How personal should I get in the 'something you might not know about me' college essay prompt?

For the 'something you might not know about me' college essay prompt, finding the right level of personal detail is all about balance. Colleges include this prompt to get a glimpse of your personality, interests, or quirks—things that may not come through in your grades or test scores. It’s less about sharing your deepest secret or major life trauma and more about giving a snapshot of what makes you, well, you.

Quirky doesn’t mean random—instead, look for something that’s genuinely meaningful or reflects an authentic aspect of your life. Both of your ideas (the map collection or writing poetry) could work very well if you connect them to your perspective or development. For example, if you write about your poetry, you could share how it helps you process your emotions or how submitting a poem to a local contest pushed you outside your comfort zone. With the map collection, maybe you can tell a short story about what maps mean to you, or how they inspire you to set goals and dream bigger.

The key is to use the detail as a springboard to reveal what it says about how you think or what values you hold. For instance, someone once wrote about making perfect omelets for their family every Sunday—not because eggs are unique, but because it’s their way of showing care and experimenting with creativity.

You don’t have to make it super deep, but you do want admissions officers to remember you. Think of it like giving them a fun or memorable snapshot that hints at other interesting layers. So, it’s fine for your topic to be unique, but make sure it tells them something about your character, interests, or worldview.

In summary: Pick a detail that’s genuinely important to you, whether lighthearted or serious, and use it to showcase something about yourself that's hard to capture elsewhere in your application. Add a personal anecdote or reflection to help make it stick. Colleges just want a little color and insight into who you are beyond the stats!