Oh, the horror!

You’re trying to write your college essay about perfectionism. But, here’s the thing: you are being perfectionistic about it…

This. Very. Instant!

Make no mistake. We’re not mocking you (Well, maybe just a little fun jab here and there.) We’re sympathizing because we know the pain. Trust us: we’ve been in the college admissions essay editing and consulting business for quite a while. Perfectionism is so, so normal! Here’s the cool part. Most people who write their college essays about perfectionism miss the mark.

Why?

Well, their perfectionistic minds are so focused on avoiding mistakes that they can’t see the forest for the trees!

So, this article will help you write a college essay about perfectionism that doesn’t suck. Of course, if you’re worried about writing it properly, consider speaking with our consultants for a free review!

Anyway, with all that said, let’s get right to it! Here’s how to write a college essay about perfectionism that doesn’t suck!

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Table of Contents

How to Write Your College Essay About Perfectionism.
Example College Essay About Perfectionism That Worked.
FAQ

How to Write Your College Essay About Perfectionism.

There are five important points to consider before you start writing. We’ve listed them below.

Note: please don’t skip over any of these points. These details may seem insignificant; but, they play a crucial role in writing a college essay about perfectionism that doesn’t suck.

Recognize That Perfectionism is a Common But Powerful Topic.

Perfectionism is a common topic.

That’s it. There’s no debate on that. A lot of the competition will be covering perfectionism just like you; and, they’ll also describe how they overcame it with grit and determination.

However, perfectionism is also a very powerful topic to write about in your college application essays. You shouldn’t disregard the significance of this topic —especially since it has a lot of potential.

The power behind the perfectionism topic lies in the many angles you can talk about it from.

For one, there is the psychological element. Perfectionism can be understood as the mind’s way of avoiding negative emotions and using instant gratification to achieve that. It’s essentially your mind’s way of finding a coping mechanism for anxiety, whether that be the fear of failure, hard work, etc.

Then, there are the sociological elements surrounding perfectionism. Speaking socially, perfectionism is deemed as almost a natural part of everyday life. Yet, we’re also shamed into trying to “shake off” the perfectionism, as if that were so easy. This contradiction between understanding and flippant disregard makes procrastination tricky to navigate. And, depicting this strange sociological dynamic with it can make for a fascinating topic.

Let’s not forget the emotional elements. Consider how perfectionism feels. Hint: it’s not good. It’s a constant state of dread, where your mind refuses to do the work needed to alleviate stress. It’s a state of irrational frustration at yourself, and at why you can’t just “do what you tell yourself to do because it can never truly reach perfection.” This can impact many elements of your life including how likely you’re to be trustworthy to fellow friends and peers.

There’s a lot to say about perfectionism. These are only but a few elements perfectionism impacts your life, and it’s not all there is to say!

Use Imagery and Strong Descriptions to Show What Perfectionism FEELS Like.

On the surface, perfectionism seems like a straightforward thing.

You want to do something. But, your mind puts it off. The task doesn’t get done.

Simple, right?

Well, not really. There’s quite a lot that goes beneath the surface. What most people see is people putting off work. Perfectionism looks like a student wanting everything to be proper. But, it can also manifest as wanting everything to be right so much so that they can’t bring themselves to start anything. They put off their work by eating a bag of Cheetos while scrolling through their phone. However, in their minds, there’s a hurricane of emotions swirling like a sea of chaos.

Perfectionism can involve avoiding pain because we don’t want to fall short of expectations. This avoidance is ripe with imagery and profound description. You just need to know how to talk about it to admissions officers.

Let your readers into your shoes. Show them what you feel by articulating what the feeling of perfectionism is like. Use strong imagery and don’t forget to make it as detailed as possible to ensure they know what it’s like from your perspective.

Tip: the most vivid experience of perfectionism involves procrastination, where you avoid the fear and pain of a task. For instance, we don’t want to finish homework because it’s displeasing to us; and, there are more pleasing tasks such as video games or short-form videos on YouTube. Use strong words and imagery to depict what this avoidance of pain is like. Perhaps your mind is conflicted because it wants to get the assignment over with, or it’s dissatisfied with avoiding the work. This puts you in a state of limbo. Explain what this conflicted experience feels like. Remember: the more abstract an emotion, the more powerfully you can describe it!

Have a Deeper Understanding of Where Your Perfectionism Psychologically Comes From.

While perfectionism can appear to be laziness, it’s not that simple.

