The Role of Joy in Brainstorming for the Common App Essay
In this week’s blog post, I’d like to focus on the role of joy in brainstorming for the Common App personal statement. We'll explore how exploring moments of joy can enrich your narrative and offer a fresh perspective for admissions officers.
Traditional Approach: Overcoming Challenges
I have frequently told students to begin brainstorming for their personal statements by thinking of a time when they faced a challenge or were at a low point. Whether that low point stemmed from a personal or academic challenge didn’t really matter—growth comes from failures, and by examining times when we were failing or when failure seemed imminent, we can identify the ways we rose to the challenge, grew, and displayed resilience and character.
I give students this advice because it helps them start with a conflict to shape a compelling narrative arc in their essays. Conversely, if students began the brainstorming process by thinking about a victory or achievement, it becomes difficult to shape the story into a compelling narrative full of intrigue and tension. However, focusing solely on challenges can overlook really compelling aspects of a student's personality and experiences.
Incorporating Joy
While I still stand behind this approach, this year I am going to make a concerted effort to also urge students to think about joy. In addition to thinking about challenging moments they’ve experienced, I am going to counsel students to think about their most joyful moments—the moments when they felt fulfilled and fully engaged in the moment.
It’s important that students understand that this joy shouldn’t stem from an accomplishment like winning a championship. It needs to be the joy one feels in the course of doing a routine thing, such as running, reading, painting, or playing music. This joy-in-doing reminds me of a concept I love—the flow state.
Exploring the Flow State
Have you ever lost track of time while doing something you love? That’s the magic of the flow state. The flow state is a state of mind that occurs when a person is totally immersed in an activity. It happens when we’re in a state of total focus; we’re not worried or self-conscious. In a flow state, we can find ourselves so engaged in an activity that time passes differently. Hours can go by and it can feel like minutes. I like to challenge students to think of moments they have achieved an optimal flow state (and playing video games doesn’t count).
Think of those moments when time has flown by and time has stood still. What were you doing? What enabled you to get so engrossed and focused? What did you feel once you exited the flow state?
We best attain flow states when the difficulty of a task matches our skill at that task. If the task is too difficult we will become anxious; if it is too easy we will become bored.
Expert Insight
Jim Miller, the former Dean of Admissions at Brown University, gave a talk to prospective students and spoke about how the university prioritizes bringing in students who are very committed to activities and causes outside the classroom. One of the qualities the university looks for is a sense of joy and a sense of purpose in prospective students. He says: “What we want to do is bring in students who are very committed to stuff outside the classroom… It doesn’t matter what you do with your time as long as you do it with some sense of purpose and some sense of joy.”
Conclusion: Combining Struggles and Joy
So, even though it makes sense to think about your essay in terms of a narrative arc—conflict, rising action, climax, resolution—this is your reminder to also start the brainstorming process by finding the moments that bring you a sense of joy and a sense of purpose. Embrace both the highs and lows of your journey to create a compelling and authentic personal statement.