My common app essay is a giant meme!

[Laura]

I'm not gonna pretend I'm a serious, introspective intellectual. My brain runs on TikTok brain rot and inside jokes with my friends.

So when I sat down to write my common app essay, everything that came out sounded like I was trying on my dad's suit – it just didn't fit. It was stiff, formal, and totally not me. Every sentence felt like a lie.

Then I had an idea. What if I just... didn't? What if I leaned into it? My essay is now about the concept of "lock-in culture" and how my friends and I accidentally created a study group that's basically a chaotic, snack-fueled support system.

It's funny, it's weird, and it actually shows how I build community without ever saying "I'm a leader" or "I value friendship." It just shows it through stories about all-nighters and dumb jokes.

I showed it to my English teacher and she laughed out loud, which felt like a win. But part of me is terrified that an admissions officer will read it and think I'm not taking this seriously enough. Can a common app essay be fun? Like, actually fun to read? Or does it need to be deep and profound? I'm betting on fun, but ask me again in March if I made the right call.

 

[Cler]

Laura thank you for saying this because I'm in the exact same boat. I write humorously. That's just my voice. Every time I try to be Serious and Academic it comes out sounding like a robot having a crisis.

I'm writing mine about the group chat that got me through sophomore year. Like yeah it's dumb memes and venting but it's also a genuine support system that kept multiple people from dropping out. That's real. That matters.

The thing is, colleges say they want authenticity but then their supplements are like "describe your intellectual journey through the lens of a specific text that shaped your worldview" like bro I'm 17 my worldview is shaped by tiktok and whatever my mom made for dinner.

Your essay sounds perfect. It shows who you actually are, not who you think they want you to be. And honestly? That's refreshing. If they reject you because you were too fun, that's not a school you'd wanna be at anyway. Good luck!!