What's a standout college essay? It's the one about you.

According to a recent New York Times article, students are cultivating summer experiences such as expensive internships or exotic travel experiences "with the goal of creating a standout personal statement." We couldn't disagree more with this "strategy"! Or, as a former admission officer on Robin Mamlet's staff at Stanford put it -- more colorfully --in an email to us, "YUCK.  That should be YUCK in all caps, bold, italics, the works. With many, many exclamation marks." If you ask college admission officers -- including College Admission coauthor Mamlet -- about the essays they find most memorable, overseas internships or travels abroad don't usually top the list. Mamlet remembers an essay about Tom Robbins' novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and another about why an applicant hated piano lessons.  Others recall essays about silverfish, babysitting a younger sister, astronomy, holiday rituals, the family's backyard chicken coop, repairing motorcycles, thrift store shopping for vintage clothing or family breakfasts. With the essay, colleges are trying to get to know you. So the topic is you. The "right" essay is one that reveals your true self, in your own voice -- whether you're talking about studying viruses, raising pigs in 4-H, or your collection of vinyl records.  For more good advice on writing your essay, check out Chapter 13, Essays, in our book.