I'm in the process of working on my college essays, and one of the prompts is to discuss 'What matters most to you and why'. I find it somewhat tough to put my thoughts together coherently. How would you approach this topic? Would love to hear any suggestions or tips!
Sure, it's a challenging question, but it's also a wonderful opportunity to share something profoundly personal about you.
When approaching this topic, here are a few tips to consider.
1. Reflect Deeply: Reflect on your values, aspirations, relationships, and experiences. What has had a meaningful impact on you or changed you as a person? It could be an aspect of your background, an influential person in your life, a hobby you are passionate about, or a cause that is important to you.
2. Write Authentically: Be genuine and write from your heart. This is not the time to tell the admissions committee what you think they want to hear. Instead, share what genuinely matters to you. Authenticity often resonates more with readers.
3. Consider the 'Why': The 'why' is as important as the 'what'. Once you've determined what matters most to you, make sure you spend ample time elaborating why it matters. This helps provide insight into your core values and demonstrates self-understanding.
4. Highlight Growth: If possible, show how this thing or aspect that matters most to you has provoked personal growth or development.
5. Connect to Future: If relevant, you can also hint at how this aspect will influence your future goals or how you plan to continue it in college and beyond.
As an example, say you are most passionate about environmental conservation. You could discuss how you've grown up doing weekend beach clean-ups with your family which shaped your commitment to sustainability. You could discuss why this matters—perhaps it's rooted in a deep respect for nature, a belief in our responsibility, or a concern for the future. You could share how your commitment has expanded over time to include leadership in school environmental clubs, petitioning for green local policies, or becoming a vegetarian. Finally, you can tie it to your future by discussing your goal to study environmental science or policy in college, or your dream to work in environmental advocacy.
Remember, there's no perfect answer to this except the one that best reflects you. Good luck!
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