Hobbies vs. Career Extracurriculars: Which should be in my College Admissions Essays?

I have compiled a list of 9 colleges I would like to apply to and I have taken a look at all of their prompts for essays.

I plan to take the premed route in colleges, and I have answered some of my prompts with that in mind (ex. my curious nature, my research paper) but I also want to include my passion for learning languages in my essays.

However, I do not want to major in a language or linguistics in college (maybe minor, not yet sure). So far, I know 5 languages fluently and I am in the process of learning 2 more. Language has always been a huge part of my bringing up (My mother tongue is one of the oldest languages in the world) and so I feel like I would not be presenting my whole self in my essays if I do not talk about this. So even if I plan to do nothing with it in the future, can I still write an essay or few on my love for language?

There’s no one correct answer. Bottom line, if you’re applying to selective colleges the AOs are reading your app for clues. Each bit of data on your app is a clue. AOs use the clues to determine what sort of person you are, what you think, how you act, how you make decisions, what interests and fascinates you.

The colleges each have their own set of qualities they are looking for and sometimes they’re even looking for different things to match with different programs within their college. So, knowing what qualities they are looking for, think about an AO reviewing your app - does it show what they are looking for?

It’s not PC so most people won’t say it like this, but colleges really don’t give a rat’s patootie about your “whole self” unless it’s relevant. You have limited space on your app - use that space to show colleges you have the things they are looking for. There are a lot of things about you that colleges won’t be interested in and you don’t want to waste space on (your love for a pet, how your mother tongue is one of the oldest languages in the world, how you eat ice cream every night) unless they show a part of you that matches what they are looking for. Only you know if there are aspects of your language skill that are relevant to your app. What does your love of language tell them about you that is relevant and does that carry enough weight that you want to use one of your essays showing it?

Selective colleges even view what you choose to write about as an indicator of your judgment. Does what you choose to write about show them what they’re looking for or is it an indulgence, you writing about something you love but that doesn’t relate to what the college is looking for?

I’m asking more questions than giving answers because the answer is: it depends. You could write an essay about your language ability that shows all sorts of important things about you that colleges are looking for in a pre-med major - like intellectual curiosity, tendency to independently study subjects of interest, tenacity, problem solving. Or you could write an essay about your language ability that leaves them thinking “so what? She sounds smart, but none of this shows anything that we’re looking for and it’s weird that someone interested in medicine used all this space to write about something unrelated.”

The essay should: 1) tell something about yourself that can’t be found elsewhere in the application and 2) give the admission officer reasons to want to have you on campus. Whatever you write, be sure the essay accomplishes those two things.

@happy1 and @milee30 thank you so much for your advice. I should have included this in my original post, but I meant to say that I wanted to incorporate my love for languages into skills I have developed in order to undertake and understand aspects of science. I did want to share my “intellectual curiosity” with the AO because I feel that my curious nature is not only portrayed in my love for biology but also for my love for languages.

Honestly anything you want to write about is fine. Don’t feel compelled to tie your essay into your area of academic interest. The essay is where you should show a bit of what makes you who you are – if your topic will do that for you then great, if not then find another topic. I remember reading a couple of years ago a person who got into a a number of Ivy schools wrote about shopping at Costco, my S wrote about swimming so there are many ways you can go.

Hey, I’m impressed! You speak five languages FLUENTLY. Honestly, there is a shortage of even bilingual people in our country and I am betting that this sets you apart from your typical pre-med. Languages reflect culture and I bet you have a better-than-average grasp of many aspects of the humanities. Plus I am curious about how you came to accomplish this!

So sure, this could be an interesting perspective for your essay. Can you zoom in on some key event in your life where this would be reflected? If you haven’t read the online booklet “Hack the College Essay,” look it up and see if it can help you get started.

Good luck!

The goal of your essay isn’t a laundry list or even a sideways reference to your ECs or hobbies. List those in your activities. If you have a few more specifics (like listing the languages you’ve learned) that you can concisely bullet, use the additional info section for that. The essay is to give them a revealing look at your personality and to make them want you on campus.

@happy1 that’s awesome, thanks!

@bobo44 thank you so much! I guess I didn’t learn all the languages I know on my own time (I learned Spanish and French in school) but the other 3 languages I know are tied to my culture, and I started learning them when I was 4 or 5. The other two I am learning are German and Italian, just because I want to know a few Romance languages. I want to learn a lot of European languages because one of my dreams is to travel Europe (I’m the explorer type). And thanks, I’ll check up on that book. I really want to show this passion I have in my essays because I want to travel to other countries and help people out there. It’s a part of who I am. Can’t show my caring nature without communicating to them in their language.

@intparent can I incorporate one of my passions into something I want to pursue as a career in the future in my essays? Maybe just 1?

I don’t have a guess about whether you should write about your FL or not (because you could do this in a way that add to your app or you could do this in a way that makes the colleges think “so what?”) but from your questions I’m guessing that you’re still looking at the app from only your point of view.

The app really isn’t about what you love or want. Seriously. It’s your way to showcase what you offer so that you demonstrate to the colleges that you have what they want. Stop and think about how that is different because it’s a big, huge deal and can be the reason you are admitted to top selectives or not.

The colleges aren’t looking at your app to see what you love and want. They’re reviewing the app to see if you show the things they are looking for. Very, very important difference.

