Lost on personal statement...

College Essays
1

I’m looking at these common app prompts and I just feel so lost. I’ve spent the last few days self-reflecting and I realized how pathetic I am.

I try to think of something that’s important to me, I can’t remember anything. I think about one of my traits that define me so I can start from there and all I can think about is how incompetent I am: i’m lazy, irresponsible, unmotivated; I never follow one thing for a long time, always switch from one “interest” for a few months to a new one later.

I was looking at some past CC posts, and one person mentioned taking a few minutes to write down any ideas that come to mind for topics: my paper stayed blank.

I ask myself why any college would want someone like me on a campus, let alone the selective, t20 colleges I was thinking of applying to. I feel like a failure who doesn’t deserve to apply to these selective colleges. Yeah my grades are high, I’ve done nice science-y stuff, and won some awards like a ton of other asians, but inside I’m a complete loser who only does things because other people have done it, and doesn’t like anything.

I’m not quite sure where to go from here, because I just can’t bring myself to write anything positive about myself without feeling extremely fake.

2

ask 5 teachers in school to think of 5 words to describe you. You will find a common theme. What extra curriculars do you do? what do you do when you are stressed?

3

has your laziness every gotten you into trouble? Was there any personal growth from it? If you are a good student, but “lazy and unmotivated”, I think you could write about how you have “overcome” the pressure to be perfect and have been successful by being true to yourself.

4

After reading your OP, I took a look at some of your other posts.

You certainly don’t sound like a “complete loser” to me. Not with the grades and schools you’re looking at. You sound to me like a normal, but bright kid. Kids who are as lazy as you describe don’t take Calc B/C as juniors. And switching from one interest to another is totally normal; it’s part of discerning who you are and who you will be.

Don’t be so hard on yourself, OK?

Why don’t you and other like-minded friends do each other a favor? Each of you come up with ideas for each other’s essays. "Remember the time…"stuff. I bet you have a much easier time with topics for your friends, and they’ll have a much easier time with yours. It will get you started.