Name: The rise of the "trauma essay" in college applications
Uploaded: 2023-04-07T14:57:25Z
Duration: 12 min 47 s
Description: As if college applications aren't stressful enough, disadvantaged youth are often encouraged to write about their darkest traumas in their admissions essays, creating a marketable story of resilience that turns "pain into progress," says politics student Tina Yong. She brings this harrowing norm to light, exploring its harms and offering a more equitable process for colleges everywhere.

As if college applications aren't stressful enough, disadvantaged youth are often encouraged to write about their darkest traumas in their admissions essays, creating a marketable story of resilience that turns "pain into progress," says politics student Tina Yong. She brings this harrowing norm to light, exploring its harms and offering a more equitable process for colleges everywhere.

The rise of the "trauma essay" in college applications

Many high school students feel pressured to share their deepest traumas in college application essays to appear resilient and deserving. A familiar tale—such as a child eating lunch alone to avoid ridicule over 'ethnic' food—gets repeated so often it loses its meaning, yet still earns acceptance letters. This norm places a heavy emotional burden on young applicants and can reinforce inequities in higher education. Real growth comes when students can tell their stories on their own terms, not for institutional approval.