On a deeper level, perfectionism comes from a place of pain avoidance. Sometimes, the task we need to complete is too inconvenient or troublesome to complete; so, we avoid it as a coping mechanism. Or, in a more complex manner, the task brings forth feelings of anxiety that make your mind want to avoid it. For instance, you may have been scolded by your parents for having less-than-perfect scores on your math homework. Your brain would therefore attempt to “protect you” by making you avoid the very task associated with those traumatic experiences.

Certain conditions are also on the table when it comes to writing a solid college essay about perfectionism. ADHD and Dyslexia can play a big role in perfectionism! For one, students with ADHD often seek more dopaminergic activities which makes them avoid menial tasks. They won’t do things unless they can achieve a 100% guaranteed success rate. So, they drift toward more satisfying tasks like games or movies.

These are only a few psychological elements behind perfectionism. Be sure to do your research thoroughly. Having a psychological understanding of your perfectionism grounds your college essay in empirical claims and reliability. It also helps readers understand your experiences much easier than with anecdotes alone.

Don’t Be Afraid of Being Unconventional.

You heard that right. Don’t be afraid of being unconventional when writing a college essay about perfectionism. Take risks. Be brave. Write out something unusual.

The topic of perfectionism is something a lot of people feel on a personal level. Just about everyone procrastinates; and, most people understand it as just laziness. So, try finding a different angle to depict the experience.

Ask yourself: what’s a perspective on perfectionism that most people have probably not considered?

Here’s an example.

Simple explanation

“I struggled with perfectionism all my life. For as long as I could remember, I was never satisfied with anything below a 100 percent. I would only accept the best of the best out of myself. So, it made me very self critical of myself. And, my mental health deteriorated as a result. But, I started to recognize that everyone makes mistakes. Now, I’m no longer perfectionistic.”

This example is straightforward. While comprehensible, there’s not much too profoundly unique about this perspective. It’s a view of perfectionism that everyone has.

Unconventional explanation

“Sometimes, perfectionism isn’t all that bad.

What’s the harm in trying to aim for better? I mean, why settle for less when I can get more? That’s what I tell myself when I’m contemplating what to order in front of the cash register. On one hand, an Earl Grey Milk tea coupled with waffle bites would be nice; but, what if there’s something better?!

Sounds reasonable, right? That is until a line starts to gather behind me and I need to pull out an answer fast as the lady up front scrunches her nose in a slightly irritated way —is she irritated? Maybe she’s not and I’m overthinking it. Or, maybe she is? If I don’t get the perfect order, she’ll just judge me more… gotta think of the perfect order— before I start to catastrophize the set of all possible permutations of orders.

Yeah, that’s perfectionism for you. It’s not freedom to pursue the best. It’s a prison. It’s a prison of indeciciveness and procrastiation that doens’t end.”

This perspective on perfectionism is unique and unconventional because it starts by recognizing that perfectionism can sometimes be a good thing. But, it also demonstrates that they’re not in favor it it later in the essay.

Perspectives that go against the grain like this work wonderfully in standing out amongst the rest of the admissions pool.

Also, notice how the writing style does not always have to follow conventional formal writing. In college essays, you are allowed to use stream-of-consciousness writing to make your story more interesting. But, this is only true for students applying for the undergrad level. Anything higher such as the Statement of Purpose (SOP) for Masters and PhD programs does not allow this.

Lastly: Don’t Forget to Check Your Grammar, Flow, and General Writing.

Yeah, yeah. It seems so obvious; but, it still needs to be said.

Don’t forget to check your grammar. Simple mistakes can make your essay look cheap, ineffective, and —ironically— like you wrote it at the last minute.

Additionally, check for the flow of your writing. If your sentences don’t have enough transition words or general smoothness to them, it’ll make your writing seem stiff. Plus, choppy writing can make it hard for your readers to follow along with your points. It will appear like your writing is jumping from one point to another without any relevant flow of information or thought process. This makes admissions officers more likely to skip over your writing.

Double-checking your writing is crucial here. And, when you’re writing a college essay about perfectionism, it certainly helps to show admissions officers that you’ve taken your time writing. Make it look polished. Don’t write like you scrambled at the last minute!

Example College Essay About Perfectionism That Worked.

This is an example of a college essay about perfectionism that was accepted for UCSD. While the UC essays are shorter (with a word limit of 350) there is A LOT more to say about perfectionism than just this. So, don’t think that this essay serves as a comprehensive deconstruction of the perfectionist experience. For, perfectionism is rife with mental stress, turmoil, psychological knots, and much more.

This essay just tries to take the more profoundly nuanced elements of perfectionism (such as overcoming it through emotional acceptance) and hammer it down into a concise 350-word essay.

“It’s good to be bad.

