If I am well known for anything when it comes to admission essays, it is for coining the term "McEssay". I used it quite some time ago in a piece I did for the college issue of US News and World Report.
The research I have been compiling recently has led me to
believe I need to update some of what I said there so let me start by quoting
my definition of what a McEssay is:
Ninety percent of the
applications I read contain what I call McEssays – usually five-paragraph
essays that consist primarily of abstractions and unsupported generalization.
They are technically correct in that they are organized and have the correct
sentence structure and spelling, but they are boring. Sort of like a Big Mac. I
have nothing against Big Macs, but the one I eat in Charlottesville is not
going to be fundamentally different from the one I eat in Paris, Peoria or Palm
Springs. I am not going to rave about the quality of a particular Big Mac. The
same can be said about the generic essay. If an essay starts out: “I have been
a member of the band and it has taught me leadership, perseverance and hard
work,” I can almost recite the rest of the essay without reading it. Each of
the three middle paragraphs gives a bit of support to an abstraction, and the
final paragraph restates what has already been said. A McEssay is not wrong,
but it is not going to be a positive factor in the admission decision. It will
not allow a student to stand out.
A student who uses vague abstractions
poured into a preset form will end up being interpreted as a vague series of
abstractions. A student who uses cliché becomes, in effect, a cliché. If we are
what we eat, we are also what we write.
I still believe that the many books on admission essays that
prescribe a template to create a great essay are often not all that helpful.
The 5-paragraph template is ok, but ok is not enough to get accepted to a
highly selective school.
On the other hand, I think what I have written might be
interpreted that I have something against the traits that I used as examples
that students often use: leadership, perseverance, and hard work. In fact,
these traits are often cited as critical to becoming a successful applicant. I
have nothing against the traits, only against them as being employed as vague
and unsubstantiated abstractions.
For example, I think perseverance is one of the great
dividers between people. And I am not alone. Virtually any scientifically based
study demonstrates that this trait often leads to success in the classroom, in
activities and in life. The issue is what exactly is perseverance. Rather than
go to dictionary.com I will instead give a test.
Psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania created the
test. For those of you who wish to see
if you actually embody the abstraction instead of mouthing a cliché, answer the
questions honestly.
******************************************************************************
12- Item Grit Scale
Directions for taking the Grit Scale: Please
respond to the following 12 items. Be honest – there are no right or wrong
answers!
1.
I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important challenge.
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
2. New ideas and
projects sometimes distract me from previous ones.*
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
3. My interests change
from year to year.*
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
4. Setbacks don’t
discourage me.
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
5. I have been obsessed
with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest.*
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
6. I am a hard worker.
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
7.
I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one.*
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
9. I finish whatever I
begin.
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
10.
I have achieved a goal that
took years of work.
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
11.
I become interested in new pursuits every few months.*
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
12. I am diligent.
q Very much like me
q Mostly like me
q Somewhat like me
q Not much like me
q Not like me at all
Scoring:
1.
For
questions 1, 4, 6, 9, 10 and 12 assign the following points: 5 = Very much like
me
4 = Mostly like me
3 = Somewhat like me
2 = Not much like me 1 = Not like
me at all
2.
For
questions 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 11 assign the following points: 1 = Very much like me
2
= Mostly like me
3 = Somewhat like me
4 = Not much like me 5 = Not like me at
all
Add
up all the points and divide by 12. The maximum score on this scale is 5
(extremely gritty), and the lowest scale on this scale is 1 (not at all
gritty).
Duckworth,
A.L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., & Kelly, D.R. (2007). Grit:
Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 9,
1087-1101.
*********************************************************
How did you do? If indeed you are a gritty person, then this is something you want to convey in your application. How? Recommendations should help, activities too. But the essay might be important too. In subsequent posts I hope to show you how.
Wow, Parke. You actually found a Grit Scale. So I wasn't dreaming when I wrote a few months ago (still unpublished, because it's pretty much a rant) about "grit" in the admissions Zeitgeist. Grit IS the Zeitgeist in highly-selective college admission. (I don't think I passed the Grit test myself . . . too ADHD!)
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