many students and families. To accomplish my small part to try to ease the financial strain as a result of current pandemic, I will be offering FREE webinars this summer to aid students get a head start on their college application essays. 1st one will likely be Wednesday, July 8, at 3 p.m. via Zoom meetings.
During our sessions, i am going to walk you through the basics of what makes a great essay, and then help you brainstorm topic ideas. Time allowing, I will also share other advice and recommendations on structuring and editing essays to make them focused and meaningful. Students will learn the step-by-step process that I have taught a large number of students within the last decade. We will end having a Q&A session, so bring your questions (eg. topic ideas you have that you would like feedback on…).
The vibe will be very informal, friendly and encouraging and ideally leave you eager to get cranking on your own college application essays! I am going to concentrate on advice and a few ideas on how write the most common essay–the personal statement. Here is the first-person essay that you write about yourself, and is required for the normal Application, The Coalition Application and other applications, such as for example for scholarships, etc. The recommendations and instruction you receive in this session should also help you with other college application essays, such as for example for the University of California, common supplemental essays, etc. It’s all about learning just how to pick topics and write about yourself, and what you care about and why.
Participants Can Get My Companion Online Essay Writing Bootcamp Course for Only $20! (Usually nearly $100!)
BONUS! Also, any students who would like usage of my popular online essay writing course (that I sell for $99)–which includes my best-selling writing guides (eg Escape Essay Hell and Heavenly Essays), short instructional videos and other helpful resources–can get it by simply donating a minimum of $20 to any non-profit organization working to support the underprivileged in our country (just email copy of receipt). Any students which can’t afford this donation for whatever reason can get it free of charge by asking.
HOW TO JOIN: For a url to my first webinar on Wednesday, July 8, please send me, Janine Robinson, an email at: EssayHell@gmail.com. Dependent on demand, I will be giving weekly webinars through the month of July and into August. Send me an email for future dates and/or watch this page. Tell your friends!
