Dreading with excitement the anticipated month of October, the college essay that every aspiring student understands, was approaching. I knew this essay had to be what showcased my aspiration and had to be exceptional. I wanted to craft an essay that truly reflected who I am as a person and established a personal connection with the reader. A copy of my essay is attached; alongside it, I have included background information explaining why I believed that context was important to include. Also, following the essay, I have added insights on how to perfect your essay and some tips that could be instrumental in securing your spot at your dream school!
Strawberry
“Fresa”, translates to strawberry in Spanish, or “basic girl”, in the Mexican culture. She’s the cheerleader with a long accumulation of extracurriculars. A fresa is one who loses her stem and falls into this “basic” cycle. While others, like me, embrace their agency and keep their stem so they’re eventually “smoothied” into the lives of others. I choose to be the strawberry that keeps her stem. Everyday I choose to wake up at 5am to make me, Chloe Ariana Jepsen, the best version of myself, for the nourishment of those I admire around the world.
Why I Chose the Strawberry Metaphor:
I am in a Spanish club that meets monthly to learn the cultural foods, slang, and popular songs found in a specific Spanish speaking country/region. This club is one of my favorites and I learned what “fresa” meant from the teacher.
Over the summer I was fortunate to attend a church event called FSY. There I had the privilege to meet many important figures and hear about things they thought were important. One of the speakers stuck out to me as he was describing how after picking strawberries, the strawberries that are cut to keep their stem last much longer than those without. He used this as a metaphor to explain it is important to grow your own testimony and faith in Christ before leaving your home and being alone because it is much harder to maintain it without having the prior stem.
I used these two things to tie my intro together, and quite frankly my whole essay. The smoothied idea was a silly thought that many thought was childish at first, but after they finished reading they felt it was a strong way to prove my identity.
- Don’t listen to what everyone says about your essay at first, take advice, but if you have a feeling go with it.
- I recommend journaling so you can remember those little impacts in your life that shape who you are, those are the interesting things that will captivate the reader.
My defining roots grow from my choice to make Chloe Ariana Jepsen my best friend, my biggest advocate, and the most realistically optimistic advisor I know. Choices I take and enhance throughout my life are the parts of me that ensure I am the author of my own identity. My identity strengthens the foundation for my deep desire to obtain knowledge, which is my stem. My admiration and passions are what amplify my grit and driven attitude. I learn for the sole purpose of making the world the most united and safe place for all whom I can reach. My stem is strengthened daily because I have worked hard to obtain a vast understanding on both secular and spiritual topics. This drove me to attend meetings with UNICEF to help children around the world, under the topic of digital literacy and media. Learning of the cultures and trials of the people that live in developing countries and not having the capability to make immediate change, compelled a deliberate shift in my life mission. Embracing my care for education, I will help educate the whole of humanity, and strengthen the roots of others around the world.
Trust Your Identity:
I chose to keep the strawberry theme, I didn’t want it to seem clichet so I took a simple way to present the strawberry, using words like “defining roots grow” that aren’t directly associated with a strawberry and they can be used in any context.
I made sure to use my full name, this is memorable, every email I sent to a college, business, professor, or internship organization I use my full name every time, this will be easier to remember, and find.
I made sure they knew I am not anything like my original definition of a “fresa”, I contradicted the original claim and strengthened my original personal thesis. Treat it like an essay and you’re the argument you need to prove.
Use words that prove you are writing your own story and that will help them know they will benefit from your presence at their school. Prove to them it is YOU that is needed at THEIR school.
Tell the college what has led to your drive and passion, then explain why you are different. This will keep them engaged and have the desire to get to know you. UNICEF is not the most impactful organization I have ever worked with, however it is very well known. I made sure to add in facts that are easily recognizable while also adding things that might make them question and have to look more into me. Establish your validity to prove you are capable, then use supporting facts that make you stand out.
