By Mike Conklin
I have spent the majority of the past four weeks sitting behind a desk, staring at a computer screen, hoping that my eyes survive another season of application review; and I have still reviewed less than half the total number of applications I am expected to review this year. But, when I begin to go a bit stir crazy, I have methods for maintaining my sanity.
Usually, I depend on a mid-day stretch, a large cup of Finger Lakes coffee, and a lot of good music to get me through the day, but it isn’t uncommon to be energized by a good college essay either. As a college admissions counselor I am expected to evaluate students according to a long list of criteria that range from extracurricular activities to SAT’s, and though each of the criteria differ in value, the college essay is undoubtedly the most entertaining, and arguably the most insightful document in an application.
I am partial to the essay in part because it is usually the most authentic document I view in an application; it is the point at which an applicant stops being an applicant and starts assuming a unique identity. A 4.0 GPA and a perfect SAT are wonderful, but an essay about the rock climbing you did in Germany, your family’s annual mushroom picking adventure, or your obsession with gothic architecture are more likely to grab my attention. A good essay goes a long way.
I have read a lot of good essays so far this year, and when I get tired of sitting behind a desk, I will continue to look to the essay for stimulation.
Mike Conklin
Admissions Counselor