What is Fit?
The concept of fit in general refers to whether or not the student and the institution are a good match. The specific factors that influence this concept greatly vary from one institution to the next. However, from my experience, the following characteristics are often cherished and in turn sought after: passion for knowledge, intellectual curiosity, collaboration, diversity, and creativity.
These characteristics are difficult to test for on an exam, so the part of the application where admission committees find this information is through the essay. A well-crafted essay is not only one that answers the question and follows the conventions of English grammar, syntax and construction, but one that also displays the student’s personality, level of critical thinking, thought processes, passions, interests, strengths and perhaps even their weaknesses.
I ask my students a series of questions to consider when brainstorming possible essay topics. The content the student chooses to write about is just as important as how it is written. In my opinion, the best essays are often those that take a risk. Admission officers are inundated with a deluge of essays that often deal with very similar topics, consequently leaving the reader bored. A boring essay is not going to work in the student’s favor, especially when there are thousands of students competing for a limited number of spots.
It’s never easy to take risks; that is the nature of risk taking, is it not? Taking a risk on your application essay can be quite a daunting challenge, especially in the high stakes admissions game. Confidence is required and confidence comes first from having a strong sense of self. How can one develop this sense of self? While there are many approaches, self-reflection is often at the core of any method. I ask my students another series of questions to help them define this sense of self, as developed by Eric J. Furda, Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.
The questions are as follows:
Identity: How do you see yourself and how do others see you?
Intellect: How do you think and approach the acquisition of knowledge?
Ideas: What do you think and why?
Interests: What do you choose to do when you have the time and flexibility?
Inspiration: What really motivates you?
These characteristics are difficult to test for on an exam, so the part of the application where admission committees find this information is through the essay. A well-crafted essay is not only one that answers the question and follows the conventions of English grammar, syntax and construction, but one that also displays the student’s personality, level of critical thinking, thought processes, passions, interests, strengths and perhaps even their weaknesses.
I ask my students a series of questions to consider when brainstorming possible essay topics. The content the student chooses to write about is just as important as how it is written. In my opinion, the best essays are often those that take a risk. Admission officers are inundated with a deluge of essays that often deal with very similar topics, consequently leaving the reader bored. A boring essay is not going to work in the student’s favor, especially when there are thousands of students competing for a limited number of spots.
It’s never easy to take risks; that is the nature of risk taking, is it not? Taking a risk on your application essay can be quite a daunting challenge, especially in the high stakes admissions game. Confidence is required and confidence comes first from having a strong sense of self. How can one develop this sense of self? While there are many approaches, self-reflection is often at the core of any method. I ask my students another series of questions to help them define this sense of self, as developed by Eric J. Furda, Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.
The questions are as follows:
Identity: How do you see yourself and how do others see you?
Intellect: How do you think and approach the acquisition of knowledge?
Ideas: What do you think and why?
Interests: What do you choose to do when you have the time and flexibility?
Inspiration: What really motivates you?