Here at North Allegheny, most students complete the Common Application essay, also known as the personal statement, at the end of their junior year. As college application season inches closer to the end, college-bound seniors have put the finishing touches on their essays, many of which cover quite unique topics.
Maddy Lemmon focused her statement on how her competitiveness in life stems from playing the board game Trouble when she was younger.
“Every time I lost I’d get really upset,” Lemmon said. “It basically shaped me into who I am today. I’m still the same way.”
Rather than writing about a personal experience, Caroline Baker stressed her empathy for pigeons. Baker wrote about how humans domesticated pigeons to be messengers, then abandoned them because there was no longer a need.
“It makes me really sad. They just exist now and have nothing to do and nowhere to go. It feels really poetic,” Baker said.
Jackson Beemer routinely plays ping-pong with his sister every night, a subject he chose to write about. For Beemer, the playing of a simple game with his sister has helped him to develop his real-world skills.
“These games of ping-pong have given me many life lessons, especially communication. They have improved my skills in talking to people,” Beemer explained.
Zahra Abubcar discussed her experiences as a first-generation American in her family.
“Being the first in my family has shaped me into who I am today,” Abubcar explained. “I have had ups and downs, but it is who I am today.”
Rather than focusing on one specific occurrence, Layton Wright wrote about what he is thankful for — more specifically, being thankful for his grandfather.
“He has done so much for me, he has supported me, and he has always been there for me. He has had such a big impact on my life,” Wright said.
For Gabbie Ibrahim, an everyday object suggested itself as the perfect topic for her college application essay. Ibrahim discussed how mascara represents her interest in exploring her cultural identity.
“I used it as a metaphor for finding out more about my culture throughout my childhood. Cultural identity is one of the biggest aspects of who I am,” said Ibrahim. “I also really like mascara. Writing it took a lot of trial and error.”
While the college application process can seem mundane, personal statements are an aspect that allows students’ creativity to run wild. The question now is whether these essays are enough to sway college admissions officers.
