College Essays: The "On Point" vs. "Off Point" Essay

Broadly speaking, there are two ways to approach your Common App Personal Statement.

One is the “On Point” essay, where you write about the origins of your interest in your intended major, exploring why you’re excited about the subject and what it means to you.

The other is the “Off Point” essay, which may touch on that interest in your intended major, but tends to either be more personal in nature or focus on an experience or idea not directly linked to what you plan to study in college.

What’s best for you, as always, depends on your specific personal situation and longer term goals.

Let’s talk about each and some considerations that might help you decide whether to go one way or the other!

The On Point Essay

The On Point essay, while not exactly rare, is actually quite a bit less common than the alternative. This definitely doesn’t make it a bad idea, though, particularly if a couple of the following factors are in place.

First off, keep in mind that your intended major plays a significant role in your admission decision. For students applying to competitive majors like Computer Science, Engineering, Finance, or others with substantial earning potential straight out of college, strong grades, scores, and general extracurriculars are just a starting point. The students who get accepted to these programs at super-selective schools also tend to have extensive demonstrated experience in these fields as well.

If you don’t have these kinds of experience, it honestly is probably better to apply to a different major entirely, then later transfer in. For some students and their families, though, this is non-negotiable – for example, because a given school won’t allow transfers into its engineering school.

So, if you’re dead set on a specific major (competitive or otherwise) but don’t have much experience in it, the On Point essay may be right for you.

It gives you an opportunity to show your passion and knowledge for your chosen field without having to do so through extracurriculars. You can even use the essay to trace connections between your major and experiences not directly related to it. For example, if you haven’t found any good ways to get Computer Science experience, but you did complete in Science Olympiad, you could talk about how collaborative problem solving mirrors group projects in CS. Or, more creative, if you’re interested in Finance, you could connect a habit of keeping a diary to the habit of tracking data and analyzing it.

Maybe a stretch there…but you get the idea. Think outside the box!

One thing to keep in mind – many, but not all, schools will ask a Why Major essay. If you’ve written an On Point essay and therefore essentially already discussed why you’re interested in the major, it requires a little extra thought.

Handling this situation requires some consideration of the exact prompt and what other prompts the school asks. If the school asks Why Major but not Why School, then you can use the Why Major essay to discuss the school’s department in your chosen major, rather than your general interest in the subject. If the school asks both Why Major and Why School, then you can focus on ideas for future plans after graduating.

That said, if your absolute top school asks both a Why Major and Why School, it might be better to just avoid the On Point essay. This situation can absolutely be navigated successfully, but it’s an extra challenge.

This stuff gets tricky! There’s a lot to it.

The Off Point Essay

When we think of the classic “great college application essay,” we are more likely thinking of something along the lines of the Off Point: the heart wrenching and poignant tragedy, the time you cured cancer at your internship, or the ever-popular wholesome paean to traditional family meals.

If you do have experiences in your chosen field or if you simply have a good story to tell or an essay idea you like, Off Point could be the way to go.

One of the main advantages, as discussed above, is that an Off Point essay won’t step on the toes of any other prompts schools might throw your way. Plus, a truly personal essay adds a dimension to your application that really can’t show up anywhere else.

That’s not to say an On Point essay can’t be ‘truly personal,’ just can end up focusing on your chosen academic subject a bit more than it focuses on you.

Now the hard part is coming up with the right idea!

The Bottom Line

If you’re truly stuck getting started on your personal statement, it’s best to just start somewhere, getting words on paper. Writing is rarely wasted since schools pose such a variety of essay prompts. Even ideas and fragments can be reshaped and repurposed.

In that vein, don’t be afraid to start with the On Point essay! You can always shorten a draft or use key sections from it for supplemental essays.

Plus, writing has a strange way of rewarding its best ideas only once you’ve started putting some, any, words on the page!