As seniors prepare to tell their stories to colleges, here’s a good way to break each tale down into what’s interesting. Think about the origin, the development, the pinnacle, and what’s next.
Origins answer this question: “How did all this start?” How did you first realize that you really liked math? What prompted you to choose the tuba as your instrument of choice? What teacher inspired you to learn more about the Civil War? Every story has a beginning. Don’t forget to include yours.
Development should specifically talk about what you did to learn, improve, or master this subject. I once worked with a student who wanted to be a sports broadcaster and talked about how, when he was in junior high school, he started calling the pro football games he’d watch on Sundays in his living room. He’d sit on the couch and pretend like he was the announcer, describing what he saw on the screen or giving his own commentary. He admitted he stumbled a lot in the beginning, but after practicing for so long, he could call an entire game without any awkward pauses. He could have jumped right to the part of the story where he was named the announcer of his high school football games. But that would have left out the part that showed just how hard he worked to develop this. Development is usually where the real passion is.
What’s your high point of this subject so far? That’s your pinnacle, and you should always mention it in your story. Pinnacles don’t have to be about victories or successes. They can also be about the part you enjoyed the most or are the most proud of. I worked with a student who wrote her essay about being the slowest member of her high school cross country team. But her pinnacle was being at the end-of-the-year banquet and knowing that she’d hung in there through every practice and every meet, never once stopping to walk. If it’s a high point for you, it’s probably a high point for the story.
And finally, most stories that are important to you inspire your reader or listener to wonder, “What’s next?” So answer that question for them. Whether you want to study math, be a sports announcer, or just run for fun and to keep in shape, let the college know where you plan on taking this story next. No need to make promises you don’t intend to keep. One of my former students wrote his essay about his job at a hamburger stand and he readily admitted to the college that he wouldn’t be taking his grill skills to the next level by making a career out of burgers and fries. But he promised to bring a spatula with him to college just in case any roommates needed a double cheeseburger deluxe to get through finals.
Origins, development, pinnacle, and what’s next—hit all of those, and you’ll be sharing the most interesting parts of your story.