Скачать или смотреть I’ve never told anyone this before but…

as a college essay coach who got into all 8 ivy leagues (and whose students get into schools like Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, USC, UC Berkeley and more)…

I LOVE it when students get quirky on their college apps!

What do I mean?

All of your weird obsessions and interests and hobbies are FAIR GAME for your college app essays.

They make you an interesting and multidimensional person, even if—especially if—they don’t have ANYTHING to do with your major!

I was applying as an English major or Theater Studies major, so it makes sense that I would love Hamilton… but my obsession with the Meiji era? my love for superheroes? it’s kinda random… and that’s what makes memorable!

So let me ask you these questions:

What is your Roman Empire? aka what can’t you stop thinking about?
perhaps you overanalyze BTS lore in their music videos and marketing. perhaps you obsess over the family tree in the TV show Once Upon A Time. perhaps you think a lot about how a waterbottle’s design impacts its functionality.

What do you do for funsies?
perhaps you are a certified scuba diver. or taught yourself how to ride a unicycle or motorcycle or maybe you just like to walk in circles in your house to have a good think. (these are all true stories from different students)

What are you an expert on that isn’t major related?
perhaps you are an F1 girlie. perhaps you’re a total WWII nerd. perhaps you’ve memorized 50 Psalms from the Bible.

These little quirks and fun facts make you pop in your apps!

Want to read the essays that got me into Stanford, Yale, Princeton and more? They’re on my website!

Follow for more tips from your fave college essay coach! No gatekeeping here.