Understanding the Impact of Trauma Essays in College Applications

The video discusses the pressure on students to write about personal traumas in college applications, highlighting the negative impact on students and the role of universities in perpetuating this trend. It critiques the expectation for students to turn their pain into a narrative of resilience and offers recommendations for universities to focus on students' future goals and interests instead. The speaker shares personal experiences and emphasizes the need for students to own their stories without being defined by their hardships.

What is the main reason the speaker dislikes their personal story?

• It is too long.

• It has been overused by others.

• It did not help them get into university.

• It is not true.

What does the speaker believe is a negative consequence of writing about trauma in college applications?

• It makes students appear less intelligent.

• It reinforces existing inequities in education.

• It leads to lower acceptance rates.

• It is not taken seriously by admissions officers.

According to the speaker, what is a problematic assumption about trauma essays?

• They are always therapeutic.

• They are easy to write.

• They are a learning opportunity.

• They are universally accepted.

What does the speaker suggest universities should do to address the issue of trauma essays?

• Encourage more trauma essays.

• Provide clearer admissions guidelines.

• Ignore the issue entirely.

• Only accept essays about academic achievements.

What does the speaker encourage students to remember when writing their college application essays?

• To use complex vocabulary.

• That they are more than their past traumas.

• To write about their most painful experiences.

• To focus solely on their academic achievements.