Is it okay to write a sad college essay?

Finally, a “sob story” essay at its best only evokes genuine sympathy from the reader. While this can be positive because you want the admission officers to connect to your story, ultimately it won’t influence their admission decision. To be blunt, just because they feel bad for you, doesn’t mean they’ll accept you.

Do college essays have to be about trauma?

Traumatic or otherwise difficult experiences do NOT have to be off the table for your college application essays. They are legitimate subjects (depending on the essay prompt, of course; it has to make sense as a response to the particular question).

Can you write about death in a college essay?

To be sure, a college essay on the death of a parent or death in a family can have a positive impact on a student’s application. The gravity of these subjects makes them impactful, full of emotions, and very captivating for admissions officers, but only if they’re done right.

Can you lie in your college essay?

While writing your essay, there’s no need to stretch the truth. The essay is your chance to let your own voice come through your application: don’t waste it on lies. When it comes to the college essay, admissions committees have seen it all. The worst thing you can do is make up a story for your college essay.

Should you write about mental health in college essays?

All counselors interviewed for this piece agreed that students’ college essays should not be about their struggles with mental health. Vinik says that mental health problems should only be shared in the essay if the college would not be able to understand the applicant without knowing about this part of her.

Do sob stories work for college essays?

Sob stories by themselves don’t make strong essays for the common app, I’d say they probably do the exact opposite. However, it’s definitely possible to write a strong essay that includes a sob story. It’s all about how you frame the story for the reader.