As deadlines loom, I have been working long hours with my high school and college seniors who have been writing their college essays and graduate school personal statements to include in their applications. Early Decision and Early Action applications were due for many by November 1st and The University of California schools have a deadline of November 30th. The UCs require four short essays of 350 words each and most other undergraduate colleges require a 650-word essay plus a supplemental essay of 250 – 300 words. The law school personal statement can range from 2 – 4 pages, which is also the case for most graduate school essays. So, there’s been a lot of writing going on over here.

I am happy to report that all is going well. My students have been working hard and I am proud of the writing they are producing. Each of their essays is a shining example of who that student is as a person. I tell them that the key to a successful essay is to write about something that only they can write, using experiences only they have had. I also say that I want them to write an essay that is so genuine that when they stumble upon it in an old box in the garage when they’re 70, they’ll say, “Aw, look at me at 17 or 22!” These essays range from self-discovery through ballroom dancing to lessons learned after experiencing an injury in a beloved sport to expressing creativity by cooking up favorite dishes and serving them to family and friends. They also explore feeling lost during quarantine and having to relearn how to be social, living through a family bankruptcy and learning new coping skills, and grieving the loss of a beloved grandparent while also facing the pressure of keeping grades up. These stories are as different as the students who write them and each demonstrates the willingness of the writer to push past their inhibitions and write as honestly as they can about something that matters uniquely to them. In short, each essay is a mini-masterpiece, full of heart, soul, and love.

Do I worry about if these essays are good enough to get my students into the best schools in the country? The answer is no. These essays will stand up against anybody else’s out there since we will make sure that each word is exactly the right one in a sentence that absolutely must be there. We will also cut, cut, cut until that piece is so taut that the words bounce on the page. In addition, we will make sure that there is a story in that essay that is told so true that readers will get a catch in their throats as they read it. In short, we will do our very best and then keep our fingers crossed. Knowing always there are many roads to the same place and sometimes another road will need to be taken. But in the meantime, we will do the work and see what happens.

I am feeling proud, happy, and hopeful. I am also grateful to get paid to do something I love so dearly. That is a gift all in itself.