For some reason, when I meet students and talk with them about the application process, their biggest concern is the essay. Now don’t get me wrong, the essay is a significant part of the application, but it is not supposed to cause you to have a nervous breakdown. So let’s talk about this requirement.

At UMass Boston, we are looking for a 500 word essay (approximately one-page single-spaced) on an essay topic of your choice. On our Undergraduate Admissions website we list several different essay topics to help guide you. But keep in mind, we are trying to give you a suggestion that will allow you to open up and talk about yourself.

Think about this: when reviewing your application, most of the information is just numbers. Your transcript just allows me to calculate your GPA, and your SAT or ACT scores are a just another set of numbers. These numbers help us to understand how you are performing academically in comparison to our other applicants, but they don’t tell us your life story. Most of the applications that I read will belong to a student I have never met or even spoken to. How can I decide if you would be a good fit for our school if I don’t know anything about you? The essay is your opportunity to tell me about yourself.

If you were to sit down with me as I looked at your transcript and test scores, what would you want to tell me? Maybe you would tell me how difficult your Advance Placement AB Calculus course is, and although you have a D in the course, you are working harder and learning more from the challenge than you ever expected. Maybe you want to tell me how during your first two years of high school you didn’t much care about academics, but now you are realizing the benefits of an education and working to improve your GPA. Maybe you are interested in being a nurse and you want to tell me about what life changing experience inspired you to pursue a nursing degree.

Please take the time to tell me about yourself. This season I am sure that I will read a dozen essays about applicants’ grandmothers, and another handful about best friends. But sadly, I am not reviewing Nana, or your best friend, Lily. So please, please, please be sure to give me some insight into who you are through your essay. If you are a few words over or under on your word count, don’t worry. Just be sure to provide us with a clear and concise essay about you. And don’t forget to edit it! Make sure you have a friend, relative, or teacher read through it to check for typos or any confusing points.