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Stand out. Get in.
Prompt has spent thousands of hours researching and talking to college admissions offices on what they look for in amazing applicants. What we found transformed our approach and pedagogy. So what do colleges look for? There are five key traits. Here is the fourth: drive.
You can learn a lot about a person by finding out what drives them and what impact they’ve achieved as a result of their efforts.
I’ve worked with hundreds of students through Prompt, and “driven” is the attribute I hear students use most often to describe themselves, which is not at all surprising! Unmotivated students rarely apply for competitive schools, and even fewer seek out help to push themselves to write the best essay they’re capable of writing.
However, this shouldn’t discourage you from using “drive” as the theme of your essay. Some of the most powerful and moving essays I’ve read come from students who have challenged themselves to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, and no two of these stories, once fully developed, are exactly alike.
To get started, it’s helpful to define the word “drive” as it pertains to college admissions essays. A person who is driven might:
Whether you’ve always been driven or this characteristic grew over time, examples that illustrate this trait often make great personal statements.
When developing your essay’s theme, I’ve found it’s helpful to think of a personal statement as a story that makes an argument. Admissions readers want to understand how you’ve prepared yourself for the rigors of college and how you might contribute positively to their campus, and a simple “I’m a very driven and determined person” is not enough to convince them.
You need to provide concrete evidence to back up your claim. To do this, you need to break your determination down into its respective parts. Readers need to understand:
When narrowing down compelling stories, it’s often easiest to start by thinking about the obstacles you’ve faced. However, it’s a mistake to assume that your challenges have to be dramatic to tell a compelling story. Just because you’ve never climbed Everest or saved a baby from a fire doesn’t mean you’re not driven.
Furthermore, you should never feel forced to tell a story that you’re uncomfortable sharing with strangers, and stories about suffering alone do not make a compelling argument. I see many first drafts that spend a lot of time discussing hardships, and overly detailed accounts of this suffering can crowd out the details that prove your determination.
An element often overlooked in stories about “drive” is the source of your motivation, which looks different for everyone. I often encourage students to incorporate one of the other five traits like initiative (wanting to solve a systemic problem) or contribution (wanting to build and improve your community). However, it may be as simple as wanting to gain knowledge about a subject you’re passionate about or to improve yourself or your circumstances.
Whatever motivates you to tackle challenges head-on, it’s important to be true to yourself. The best way to create a connection with your reader is to be honest about your setbacks and successes.
Finally, sit with your experiences and reflect on who you were before and how you were different afterward. Examine the impact of your experiences not only in terms of achievements but also in the skills and passions you developed along the way.
If all you needed to write about were your achievements, a resume could do the job. Your essay is your opportunity to share the journey that led to your proudest moments and how these achievements changed you. This insight is often what tips the balance for readers making tough decisions about who to invite to their campus.
Check out our series on the five traits colleges look for, a deep dive into each trait and how you can know you possess it!
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