The college essay is a crucial yet much-misunderstood part of the admissions procedure. In simple words, the essay is a personal pitch from the students to the college of their choice, explaining why they are a good fit for the institution. The essay offers the students a unique opportunity to appeal to universities beyond their academic records and test scores. It also gives the college a look into the candidate’s power of expression; it is a crucial element that is entirely under the student’s control. It’s a differentiating factor that helps top universities–that get thousands of applications from candidates with similar test scores–pick out the most worthy candidates. While students are encouraged to show their most authentic selves to their admissions committee through the essays, some topics are considered taboo and should never be broached. These are known as the 5 Ds of college essays.
This blog will teach us how to avoid the 5 Ds of College Essays or “deadly” topics, which can be fatal to a student’s college admissions journey.
What is a College Essay?
A college essay, or a personal statement, is integral to a student’s application process. In the essay, the student directly appeals to the university or college of their choice, explaining why they deserve a spot in their prestigious academic program.
It’s the one chance a student gets to make a personal pitch to the university, and for the university, it’s a chance to gain insight into the student’s qualities and values. Top universities worldwide often admit students based on the strength of their essays and SOPs.
What is the Purpose of a College Essay?
The college essay or personal statement is a picture of the student’s academic career, often interwoven with accounts of accomplishments, personal growth, and worldview. It is a kaleidoscopic view into the student’s candidature, helping the student stand out in a sea of similar candidates.
The following are the goals of the college essay:
Showcasing the student’s candidature in the best light
Showcasing the student’s achievements
Differentiating the student from the thousands who apply
Showcasing the student’s power of expression through words
Presenting the most authentic self of the student to the AdComs
The typical word limit of a college essay is between 400 and 650 words, making it a compact pitch to the AdComs. A good college essay is personal, authentic, powerful and convincing.
Apart from capturing the committee’s attention and engaging the reader, a college essay has to be concise and structurally perfect. Like any essay, it has to have an engaging beginning, a rich and insightful middle and an impactful conclusion.
Introduction
What’s well begun is half done: This adage holds in the case of college essays. The introduction of the college essay should reel the reader in with an interesting hook. The first couple of paragraphs should introduce the central theme to the reader.
Body
The essay’s body paragraphs should comprise personal reflections, stories and anecdotes that convince the reader of the student’s candidature. The body of the college essay should sustain the momentum of the first paragraph and flow seamlessly from one idea to another.
Conclusion
A poorly written essay often leaves the reader confused. Conversely, a well-written essay should leave the reader with clarity and a feeling of having read something authentic and insightful.
What are the 5 Ds of College Essays?
On one hand, students are encouraged to sound as authentic as possible in their personal statements; however, some topics are considered problematic by college admissions experts and study abroad consultants. The 5 Ds of college essays are Death, Divorce, Disease (or Depression), Drugs, and Dating. According to experts, each of these factors can deal a fatal blow to the student’s aspirations if they are not approached with a cautious attitude.
This is not to say that these topics don’t merit attention; rather, they are polarising and can evoke strong reactions from the person reading the essays.
The topic of death should be approached with caution in personal statements. The loss of a kin, friend or pet can trigger personal growth through grief. If not written convincingly, it can come across as the student exploiting a dear one’s death for individual (or academic) gains.
Divorce
Like Death, Divorce is also a grim topic, but many students include parental separation as a reason for their resilience and personal growth. It can signal the candidate’s maturity and brushes with personal misfortunes at a young age. Still, it can again sound exploitative unless the candidate can tie it to their academic or future goals.
Disease (or Depression)
Another polarising topic is Disease or Depression. Essays that touch upon these topics require deft handling. If the personal statement appears flippant or casual, the AdComs may be put off by the candidate seemingly exploiting a personal setback for academic gains. Using Death and Depression as anchors in the personal statement can be seen as the candidate’s “victim mentality.”
Drugs
Often, a person’s accounts of their struggles with drug addiction and how they overcame it can be an inspirational story. However, drugs and addiction can be polarising, and the admissions committee member reading your essay may come with personal biases against these topics. Like the previous topics, it’s best to entirely avoid the topic or present it convincingly to avoid getting judged.
Dating
Topics such as Dating and romantic relationships can sound trivial or frivolous to the AdCom person. They risk making the candidate look immature or wide-eyed unless the student can convincingly tie stories of romance and Dating to their academic journey. So it’s best to steer clear of this topic.
Why to avoid 5Ds of College Essays
These 5 Ds: Death, Divorce, Disease, Drugs and Dating, are polarising topics, which can draw conflicting reactions from whoever is reading your college essays. Here are some reasons to avoid these topics:
They are also overused tropes that can put off the AdCom.
These topics sound clichéd.
Topics like Dating can appear superficial.
Topics like Drugs can invite judgment.
What to Focus on in Your College Essays
Be authentic.
Demonstrate your character.
Showcase your personal strengths.
Share your unique interests.
Challenge common beliefs
Highlight your accomplishments
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Write a College Essay?
To write a college essay, focus on authenticity, storytelling, and structure. In the introduction, start with a personal account that can immediately hook the reader and then connect it to the larger theme in your essay. This theme should relate to your academic aspirations. Focus on your character strengths, personal growth, unique interests, and biggest achievements. Avoid polarising topics like the 5 Ds of college essays.
Can ChatGPT Write a College Essay?
ChatGPT can write a college essay, but the real question is whether you should use it. Most colleges have sophisticated tools to detect common AI text patterns and plagiarism.
These tools can detect AI influence not only at the sentence structure level but also at the idea level. Even without AI detection tools, the experts on the admissions committee panel of top colleges can identify machine-written essays as they sound similar.
Instead of using AI to draft your college essay from scratch, you should use it to generate ideas, seek feedback and detect inconsistencies.
Can a College Essay be 750 Words?
No. Most colleges prefer essays that are between 250 and 650 words, unless there are any other college-specific rules for word limits. The application form will not allow any essay that exceeds this limit. Ignoring the essay rules set by the college can be a bad look for the candidate. If you find your essay exceeding the word limit, be ruthless with the editing.
What is the Most Common College Essay Topics?
Most commonly, college essays revolve around extracurriculars, role models, personal growth stories, personal reflections, community service stories, leadership accounts and overcoming obstacles.
What do Most Colleges Look for in a College Essay?
Most colleges have a broad checklist of factors they look for in a college essay. The look for:
Authenticity
Clarity of thought
Self reflection
Strength of character
Academic fit for the university
Value addition to the campus
Can a Bad College Essay Get You Rejected?
Yes, a bad college essay can lead to rejection, but it is often not the only reason. When the AdCom rejects an essay, it is primarily due to bad grammar, poor representation of the candidate, lack of insight, inauthenticity, cliches and uninspiring narration. While it can’t be the sole cause of rejection, it can stack the odds against the student’s favour.
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