A Story You Won’t Forget

November 8, 2024
by Mason

Admissions

College admissions can be stressful, in fact when I think back about my high school years I can say without a doubt that the college search and application process was one of my most stressful moments. One of the hardest parts about it, at least for me, was the sheer number of people telling me different things to focus my energy and attention towards. I had my parents whom I desperately wanted to make proud, my older sister who was already succeeding in college, high school ‘college counselors’ who thought I shouldn’t tunnel vision my aspirations solely on occupational therapy, and of course all of those supposed “admission experts” on youtube describing ground breaking news on how to get into a top school. Everyone always had something to say, some magical advice, and having to sift through all of it was exhausting. College applications often force you to define yourself in a few short pages, and I for one was often left feeling inadequate putting my whole life down on a page.

A little about me, I had the privilege of earning a paid work study job at USC’s Office of Admissions. There I served as a student ambassador and tour guide for all 4 years of my undergraduate education. There were many great benefits and takeaways from my experience in the position, but for the sake of staying on topic I will stick to what’s relevant. Across my years in the role I was able to work directly under several fantastic admissions counselors who not only acted as my bosses and mentors, but also openly shared with me an honest window into the college admissions process at USC. My supervisors were some of a large number of USC counselors who directly read applications and played a key role in the admissions process. I cannot speak for other universities, but I think the most interesting thing I realized throughout my time learning from them is how human the college application process really is. When you are in high school and applying to these big trailblazing universities it’s easy to forget that at the end of the day there is a human being reading your application. A real person who feels, empathizes, and hopes to connect with each and every student they learn about. When any of my co-workers or myself would ask our supervisors what is the best advice we should give to prospective USC students on an application or college essay, they would always tell us the same thing:

Tell us a story we won’t forget.

So what is my magical advice you might ask? What secret golden ticket am I offering to you today. The best advice I can give to anyone about applying to USC or any college for that matter, is to be your most honest and authentic self. It’s so easy to get swept up in the narrative of trying to make yourself into a person that college’s “want” to see. Whether it be through the extracurriculars you engage in, the classes you take, or the essay you use to paint a picture of yourself, let your true narrative and story guide your application. If you take the time to create something that reflects the beauty and passion of your unique human experience I guarantee you it will stick with a person better than trying to model some unattainable paradigm.

My favorite thing about occupational therapy is that each and every patient you see has a different story, a different meaning that they derive from the activities that fill their life. Let your meaning shine through your work, and always remember that there is never just one path to your future goals. If the first path you choose closes, take a deep breath and head down the next one that comes your way.

That’s all for now, and Fight On!

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