What personal traits should I focus on in my college essay?

You’re not alone—many applicants get stuck choosing which qualities to highlight, especially since words like 'hard-working' or 'empathetic' show up in nearly every essay. The key is choosing traits that are authentic to you and demonstrated through specific stories, especially if they’re not the typical qualities people expect.

One useful approach is to look for connections among your interests. You mention robotics, theater, and volunteering at an animal shelter. While these sound unrelated, dig deeper: do they all activate a certain quality? Maybe you’re someone who thrives on creative problem-solving—figuring out solutions during a theater production or inventing something for robotics, or adapting at the animal shelter when things get chaotic. Or maybe the common thread is resourcefulness, collaboration, or finding joy in helping out in unexpected ways.

Don’t feel pressure to be quirky just for the sake of it. If there’s a trait that’s less obvious but genuinely central to who you are, that can stand out more. For example, a student wrote about 'curiosity' through their rabbit hole research into musical sound effects for both stage and robotics competitions. Another focused on 'adaptability,' telling a story about organizing a robotics showcase at the animal shelter to raise adoption rates—a vivid, personal example unique to their life.

To pick your traits:
1. Look for patterns—what kind of roles do you naturally take in teams? When did you feel most proud or challenged in your activities?
2. Consider how you react in moments of conflict or change. The way you handled a tricky tech malfunction before a theater show, for example, could reveal leadership or composure under pressure.
3. Bounce ideas off friends or mentors. Ask them what they see as your defining strengths. Sometimes their answers are more honest than our own.

Whatever you choose, make your trait come alive through a story. Rather than say 'I’m responsible,' show the admissions reader a moment when no one else wanted to organize a shelter fundraiser, and the messy, hilarious steps you took to make it happen. This approach feels real and relatable—and that’s often what stands out most.