Hi, my unhooked son will apply to moderately selective schools for computer science (software engineer/coding). We have a bit of an issue since he has taken multiple classes in CS, but his ECs are sports, non-tech community service, and volunteering with museums, and he doesn’t have any great tech projects under his belt.
We brainstormed and thought one of his greatest strengths is being an out of the box thinker. So we are contemplating an essay about his artistic awards and quirky nature-related hobbies. They are a bit nerdy - he likes to design environments and care for living things. Then we hope to have some ECs before app time that will help tie that into his (future) creativity in CS.
Just at the brainstorming point but I’m curious if anyone experienced has thoughts on this arch. Thanks in advance.
Not an admissions expert (so take this as a grain of salt), but as a senior who recently went through the college application process, I feel like an essay focusing on creative/artistic things would actually be interesting for him if well done! If he’s applying as a stem major, an essay on this topic could show a different side of him (show admissions officers that he’s not just another stem kid talking about stem–he has other interesting hobbies unrelated to stem going on as well; perhaps it can show them that he’s more well-rounded). Since the essay idea is about being out-of the box, you can also try showing that in the essay not only with the message itself but also by the way it is written. For example, I messed around with my story’s timeline to make the essay more interesting. I kind of had a cliff hanger at the end of my first paragraph to try grabbing the admission officers’ attention. Just an idea.
But regardless of what happens, good luck!
I’m no admissions expert either, but I have applied myself, helped out with a couple people’s applications and even worked for an Ivy League’s Admissions office for a summer (though I gave tours and didn’t make any admissions decisions). I definitely agree with @danalexa 's comment above. Focusing on his quirky hobbies is definitely a good idea, though it’s probably a good idea to tie it back into why he wants to study CS. You can also ask for essays feedback when he has a draft - it’s often easier to judge something when it’s finally on paoer