Quirky & Unique Perspectives Essays
Essays that showcase your personality through unusual interests, unique viewpoints, or memorable anecdotes.
Overview
Quirky and unique perspective essays allow you to show admissions officers your personality, humor, and what makes you distinctively yourself. These essays reveal the person behind the grades and achievements, giving colleges a sense of what it would be like to have you as part of their community.
The most effective quirky essays balance being memorable with being meaningful. They show unusual aspects of your personality or interests while still revealing something substantive about your character, values, or way of thinking. The goal is to be authentically yourself rather than trying to be shocking or outrageous.
When writing quirky essays, choose topics that genuinely reflect your personality and interests, not what you think will stand out to admissions officers. The best unusual essays reveal deeper truths about who you are through specific, often unexpected details about your life, thoughts, or experiences.
These essays should demonstrate creativity, self-awareness, and the ability to find meaning in unexpected places. They should show that you would bring a unique perspective and engaging personality to college campuses while still being someone others would want to learn with and be around.
The Personality Framework
Use this framework to structure your essay:
Hook: What unusual aspect of yourself or your interests will you explore?
Example: What specific story or detail illustrates this quirky trait?
Depth: What does this reveal about your personality, values, or thinking?
Connection: How does this trait influence other areas of your life?
Insight: What has this unique perspective taught you?
Community: How would this aspect of yourself contribute to college life?
Writing Tips
Choose quirks that are genuinely part of your personality, not manufactured
Balance unusual details with meaningful insights about yourself
Use humor appropriately without being silly or inappropriate
Show how your unique perspective enriches your life and relationships
Be authentic rather than trying to shock or impress
Connect your quirky interests to deeper aspects of your character
Demonstrate self-awareness and ability to reflect on your uniqueness
Show how your perspective would contribute to campus diversity
What Admissions Officers Look For
Admissions officers evaluate these essays based on:
Authentic personality and genuine self-expression
Creativity and unique perspective on life experiences
Self-awareness and ability to reflect thoughtfully on personal quirks
Potential to bring interesting and engaging personality to campus
Evidence of depth beyond surface-level unusual interests
Ability to find meaning and insight in unexpected places
Sense of humor and ability to connect with others through personality
Understanding that uniqueness should contribute to rather than detract from community
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Trying too hard to be weird or shocking rather than authentically unique
Choosing quirks that seem manufactured for college applications
Being quirky without showing any deeper meaning or insight
Using inappropriate humor or topics that might offend readers
Focusing on quirks that don't reveal anything meaningful about character
Not connecting unique perspectives to how you'd contribute to college
Being self-deprecating to the point of undermining your candidacy
Choosing topics that might raise concerns about your judgment or maturity
Example Essay Outlines
Collections and Pattern Recognition
Quirk: Obsessive collection of unusual objects (bottle caps, vintage postcards, etc.)
Example: Specific story about finding a particularly meaningful piece
Insight: How collecting taught you about history, craftsmanship, or human connection
Application: Using pattern recognition skills in academics and problem-solving
Growth: Learning to balance collecting with other priorities and interests
Community: How attention to detail and appreciation for overlooked things enriches relationships
Unconventional Problem-Solving
Trait: Tendency to approach problems from unexpected angles
Story: Specific example of unusual solution that actually worked
Process: How you developed this different way of thinking
Value: Times when unconventional thinking led to better outcomes
Balance: Learning when to use standard approaches vs. creative solutions
Contribution: How different thinking styles enhance group problem-solving
Related Essay Prompts
These essay types often appear with prompts like:
"What makes you unique or interesting?"
"Share something quirky or unusual about yourself"
"Tell us about an unconventional interest or perspective you have"
"What's something about you that would surprise people?"
Ready to Write Your Essay?
Use this guide to craft a compelling quirky & unique perspectives essays that showcases your unique story and perspective.