Description

what is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application ?

**Title:** *Beyond the Checklist: How to Answer “What’s Unique About You?” in College Applications*

Navigating the college application process can feel like an exercise in listing accolades, grades, and extracurriculars. But sometimes, a school will ask the polar opposite: *“What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application?”*

This question, famously posed by Yale University and variants by other schools, aims to peel back the layers of your resume and reveal the *human* side beneath. It’s a chance to showcase your personality, quirks, or passions in a way numbers and lists cannot. But how do you approach this? Let’s unpack it step by step.

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### Why Do Colleges Ask This?
Colleges aren’t just seeking well-rounded students—they’re hunting for *interesting* people. The question tests your self-awareness and creativity. It also acts as a safeguard against “overcurricula,” those perfectly curated applications that say little about who you *truly* are.

Admissions officers want to know: Are you a robotic checklist-fulfiller, or someone who has depth, curiosity, and maybe a dash of eccentricity?

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### What Makes a Strong Answer?
Good answers to this prompt defy expectations. They’re *unexpected*, *authentic*, and *tie who you are to why you’d thrive at their school*. Consider the following angles:

#### 1. **Passions Beyond the “Traditional” Resume**
Maybe you’re a competitive synchronized swimmer but also:
– A master of *birdsong identification*
– A poet who runs an online haiku collective (unrelated to your school’s literary magazine)
– A collector of vintage typewriters (and you’ve restored five!)

Think outside clubs and internships. What hobby consumes hours of your week, even if it doesn’t look “impressive”?

#### 2. **Quirky Yet Meaningful Traits**
– You’ve committed to memorizing the periodic table *through song*.
– You write anonymous love letters to historical figures (like Marie Curie or Nikola Tesla). Yes, it’s weird—*and that’s the point*).)
– You’ve designed an intricate board game based entirely on *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* lore.

The goal isn’t to sound like a polymath—it’s to highlight a hobby or trait that reflects your creativity, resilience, or passion.

#### 3. **Understated Strengths or Challenges**
Maybe your application highlights leadership as a team captain, but not:
– How you learned to mediate conflicts between teammates during regional competitions.
– The time you organized a community garden in your neighborhood after hearing a classmate’s story about food insecurity.

Or perhaps you:
– Survived a career as a *competitive banana-skin dancer* (yes, it exists). Look it up.).
– Bake sourdough bread with every batch tailored to friends’ schedules (e.g., delivering loaves at 3 AM for night-shift workers). That’s rare *and* empathetic.)

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### What **Not** to Include
– **The cliché “humanize-y” answer:** “I love spending time with family.” (Too generic. Everyone loves family.)
– **Complaining about your resume:** “Nothing’s missing! I’m perfectly represented.” (Ugh.)
– **Unrelated hobbies that lack purpose:** “I play World of Warcraft.” (Okay, but why? What does it reflect about you?)

The hook is tying it to your character or worldview. Example: “I build miniature cities inside shoeboxes after stress. It taught me *patience* and *creativity under constraints*—skills I’ll need when tackling problem sets at Yale!”

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### Examples to Inspire
1. **The Analog Cartographer**
You’ve spent years sketching hand-drawn maps of fictional worlds, which you post online. Bonus: It shows storytelling and attention to detail.

2. **The Midnight Gardener**
You grow all your own classroom plants in exchange for snacks—connecting to stewardship and humor.

3. **The Forgotten Language Lover**
You’re fluent in Old Norse. (This isn’t a stretch; it’s a conversation starter about history or linguistics.)

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### Final Tips
– **Be Specific.** Vague answers fall flat. “I care a lot about nature” is weak; “I’ve cataloged the flora in my backyard every September for five years” is vivid.
– **Connect it to the school.** If applying to Yale’s environmental program, link that birdwatching hobby to your curiosity about ecosystems.
– **Keep it lighthearted—or bold.** Colleges *want* to laugh, be surprised, or learn something new.

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### Final Thought: Lean Into the “Unnecessary”
The “non-resume” part of you is why colleges will remember you. A professor once said, “I admit students I’d want to grab coffee with.” This answer is your moment to show how you’d light up a dinner table or a study group.

Don’t overthink; answer truthfully. Whether it’s your obsession with restoring antique violins or your secret talent for cake decorating, *own it*. After all, if you don’t highlight the parts of yourself that make you *you*, who will?

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Good luck—now go turn that “odd” hobby or trait into your standout moment.

_**Bonus:** Remember Yale’s motto? *Lux et veritas*—light and truth. The answer to this question should embody both._

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*Inspired by insights from College Transitions, Reddit, and career advisors. Adapted for authenticity’s sake.*