So, I've been asked to write a roommate essay as part of my college application. I'm not sure how to approach it. What are some good topics and tips I should consider to ensure my essay stands out and is reflective of who I am? Thanks for any suggestions!
When writing a roommate essay, your goal is to showcase your personality and interests, and demonstrate why you would make a great roommate. Keep your essay genuine and relatable, as the admissions committee doesn't just want a rehashing of your academic achievements in this essay - they want to get a sense of how you'd take advantage of the residential college experience as a whole, not just in the classroom. Here are some tips and topic ideas for creating an engaging roommate essay:
1. Start strong: Make your first sentence an interesting hook that grabs your reader's attention. This could be a memorable anecdote about yourself or an unexpected fact that reveals something about your personality.
2. Share your interests and hobbies: Your roommate essay is an opportunity to discuss your passions and give your potential roommate an idea of how you spend your free time. You could mention activities related to academics, extracurriculars, community engagement, or even personal hobbies.
3. Discuss your daily routine: Explain how you usually structure your day, including tidbits such as your morning routine, afternoon study habits, and bedtime rituals. These details help admissions officers understand your living habits and get a glimpse of your day-to-day life.
4. Acknowledge your living habits: Be honest about your individual living habits, including whether you're a neat freak or more laid-back, early riser or night owl, introverted or extroverted. Be upfront about your quirks and potential challenges as a roommate, as humility is a trait colleges value, but also highlight your strengths and what you can bring to the living situation.
5. Inject some humor: Being witty and light-hearted can make your essay enjoyable to read and more memorable, which can help you stand out in the admissions process - college applications are quite dry by their nature, and this kind of essay presents a rare opportunity to lighten things up. However, be cautious of using humor that could be misinterpreted or offend your reader.
6. End on a positive note: Close your essay by expressing your excitement and enthusiasm for the opportunity to live on campus and create lasting memories with your future roommate. Include a personal message or invitation for them to relate to, to show that you're approachable and easygoing.
7. Utilize CollegeVine's resources: On CollegeVine's blog, you can find two different breakdowns (https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-stanford-university-essays and https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-harvard-university-essays/) of how to tackle this kind of essay, as Stanford and Harvard both have it as a supplement. If you want to know if your particular essay is working, you can also take advantage of CollegeVine's Free Peer Essay Review Tool, or submit your essay for a paid review by an expert college admissions advisor through CollegeVine's marketplace.
Finally, you should also consider asking your friends and family how well they feel your essay captures your essence. Because they know you well, they may be able to suggest some details you should include that you didn't think of yourself. Best of luck with your roommate essay!
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.