<p>^ Make yourself likeable in your essays. I remember at a UChicago campus tour event, an admissions officer showing a past essay that basically outlined the applicant’s wish to become a hermit. Needless to say, he didn’t get admitted. You aren’t entirely wrong when you say that you should appear sociable, but I think that showing your personal side is more important.</p>
<p>My D’s Common App essay began with the image of her dad waking her early on a Saturday by throwing a ball of socks to her face, then went on to detail their day together at a flea market/ outdoor fair. It was genuine, sweet, funny, profound, and (according to the admissions folks at her most-selective-college-of-choice) touching.</p>
<p>Such “little”, slice-of-life stories convey more than you think, and I believe colleges love them.</p>