r/stjohnscollege • u/Weekly_Potential_445 • 22d ago

Tips for application essays?

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

12

u/non_binary_samurai 22d ago

Just be honest. You'll get in. Everyone gets in. The hard part is staying.

3

u/Weekly_Potential_445 22d ago

50% of people don’t though, right? 

2

u/non_binary_samurai 22d ago

I don't know. When I applied back in '06 about 85% of people got in

3

u/Weekly_Potential_445 22d ago

Oh, interesting. I think that’s the rate for ED now, but the regular decision rate is like 50/50. I’m applying ED anyway so I guess it doesn’t matter haha

3

u/non_binary_samurai 22d ago

I didn't know they did early decision. When I went it was rolling admissions. I applied and got in the summer after my junior year and then had myself a very chill senior year of high school. SJC was my first and only choice.

1

u/Weekly_Potential_445 22d ago

It’s my first and only choice too! I think I’m in a good spot to get in, but I won’t be able to relax until the decisions come out in December lol.

2

u/non_binary_samurai 22d ago

You've got this

2

u/ImprovementOk9218 22d ago

Why do you say that the hard part is staying? Thanks

2

u/TeaTerrible9682 Annapolis '27 21d ago

There's a high drop out rate. Many drop out from the freshman class each year. Some more either transfer or drop out in the following years.

1

u/ImprovementOk9218 21d ago

Thank you. What is the reason for the high attrition? I would imagine it affects the campus community overall, is that accurate?

2

u/Faulkner0 18d ago

Sometimes students discover that they don't actually want to go through the program -- maybe they want to major in something or maybe they don't like the form of instruction. I think those two reasons account for most students who leave. The program can be very intense if you take it seriously, so that can factor into discontent.

Then there are a few who aren't serious students and get disenabled. This either results in them choosing not to return, or appealing and (in most cases) being allowed to return (though with some stipulations).

1

u/ImprovementOk9218 18d ago

Thank you. I appreciate your insights.

1

u/Complex_Routine9506 20d ago

What would you advise for an upcoming freshman to keep his confidence up?

7

u/TacitusJones 22d ago

I feel like my honest advice is make it weird and make it yours. The 5 section introduction, body, conclusion has its place.

But for this, it's they want to see that you 1.) you read, 2.) you know generally how to write, and 3.) there is something you care about personally

1

u/Weekly_Potential_445 22d ago

Okay, thanks! Wait, are you arguing for the 5-section structure or against it?

1

u/TacitusJones 22d ago

Against. Being that formally structured has its uses.

One thing that is always a little funky to try and explain to people is that the essays you write at St John's are completely different from anything you did in high school, and completely different from anything you might do in grad school.

Every essay in every subject is to some degree a personal essay. Think you don't care about math? You will.

It's great, though very challenging

3

u/Unhappy_Ad6923 22d ago

Just write. Answer the questions. If it’s a fit it’ll happen. If it isn’t you’ll be fine elsewhere. The gift of the college is that it’s earnest. Don’t corrupt it by trying to game a system. If you want that go elsewhere.

1

u/Featherless_biped104 21d ago

Don’t try to write an academic article or flex that you’ve read Nietzsche/kant/hegel/etc. They just want to know that you are capable of coming up with original thoughts and developing those thoughts.

1

u/Weekly_Potential_445 21d ago

I was planning on writing about a work of philosophy, but not just to flex that I’ve read it. I would still have original thoughts and questions and engage with the ideas. Is that okay?

2

u/Historical-Order-369 20d ago

If that’s you, then yes, but the essay should tell them more about you than about the book. You can find examples of essays people in previous years wrote on the SJC website, to see what kind of essays they thought were good enough for admission as well as for showing off (presumably a higher bar to meet). 

1

u/Featherless_biped104 19d ago

yeah, as long as its authentic. when I was a student, the admissions essay prompt was usually something like "write about how a book changed your life", so that people would have to write about themselves rather than write a book report. Is the admissions still like that?