My stem stands me strong, maintaining the choice of being my own best friend and advocate, leading to the outgrowth of my leaves, some being, “Mia figlia”. I choose to be me, but I also choose to embrace the change I encounter and seek to expand my horizons of people and places. I chose to flourish into a different version of myself, one who speaks Italian, cooks Italian, and chooses to become Italian within her heart. I fell in love with the psychology and sociology of the culture and differences between the people. I continually choose to be the daughter and friend of families around the world, including France, Canada, Italy, America, and many others I have met along my experiences. My leaves absorb the nutrients from my outside influences and allow for my expansion of character. My ability to transpire between invisible boundaries and borders proves the width of my leaves. I choose to place a smile on my face and a window into my heart to establish trust within others. With the ambition to strengthen their desire to help grow the change needed for unity and global contentment.
Show You Are Someone to Remember:
Colleges can see your grades, they can see the classes you have taken, and they can see your extra curriculars. Prove you have changed and grown and lived. They don’t want an A+ book worm that has not lived, but they also don’t want a rude video game fanatic. If that is your identity that is fine, don’t change yourself for an essay, write the truth, but make your truth look like something that will change someone’s life and build passion.
Make it clear that you are you because you want to be you. Being unique makes you stand out in a pile of applications. Everyone is unique, make your essay prove why you are unique and showcase what truly makes you get out of bed every morning.
My identity, my strawberry, is the unwavering effort to choose to be me, the consistent adaptation and learning for those around me. The choice to maintain my identity of who I am. I am a sister, I am a daughter, I am a changemaker, I am an advocate, I am passionate, and I continue to hold onto my stems and roots. Most importantly I wake up everyday at 5am to embrace my agency to be my own truest best friend. I am not a “fresa”, I am Chloe Ariana Jepsen, an optimistic vanguard for the people around the world, with ideas for change and the heart to be “smoothied” positively into the lives of those around me.
I re-worded my intro, and this time I showed all of the other things I am, the things that make me human, the things that show my personal character. This is important because you need to seem human, you need to have emotion and true connection with the writer. The last thing they read they will remember the most, make it strong, make it memorable, make it show emotion and character.
AI tips:
AI is okay!
Granted this is entirely an opinion.
I am not going to tell anyone, ever, that they have to or can not use AI. That is entirely a choice and honestly a decision of morals. However I will say use of AI in a college essay can be very beneficial if used correctly.
DO NOT tell AI about who you are and have them write the essay!
DO NOT copy and paste your essay and have AI rewrite it!
DO NOT have AI write any portion of your essay, even just a sentence!
DO ask AI for ideas of prompts you could follow!
DO ask AI to proofread your work and find grammatical errors, run on sentences, misspelled words.
DO ask AI for word advice, you can give AI a sentence describing a word that you can’t think of and use a word they show you.
DO ask AI to read your essay as if they were an admissions counselor and tell you if you think you’d get in with it.
Writing a college essay can be stressful and hard, give yourself time to write, take it sentence by sentence, and make sure to re-read it often. Talk to your teachers, talk to your friends, ask for help and opinions. Use your resources and just be honest. You got this, show the college you are the person that they need.
While reading my essay, and all of the tips I have provided I think it important to recognise a quote I found while reading an article published on the Harvard website. Harvard states, “More than any other consideration, you should choose a topic or point of view that is consistent with who you truly are.” (Reynolds). Strawberries are not necessarily who I am, but I used my creativity and my passions to turn an ordinary fruit into the projection of who I am as a person, and future student at their school. If you don’t take my advice, at least listen to that quote, be true to yourself and you will overcome many hurdles both within the essay, and within your life.
Work Cited
Reynolds, Pamela. “12 Strategies to Writing the Perfect College Essay – Harvard Summer School.” Harvard Summer School, 9 August 2022, https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/12-strategies-to-writing-the-perfect-college-essay/#Be-Authentic. Accessed 21 January 2026.
https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/12-strategies-to-writing-the-perfect-college-essay/#Be-Authentic
Disclaimer: This post was originally written for a Gemini English- 101 final. All information on this page is accurate however only posted to showcase who I am and what I stand for. Originally seen as a post on Substack to hopefully drive users to my website.
The goal of this assignment was to re-genre my college essay, I used my essay to hopefully teach other students how to write their essay, but also as a way to create an AD for my website. I hope that those who read this content feel as though I have given adequate advice.