Getting into Harvard may be a lot simpler than you think! According to AdmitSee, a start-up that allows incoming college students to share their application data with other students, depressing essay topics are the way to go if you’ve got your sights set on the Harvard Crimson.
Interestingly, the opposite is true if you’d prefer to be a Stanford Tree. Students admitted to Stanford were more often used words like “happy,” “passion,” “better” and “improve.” On the other hand, those admitted to Harvard used words like “cancer,” “difficult,” “hard” and “tough” to describe their life experiences.
Before you jump to the conclusion that Harvard is a more depressing place than Stanford, it turns out that the reason for the difference in the essays’ tone highlights what each school looks for in its applicants. “Extrapolating from this qualitative data, it seems like Stanford is more interested in the student’s personality, while Harvard appears to be more interested in the student’s track record of accomplishment,” Stephanie Shyu, co-founder of AdmitSee, told Fast Company.
Tailoring your essay to what you think each school is looking for in its applicants is your best bet when trying to maximize your essay. It turns out the schools like Brown want to hear about volunteer work while schools like University of Pennsylvania and Cornell want to hear about career aspirations.
This actually makes a lot of sense when you think about students trying to find a college that fits their personality. Sounds like a great thing for soon-to-be collegiettes to try when they apply to schools.