Monday Morning Essay Tip: Personal and Too Personal
June 29th, 2009
Last week, we wrote about how important it is to thoroughly explore and access your personal stories in your application essays. Of course, there is always the risk of too much of a good thing, however—Admissions Committees can be put off by candidates who go too far and become too personal.
Some stories are particularly challenging for Admissions Committees. For example, we have strongly discouraged candidates from writing about divorce as a moment of failure. If an individual takes responsibility in an essay for a failed marriage, he/she would likely end up revealing intensely personal problems and issues, rather than portraying him-/herself as having learned from a constructive professional or personal challenge.
What you should always keep in mind is that in many ways, the Admissions Committee is meeting you for the first time via your application. So, a simple way to judge whether you are being too personal in your materials is to ask yourself, “Would I be uncomfortable if, immediately upon meeting someone, he/she were to share this sort of information with me?” If your answer is “yes,” you should most likely consider changing your approach.
Posted in Blogroll, Monday Morning Essay Tips