Why i trashed my common app essay and started over?

[Sonya]

I was so proud of myself. I finished my first draft two months early. It was about my volunteer trip to build houses. It had adversity, growth, the whole package.

I showed it to my older brother, who's a junior at NYU, and he just looked at me and said, "So... you're the guy who likes to help people? That's like 50,000 other applicants." Ouch. It stung because he was right. It wasn't me. It was a generic "good person" story that any thousand other kids could tell.

So, I did something drastic. I deleted the entire document. All 2,000 words of drafts and notes. It felt terrifying but also liberating, like cutting off hair that was totally dead anyway.

I started from scratch, but this time I didn't think about what admissions officers wanted to hear. I thought about what my friends would say about me at a party. They'd probably say I'm the guy who can find a connection between anything and a random movie quote.

So my new common app essay is about how I see the world through film references, and how that helps me connect with people. It's weirder, riskier, and so much more me. Moral of the story: sometimes your best work comes from burning the old one down.

 

[JoanaPhillips]

Here's the thing about Common App essays that nobody tells you: they're not looking for the best story. They're looking for the best STORYTELLER. Your volunteer trip might be impressive, but the way you connect movies to real life? That reveals your actual personality—your humor, your creativity, your emotional intelligence, your ability to find meaning in unexpected places.

My roommate got into Brown with an essay about her obsession with competitive eating documentaries and what they taught her about human resilience. WEIRD. Memorable. Authentic.

Your brother's comment about being "one of 50,000" was harsh but true. The kids who get into selective schools aren't necessarily the most accomplished—they're the ones admissions officers want to have coffee with. They're the ones who seem like they'd contribute something unique to campus conversations.

Your movie essay makes me want to have coffee with you. Your volunteer essay made me think "cool, another volunteer."