Do college essays have to be about change?

Applying to College
1

<p>I showed my essay to a lot of people, and several of them recommended me to include or write about some kind of change (ie overcoming hardship, seeing things in a new light, learning something new about yourself, etc). The thing is, my essay doesn't really talk about any change at all; instead it talks about me as a person. I read a lot of my friends' essays, and almost all of them are about change (mostly an event or series of events that changed them), and now that I think of it, change seems to be a pretty important topic in college essays. </p>

<p>So... is it necessary to talk about change in a college essay?</p>

2

<p>Absolutely not. Your college essay can be about anything you want, as long as it says something positive about you as a person, and does so eloquently/compellingly/sincerely. You can talk about something completely inconsequential, or vague, or embarrassing; what matters is your tone and the impression your essay makes on the reader, not the specific content (as long as you’re not admitting to robbing a granny/being an unrepentant heroin user/having sex with a goat, of course).</p>

<p>It is true that many college applicants seem to pattern their application essays on the same narrative formula, but you definitely don’t have to do that.</p>

3

<p>Those people are right. A personal essay is usually boring if the narrator doesn’t change in some way. Without change, it is simply an anecdote: vivid or funny, maybe, but without drive.</p>

<p>Of course, if your essay isn’t a narrative in the first place, it’s no big deal. But I wonder what could be so compelling about yourself that you use your 500 words to give a story-less self-description.</p>

4

<p>Agree w/Ghostt. </p>

<p>I think the ‘changed my life’ essay is one of the most overdone and can easily degenerate into platitudes.</p>

5

<p>I didn’t write about change at all, and everyone I gave my essay loved it. I wrote about being a Mets fan, but it was really about loyalty. Your essay is an illustration of some part of you that you think is important. This may be one or a series of episodes in your life that changed you, or it may be a description of something that is important to you that is supported well. Humor helps, too. Think of how miserable you would be if you read stacks upon stacks of essays that all sound the same. Write something worth reading, that won’t make the reader want to claw his/her eyes out, and you’re in good shape.</p>

6

<p>There are so many theories as to essays, the only thing we can say for sure is that there is no single style that works for everyone.</p>

<p>Obviously it doesn’t have to be about change, though it can be. IMO, the essay should let the reader something about you and your personality.</p>

7

<p>If I were an AO and I had to read 1000’s of these essays, I would roll my eyes if I had to read yet another essay about change</p>

8

<p>You don’t have to write about a specific change- I think people say that because often that can make it easier to write a description of yourself. If you think your essay is strong and shows your personality and writing skills, you should have nothing to worry about.</p>

9

<p>It’s not necessary at all. In fact, unless it’s well done, it can get very platitudinous very quickly.</p>