I’ve been hearing that colleges focus more on building a well rounded class instead of looking for well rounded people. Of course, I don’t know if this is true.
I do stand-up comedy, and have been doing it since I was 15 (16 now, current junior). I was thinking about writing my essay on it; maybe about a time I bombed and what I got from that experience (?) It’s not set in stone. But it’s been a really big art of my high school career, and I feel like I should at least include it.
The thing is, I’m not sure if it brings anything to my application. Would I be better off focusing on something more academic? Or something that’s more solid (e.g. awards, life experiences)?
Sure it helps. Anything that makes you stand out or seem more interesting helps, but it can’t normally make up for scores or academic performance that is much different than the ones who are offered admission.
Stand-up comedy tells me that you are probably (1) comfortable speaking in front of groups of people, (2) creative - I assume you write your own material, (3) have a good sense of humor and can poke fun at yourself, (4) thick-skinned/not overly sensitive, (5) a good communicator, and (6) able to handle adversity without crumbling. These are all great qualities in a person/college applicant. As JustOneDad says, these qualities won’t carry the day, but they are definitely assets to promote in your application.
Well-rounded class and well-rounded students aren’t mutually exclusive. Focus on building a well-rounded application. 1 or 2 different ECs can help an application. But traditional school related ECs are important too.
Essay about bombing a stand-up event isn’t the best topic IMO. A) it sounds an awful lot like a bad exp --> made me better essay which is hella cliche. B) Typically the best essays involved other people besides yourself.
BTW I put stand-up comedy on my EC list.
Okay, I’ll be sure not to write about that then. Thanks!
Well, hold on - writing the “bad experience made me better” essay may not be the way to go if it is too clichéd. However, if you are that deeply involved in stand up, you could write an outstanding essay that reveals something unique about you. How about telling the admissions committee what it’s like to do a stand up routine? I’m actually curious what goes through those people’s minds. You can talk about your preparation…maybe even a good story or two about things that happened when you were onstage, or what you experienced while doing it. It doesn’t have to be a bad experience essay at all. It can be revealing in many positive ways.
Awesome, I’ll keep that in mind!
I’m stressing over the essay so much, I’m not even sure what to write. Am I supposed to be saying why I want to go to that school or just tell them who I am? Is it supposed to be about overcoming adversity?
Are you talking about the Common App essay that goes to all of the colleges? If so, there are a number of prompts you can answer. This essay would not be about any particular school. If you google the common app, I’m sure you can see what the prompts were for this year. I don’t know if they change year to year, but I would think that you could find a way to tell your “story” within the confines of one of these prompts.
I think it could be a good essay topic.
Is this a joke? 
I think an essay that touches on (includes) where/how you get your material for stand up comedy could be really interesting and at the same time reveal a lot about your curiosity and humor. Comedians/artists have different sources of inspiration and maybe there is a source worth writing about?
The point of the personal statement is to show colleges the aspects they are looking for in students and to come of likable as a perso.n So generally the best things to write about are improving the community or society, passion for learning and intellectual growth, good morals/character, etc. Essays that only focus on the writer are usually poor while those that focus on other people come off less self-centered.
@Bomerr, I do agree with you - but I do think that the essay absolutely MUST reveal these things through the lens of the applicant’s personal experiences. An essay about OP’s experiences as a stand up comic, if done well, can explore his/her involvement with the community, a passion for learning, good character, etc. From my vantage point, admittedly knowing nothing about stand up comedy, it seems that a good routine would utilize a lot of these personal traits, no? Of course, I defer to you, as you indicate that you are indeed a stand up comic yourself.
@prospect1
it could work, it all depends on his background and how much experience he has to work for the essay.
I was just saying that an essay about going on stage and doing poorly then learning something at the end is really cliche.