As an Introvert , it would be really hard to stand out on one’s essay. How can I improve my chances of getting in ? Are there any universities which aren’t biased towards extroverts ?
Fellow introvert here, and I’m completely lost… How does being an introvert in any way correlate to a bad essay?
Sounds like an excuse to me. My S is an introvert and wrote an excellent essay.
You seem to be confusing extroversion with accomplishment and insights. It’s the latter that will help you stand out on essays and in selective colleges admissions. Introverts are highly engaged in their school and community life. School orchestras are full of them, as are high school sports teams. Conversely, there are legions of extroverts who never accomplish a single thing of value in high school.
The college application process is overwhelming and there are plenty of inequities in the process but (1) bias against introverts is not one of those inequities, and (2) if you spend your energy fretting over inequities, real or perceived, your essay and application will suffer for it.
A lot of school based activities are large group based. I found that draining after being in the school environment all day.
Look for opportunities in organizations outside of school. For example, shelving books at the town library is pretty solitary yet helpful.
I wouldn’t call myself an introvert, however, I agree with you.
Nearly all ECs are team based, and leadership positions are just popularity contests.
Also, competitive colleges seem as if they don’t care about academics as much anymore, since they are always pushing this narrative about only accepting students that ‘impact’ their community.
It’s completely unfair how many top students get turned down from these colleges in favor of lesser students who opened a charity or climbed a montain or something. Colleges are schools - they should serve students, not athletes, not teenage social workers, and not musicians.
Somebody oughta open a college that treats admissions that way, one of these days…
I consider myself a big introvert. I’m the kid that rarely speaks without being spoken to and I generally prefer quiet evenings to parties. One of my ECs that got a lot of attention at interviews was a long term commitment to figure skating as a male which is not a team based EC. I had a ton of leadership in volunteer work as well where leadership is more merit based than popularity. While I concede that things like student council are often popularity contests, I disagree that leadership depends on popularity.
I think you’re being overly sour about the admissions process. Athletes, teenage social workers, and musicians are all students as well. They simply chose a passion and excelled at it. Of course colleges have a vested interest in getting a diverse student body. Experience with diversity is the best antidote to prejudice and close-mindedness.
Agreeing with @Syrxis, @Otterma, @soontobecolleger and @happy1: all colleges - even ones with extrovert reputations (ex, Dartmouth) have plenty of introverts. Nobody gets into college b/c they opened a charity or climbed a mountain- that might be their “and”, but not their only. And I know many introverts who have achieved leadership positions based on their contribution and skill to whatever the effort was, both on teams and in other activities (such as theatre tech, music, community service, etc).
Focus on you- your strengths, what you bring to a community. If you are a scholar in the making, show it.
My D is a totlal introvert and got into nine colleges. She wrote her essay about a personal experience which made being an introvert a littler easier for her. She made herself likable though. Your essay needs to allow adcoms to see a part of you that they can’t see from your app. Half the people in the world are introverted to some degree. You are not alone or unusual. But as you know, it’s harder for introverts to make themselves heard. Now is the time for you to work up your courage and be proactive about your future. You can’t hide behind being an introvert all your life. You have to force yourself to do things that don’t come naturally to you. That doesn’t mean you have to do it all the time, but you will have to change some of your habits a bit.
I suggest you post a thread in the college search and selection forum if you are looking for colleges to apply to. List your stats, intended majors, and preferences. Big, small, greek life, liberal, conservative, sporty, etc… Every college in the country has introverts. My child wanted to attend a small college because she wanted an environement where she would not be just another face in the crowd. She attends a LAC. You might find them appealing. But you need to give some ideas of what your needs and wants are.
There also are plenty of places that don’t require any essays at all.
What is your budget?
What are your test scores?
What is your GPA?
What major do you want?
What is your home state?
Are you an international student seeking financial aid?
I think a negative attitude toward the process and system will hurt way more than being an introvert.
@International95 wat
@ceilingroofgoat intuition.