By Maddie Coate
Staff Writer
Arun Ponnusamy of Collegewise, a partner of a private College Counseling company, spoke to Mira Costa students and parents on Sept. 27 at an assembly called Page Turners in the Costa Auditorium.
Before becoming a partner at Collegewise, Ponnusamy was the assistant director of admissions at both University of Chicago and California Institute of Technology. He was also an admissions essay reader at UCLA.
“He gave advice from the perspective of an administrative officer so he can kind of explain what administrators are looking for when they are reading an essay,” Mira Costa College Counselor and organizer of Page Turners, Katherine Folkman, said. “It helps to tell the students what the colleges really want.”
While Ponnusamy discussed college application essays as a whole, his speech was centered on personal statements. Ponnusamy claimed that essays allow students to give insight as to who they are through writing about a pivotal life experience.
“One of the things I am constantly reminding students of is that this whole process is just good storytelling,” Ponnusamy said.
Ponnusamy also encouraged students to write about things they were enthusiastic about and to avoid subjects they felt pressured to write about to impress the admissions officer, such as community service or traveling abroad.
“It only makes sense to write about it if you enjoyed it,” Ponnusamy said. “If you didn’t enjoy writing, the admission reader won’t enjoy reading it.”
In addition, he advised students to ensure that the start of their statement is not boring or cliched because the admissions readers have most likely read hundreds of essays before. If their statement is not interesting, it is easy for it to be placed at the bottom of the pile.
“Having a speaker at school was a great opportunity and Ponnusamy was quite helpful,” senior Mackenzie Quinn said.
Ponnusamy cleared up some of the myths surrounding the personal statement, such as the necessity to write about a sad incident. He deterred students from writing about depressing events unless they were very meaningful and ended well with the student overcoming an obstacle.
“Generally speaking, you want to keep a more upbeat tone, you want to be the hero of your own story.” Ponnusamy said. “Don’t feel like you only want to talk about your weaknesses.”
Lastly, Ponnusamy suggested that students be aware of the due dates each college has for essays and personal statements. He also warned students about the dangers of starting the process too late.
“What I have noticed is that the kids who have taken the time to put together great college lists are the ones who are relaxed and prepared,” Ponnusamy said. “Waiting until the last minute is one of the worst ideas you can have in terms of your college essays.”
For many of the seniors who attended Page Turners, Ponnusamy provided helpful advice about college essays and personal statements.
“He was entertaining and had some really great insight about personal statements,” Quinn said. “It was really great hearing from someone who had read so many personal statements before.”
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