<p>I always had a question about what colleges looked for. What exactly do colleges and alumnus mean when they tell you to "be yourself"? When colleges ask you to be yourself, should you be yourself or be yourself according to what colleges look for (mold yourself to be appealing to colleges)? For instance, Ivy League schools aren't very fond of students that are not social, athletic, etc., yet they tell you to be yourself. I am not very good with people (I kind of got over this fact and got to accept myself as an "outcast") and I am not born as an athletic kid. Is being the "perfect" student the right way to go, or is being yourself and trying to grow and learn more about yourself the right way to go? I am not the "perfect" student nor am I even close to it, but are good colleges interested in these "perfect" students or rather interested more in students that can explain themselves more and have more rooms for improvements to grow in the future (I can't really explain this part well, but hopefully you will understand what I'm trying to say)? Basically, should I be who I really am and hope for the best, or should I be myself according to what they look for? Thanks.</p>
<p>Generally, be who you are. Obviously, there are exceptions (a member of an extremist hate group might not want to brag about that in his college essays, etc.). But, don’t say you are outgoing when you are not. Don’t claim to be athletic when you are not. Say you do lie and end up being accepted, you probably wouldn’t want to go to such a school where you wouldn’t fit in. So, rather than focus on what you don’t bring to the table, be yourself and portray yourself in a positive and accurate light. For an example; you say you’re not social. I’d say something like you stay in your room doing complex math proofs until the wee hours of the morning (assuming it were true). You catch my drift?</p>
<p>It’s far better to find a college that would be a good fit for you than for you to try to mold yourself into what you think colleges are looking for. If you do the former, if you get accepted, you’re likely to be miserable because the college wouldn’t be a good fit for you.</p>
<p>Check out, “Colleges that Change Lives”, the book and the website. </p>
<p>" I am not very good with people (I kind of got over this fact and got to accept myself as an “outcast”)</p>
<p>Social awkwardness can be decreased with experience and with being in an environment that’s a good fit for you. Many people who were outcasts in high school are happy and outgoing at colleges that welcome students with their interests.</p>
<p>Most colleges choose students based overwhelmingly on the students’ grades, scores and coursework. ECs and personality aren’t that important for most colleges’ admissions.</p>
<p>be your best self.</p>
<p>Most importantly is to be yourself, and hope you can get into a college that will accept you. I myself is not that outgoing as I would like ( due to current health condition) though by the time I’m in college, I can be outgoing as I want etc… Though you state your not outgoing due to social ackwardness, then you may prefer a smaller community school… it really varies what you can manage healthfully.</p>
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My interpretation is that the comment is more meant to save applicants from themselves. Look at the comments on this forum and you’ll quickly realize that many HS kids have an unrealistic understanding of how colleges evaluate applications and weigh various factors. These kids would do better by talking honestly about themselves and their life instead of skewing their essays and interviews to try to present themselves as being the person they think colleges are looking for.</p>
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