The time had come to change the Haverford College application essay question. We knew that we were dissatisfied—tired of reading the same old answers to the same old question. Students found our essay boring and restrictive. We did, too. Ours was a plain and unadorned question: Why do you want to go to college; and why do you particularly want to go to Haverford? Although it fit the honest, direct style of the College, it elicited deadly dull answers and a plethora of “additional essays” that students thought allowed them more creativity. They were right.

What we needed, then, was a straightforward question that was a bit more exciting. How could we expect varied and interesting essays if we insisted on being so restrictive? At the same time, we liked the notion that the question should somehow reflect the style of the College. The challenge was to ask a candid question that would still allow originality and variation in the answers.

What exactly do admissions officers want to know when they ask you to write the college essay? No matter which question, we are asking what is really important to you, who you are, and how you arrived where you are. The whole college application process is really a self-exploration, and the essay is a way to put your personal adventure into words. It is a summing-up, maybe a catharsis. You need not expose all of your innermost thoughts, but you must share some part of yourself.

We want you to be honest, genuine, and forthright. You could also be witty or clever, if you are skilled at humor. We want you to give a piece of yourself to the project; and we want you to grow in the process. The best essays shine with the personality of the writer and give depth and credibility to the person described in the application. This may be the first time you thought critically about your high school accomplishments, your motivation for a career, or the difficulty you experience with math. Perhaps you have never before articulated your feelings about the pain of leaving home, the love of a grandparent, or the joy of a religious experience. You need not cover every detail or aspect of your life; just a piece of your philosophy or a moment of your experience will do.

What if the question asks you to address something specific? What if you despise being any vegetable, or have no favorite person in the nineteenth century? How can you show your true self if the essay question seems to limit your expression? Keep in mind that the form of the question does not alter the fundamental challenge; we still want to know what is of real important to you. The metaphor really makes little difference. Some will be easier than others for you, but none should be impossible. Do answer the question that is asked, but gently take it in the direction you want it to go. We would like all essays to be as entertaining and enlightening as the ones in this book, but we are happy to have your best effort, no matter what your writing talent may be.

Finally, we who sit on admissions committees expect that you will have several issues or experiences that are important to you. Sometimes you are able to touch upon most or all in your essay; but other questions will limit your answer and force you to choose just one. Be assured that we know the limits of our own essay questions; our universal expectation is that you will do your best, in both form and content. If you have done self-exploration during the process of choosing colleges to which you will apply, then you should be able to generate a list of topics and ideas that are important to you. As you consider each college’s essay question, apply it to the ideas on your list and see which ones fit best.

Getting back to the question of The Question, we knew that we wanted to encourage genuine and honest responses about important matters in students’ lives. Like the students, we wanted our “personality” to manifest itself. Like Jeopardy! we needed the question after we found the answer. Although the solution eluded us far too long, the question, like the best essays, is simple and direct: We want to know you better. Please write a description of what you are like as a person. What could be easier? Or more difficult?