We hear it from cheesy romances all the time. The bad boy reluctantly working the diner job finally getting a break as he pulls up to his good-girl partner’s house in a new, polished Mustang as he takes a comically Hollywood-like drag from a cigarette. “It’s good to be bad,” he says with a smolder, while his partner sends a giggle in his general direction.

But, I’m not talking about that. I’m not one for muscle cars or gendered romance stereotypes.

This is more a philosophy.

Growing up, I was told by a lot of my peers, teachers, and even family members that I was a fast learner. Everything came easy to me. Well, it wasn’t just that; but, it was hammered into my head early in life that I should live up to the expectations that came with this. Perfection was key. And, not living up to those expectations was a sign of a bad life.

It led me to believe that everything I did had to be flawless. I could not accept anything other than that; it was like an arrow to my pride. And that pride, that fragile, delicate pride, was so easy to shatter with just a simple touch. I just couldn’t accept anything I saw as imperfect.

This inexorably led to a loss of opportunities: a self-sabotaging nightmare of thinking everything is beneath me, and therefore losing out on perfectly good experiences.

It wasn’t until I gave a real, hard look at myself in the mirror that I realized what was wrong. Perfection wasn’t the solution. It was the problem.

The solution was a failure.

As difficult as it was, I let go of perfection and embraced doing things poorly. I let myself join games of Chess knowing I was at a disadvantage. I tried spicy foods with friends knowing I couldn’t handle it as well as they could. I regularly went to the gym to become fit, rather than wait to be fit before being “ready” for the gym.

And, it was good.”
Successful UC San Diego Essay Example #1

FAQ

Below we’ve listed 3 of the most common questions we received regarding college essays about perfectionism.

Is Writing a College Essay About Perfectionism Too Cliche?

Sort of.

While some topics can be more common than others, that doesn’t make them cliche. Cliche comes from writing your college essay in the same manner as other people write. The topic can be the most common thing in the world. But, when written with a unique voice, it won’t be cliche at all.

Here’s an example.

“Yeah, yeah. Sports is nice, I guess. You shoot the ball in the air and if it lands in the hoop everyone goes nuts and the parents demand to get photos with you and you have to tell everyone how great it is because you shot the ball in said hoop as if they didn’t already just say that, even though you know that in about 3 days from now —3? maybe 2 if I’m lucky, actually…— they’ll forget about it and I’ll be back to my seat again contemplating why we needed to invent the periodic table of elements for people like myself to memorize.

I’m not sure. It’s weird, y’know. It’s not like I hate basketball. In fact, I actually really enjoy it. Though, it’s always felt strange because I think what it boils down to is that we get too much praise for shooting balls into hoops.

Well, no. I wouldn’t say that for others. In fact, I don’t think everyone else is wrong. Maybe, instead, it’s just a ‘me’ thing. That is, I’m just not all that used to receiving praise and compliments.”

Normally, people lose their minds over how overused sports topics are. This is especially true when students talk about making a big score while everyone claps. But, you can still make topics like these exciting! You just need to get creative.

Here, again, we implement a stream of consciousness to show some of the internal thoughts. This depicts the inner workings of someone receiving high praise for their performance in basketball. But, it takes an unusual turn into how they can’t receive compliments without feeling weird. This unusual twist of topic uses a generic topic like sports and funnels it into a fascinating self-assessment of the applicant’s struggles.

Remember: don’t rely on the topic to be unique; rather, attempt to make the topic unique using your writing skills.

What if Writing My College Essay About Perfectionism Sounds Cringey?

I recommend you check out my Reddit post on college essay cringe. You can find it in the link below.

Why Your College Essays Are “Cringe”: Advice From an Editor
byu/PenningPapers inApplyingToCollege

Will Writing About Overcoming Perfectionism/Making Mistakes Give Admissions Officers a Bad Impression?

Nope!

Let’s be frank: we all want to be perfect to some degree. You do it. Parents do it. Teachers do it. Friends do it. Pastors do it. Dogs do it. Even we do it (yes, we admit it. No one’s perfect here…)

It’s not about the topic of perfectionism giving a bad impression. Rather, it’s how you phrase the actual topic itself that makes the difference. If you only show the negative elements, it will give a bad impression. But, if you use perfectionism as a topic and show how you overcame it, it can work in your favor.

If you’re still struggling to write a solid college essay about perfectionism, don’t fret. We’re here to help! Schedule a free consultation with us, and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours! We’ve helped students like you get accepted into some of the best institutions in the nation including but not limited to UCLA, UCB, Cornell, Brown, UPenn, Duke, and more!

How to Write Your College Essay About Perfectionism + Example