Instead of approaching your app from the standpoint of - here’s what I love and who I am, turn your approach around. Figure out what each of your college targets is looking for. Once you know what those colleges are looking for, write your essays to show which of those characteristics you have.

You can mention your activities IF they are part of a specific story you are telling. But I feel like you don’t really understand the point of the essay.

I think that if you make it to medical school and if you maintain fluency in multiple languages then you will certainly merge your language hobby with your vocation. There is no way to avoid using the other language in medicine nowadays especially in larger cities and in training programs (med school and residency). There are probably a lot of opportunities in medicine that would be open to you about which you are unaware. I would think about connecting those dots between languages and medicine in your essay.

In regard to the idea that you need to sell yourself to a college in order to satisfy their needs - I strongly disagree with that unless you are grubbing to get into a selective school and just want to tell them what they want to hear. A college should suit your needs first. If you have passions, talent and goals then a reasonable college should want you.

Milee is right. (So are others.)

Btw, lots of kids from certain parts of the world, certain cultures, speak multiple languages. It is no tip. Every year, we get threads asking if it is.

And the whole biz rests a lot on, “Show, not just tell.” What will it show if you “incorporate one of my passions into something I want to pursue as a career in the future in my essays?” In fact, they are far less interested in your post college career plans than in what you contribute to the college community, during the four years. If you make this all about your career, it can backfire.

So Iagree with intparent and milee that you really don’t seem to now yet what does matter to these colleges. Back to the drawing board. Spend time learning more about your targets, what they value and look for. Never forget, you choose the targets to apply to. But they choose the kids to admit.

“In regard to the idea that you need to sell yourself to a college in order to satisfy their needs - I strongly disagree with that unless you are grubbing to get into a selective school and just want to tell them what they want to hear. A college should suit your needs first. If you have passions, talent and goals then a reasonable college should want you.”

Before I started researching how the college admissions process at selective colleges work, I would have agreed with this 100%. The more I learn about how inequitably the opportunities and knowledge are distributed, I’ve changed how I feel.

As an adult, when we apply to a job, we first read the job posting and description. Most companies do a reasonable job of listing clearly and in detail what they are looking for - how many years experience, what skill sets, education, training, responsibilities. Smart job seekers then make sure if they have those things that they are clearly listed on the resume or app they submit so that the company knows they are a match. That’s not job grubbing, that’s just how good employees get hired, by showing they match.

College applicants are expected to have the wisdom to do the same thing but much of what the colleges are looking for is a proprietary secret. Some colleges are even deliberately vague or flat out lie about how important various things are. Wealthy kids or other kids who happen to attend a school with excellent guidance counseling get help from adults in discovering what colleges are looking for and how to edit their app to show those things. The rest of the kids are supposed to first off know that colleges are looking for specific things beyond grades and stats and then have the ability to research and find out what those things are, making sure they show those things on their app. Very hit or miss. Some of the things that HS students think are impressive or show important things about them are actually counter to what colleges want; the kids who get decent GC, pay for help or (rare) are advanced and experienced enough to know can put together an app that has a chance; the rest of the kids - who may be just as qualified, have just as many of the attributes colleges are looking for - are out of luck.

I’m trying to level the playing field a little by trying to distribute information. It shouldn’t just be the wealthy, connected and few really advanced kids who stumble onto the clues of how this all works.

OP previously mentioned being interested in some mighty competitive colleges. If she doesn’t present what they need to see, there will be thousands of others who do.

No kid needs to know down to the details of how adcoms converse or decide exactly among similar candidates. Plenty of wealthy kids with great GCs don’t get the basics. Those GCs don’t go to bat for every kid who wants colleges x and y.

One can almost guess the basics, lol, if a kid stops and thinks about the targets. Eg, that for “highly” or “most” competitive colleges, you need your academic performance to include appropriate rigor and your grades/scores need to be tops. A range of ECs related to your potential major, especially those that show the skills and thinking that major needs. The interpersonal skills and an open mind, risk tolerance and the ability to adapt to the particular college environment. And that you can handle the streses. A lot of kids don’t get that far, in matching themselves.

I went back and OP, you need to realize that, for stem, you have consistent B grades in math and sci classes and the limited ECs. The “curious nature” and language skills/interest won’t overcome that. You can choose to try reachy colleges anyway. But please do have safeties and true matches and why those are better chance targets.

@lookingforward I narrowed down my list to two reaches only, one for which I’m applying ED. I understand my grades are subpar and I’m not making up for them in my essays. Just want to clarify that. My original question for this post for a question solely based on my essays, not my grades. Thank you for your help nevertheless, I will check up on what the colleges are looking for in essays alone and work to their standard.

Thank you all for your advice as well, I can see where I’m faulty now.

No…, I think you are still missing the point. I think most of the top colleges are looking for something similar in the essay. They want sparky, interested, interesting students. They want to hear a story that makes them want you on campus. They want students capable of introspection and growth. They want to see your personality.

@intparent

“You can mention your activities IF they are part of a specific story you are telling. But I feel like you don’t really understand the point of the essay.”

I thought you meant that I should only mention it if I have a specific story. If I don’t understand, can you please explain what I need to do again? Sorry if I’m asking you to spell it out if you can’t.

The one that makes for the best story and reveals something meaningful about yourself. Like others have alluded to, this doesn’t have to be an academic interest, but something that makes people think “wow I want this kid on campus.”