The surprising history of the college admissions essay

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By Made by History / Produced by Olivia B. Waxman

With unrelenting heat waves and Hurricane Beryl afflicting much of the U.S. this week, fall can’t come soon enough—but looking ahead to college admissions season, students and their families are no doubt already fretting about the nail-biting and complex application process. As Sarah Stoller recounts in Made by History, colleges and universities have, over time, come to ask for more and more information about applicants, adding requirements and questions. At first, elite schools began requiring items like the personal essay as a way to exclude students seen as not conforming to the white, Protestant, upper-class ideal the schools cultivated. But later, after the 1960s, some universities asked applicants about themselves for the opposite reason: to ensure a more diverse student body, using the personal essay to identify aspects of students’ character and experience not otherwise captured by test scores and grades. Ultimately, although it might add to the stress of applying to college, the personal essay has the potential to broaden access to higher education; it remains one place in the application where students can showcase their capacity for growth, self-expression, and critical thinking.

A Message from Inside Hotels

TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT

Sea Containers London
London, United Kingdom

If you’re visiting London for the culture, there’s arguably no better place to stay than Sea Containers, located on the vibrant South Bank of the River Thames. Near many of the city's iconic landmarks (the Tate Modern is just a short walk away), the hotel draws design inspiration from its history as the former headquarters of a shipping company, featuring nautical touches and bespoke furnishings. When you’re not out exploring (or unwinding at on-site the agua Spa London), there’s always something going on at the hotel, from DJ sets at 12th Knot on the rooftop overlooking the river and brunch at Sea Containers Restaurant on the weekends to regular screenings at the 56-seat, on-site Curzon Cinema. And with one of the world’s best bars steps from your guest room door—Lyaness from award-winning bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana—there’s not much more you can ask for from a centrally located London home base.

HISTORY ON TIME.COM

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FROM THE TIME VAULT

This week in 1969: The sexual revolution


FRIEDMAN-ABELES
The July 11, 1969, cover of TIME

“The issue is as old as the fig leaf, as new as tomorrow’s nude-theater opening. An erotic renaissance (or rot, as some would have it) is upon the land…Americans today have more sexual freedom than any previous generation, Whatever changes have occurred in sex as behavior, the most spectacular are evident in sex as a spectator sport. What seems truly startling is not so much what Americans do but what they may see, hear and read. In those respects, the U.S. is now by far the freest country in the Western world.”

This week in 1995: Colin Powell


LES STONE
The July 10, 1995, cover of TIME

“There are four reasons why Powell could emerge as a major figure in the 1996 race: Powell himself, by disposition, inclination and personal history, is perhaps the ideal candidate to seize the large ideological center of American politics…The 1996 contest is quickly shaping up as a race between a wounded Democratic incumbent and a Republican who is a two-time presidential loser of advancing years and whose record is scrambling to get in synch with the right-wing fervor of his party. Unhappiness with these options could yield a search for a new candidate.”

This week in 2001: Julia Roberts


TIME
The July 9, 2001, cover of TIME

“On the count of three–Mystic Pizza, Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman–Roberts was a star. Now, at age 33, with an Oscar and a recent string of hits that includes the summer of ’99 doubleheader Notting Hill and Runaway Bride, Roberts is flying higher than any full-grown actress (yes, we are aware of Shirley Temple) in history–a salary equal to her male peers and the ability to get behinds the world over into seats on opening weekends.
‘I don’t measure my success in dollars,’ says Roberts, raising an eyebrow and narrowing her eyes at a journalist. ‘That’s your job.’”

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