Billions of people worldwide strive to “win” at life, whether that is to make a six-figure salary, write a hit single, or get that house or that car. And while trying to get that “win,” many sacrifice their friendships, their families, their lives. The truth is, life isn’t about winning. It’s about living.
I feel like for the schools I am applying to (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc) this kind of statement isn’t good. Because those schools don’t want a student who is content with just living life, they want the scientists who will cure cancer, the engineers who will build that rocket, that politician who will become President. People who want to and actively strive to win life.
Thoughts on that?
^First paragraph is the conclusion of my commonapp essay.
Do you not consider curing cancer “winning”? Becoming president isn’t “winning”? What makes those things better than writing a hit single?
Wait what
I’m not sure what you’re saying. I’m saying those things ARE winning. It’s just that in my essay I wrote that life isn’t about winning, it’s about living. I just feel that might make me seem complacent or without ambition.
Oh, okay. I gotcha now. Read too quickly and didn’t pick up on the shift in tone.
Well, it depends. I feel like the most selective schools look for the kinds of people for whom living is winning (not just by the standards you’ve mentioned, but in doing things that are generally impressive), lol. Like if you were to write an essay about how much you love the independent cancer research project you’re doing, just because of the sheer beauty of human physiology. And they also look for people who can live and win at the same time, for example, someone who is a national debate team champion, science fair champion several years in a row, and runs a small business but also makes time for their favorite hobby, cooking.