✨ Why “Eclectic” Is the College Essay Power Word You Never Knew You Needed ✨

You know that moment in your college essay when you're trying to explain how you're really into robotics, 18th-century French poetry, urban gardening, and competitive canoeing—but all the words you try feel like you're shoving your personality into a sad little box labeled “well-rounded”?

Enter: eclectic.

It’s like the cool older cousin of “diverse interests” who drinks espresso, listens to obscure jazz, and somehow pulls off mismatched socks.

"Eclectic" doesn’t apologize. "Eclectic" says: Yeah, I contain multitudes. "Eclectic" walks into your Common App and immediately adds +10 charm and +15 intellectual flair.

Because let’s be real—college admissions folks read 7,000 essays about how someone just loves helping people. But when you say your taste in everything from books to hobbies is eclectic, you’re telling them: I don’t just fit a mold. I melt it and sculpt a dragon out of it.

Use it wisely. Use it authentically. And maybe italicize it for dramatic effect. (Eclectic. See? Instant mystery.)