The Essay That Got Me Accepted Into The Fashion Institute of Technology

 The time of year is coming when a lot of high school seniors will start working on their college applications. It was about this time last year when I started filling out mine. The Fashion Institute of Technology was a school that appealed to me, much like it appeals to most high schoolers who want a career in the fashion industry. When I toured FIT the importance of the essay was stressed. Personally, I would say the essay is the most important part of the FIT application, more important than grades. (Not that you shouldn’t care about your grades) The essay demonstrates to admissions what makes you passionate about fashion and why you would be an asset to the school. I thoroughly enjoyed writing my essay for FIT. It’s amazing to lose yourself in something you're passionate about, especially when high school so often requires you to write about topics you don’t care about. While I chose not to attend FIT, I thought it might be helpful to share the essay that played a big role in getting me accepted into the school for those who need inspiration or are stumped as to what the essay could look like.

Prompt:

What makes you a perfect candidate for FIT? Why are you interested in the major you’re applying for? 750 words max.

My Essay:

In my town most people, even near the end of their high school career, don’t have a spark that makes them get excited for a school day's end. They don’t have something that, when they talk about it, makes their heart begin to race excitedly. Passion is not something commonly found. My middle school self was one of these passionless people who simply lived to go through the motions with no goals or aspirations. That was until I discovered the game Style Savvy Styling Star.

Style Savvy introduced me to the true potential of fashion. The game showed me that fashion is so much more than a few unimportant pieces of clothing that only exist to cover ourselves. Fashion has the power to ignite meaningful relationships by reflecting our inner selves. Fashion allows us to unapologetically be ourselves. It's a powerful asset for people who are pursuing their dreams.

I spent many hours creating countless outfits. This encouraged me to experiment with my favorite styles in real life. My favorite style, which I was introduced to through the game, is the girly style. Girly items are very unique, and I never see anything like them when browsing the soulless fast fashion produced by mainstream retailers. In order to obtain girly items I had to turn to buying clothes made by brands that designed each garment ensuring that it has personality and quality. This imbued me with a love for quality clothes that are designed with personality. The feeling of obtaining a well designed skirt from my favorite brand, that was made over ten years ago, is absolutely invigorating. There’s no better feeling than being pulled aside multiple times within a single day by people who could not contain their desire to express how much they love my unique outfit. I radiate with an electric excitement every time I encourage someone to give up conforming to the prevalent hoodie and pajama pants look for a standout outfit that will never fail to be a reflection of themselves.

My passion for fashion draws me to FIT. Not only is FIT ranked as one of the best fashion universities in the world, located in a fashion capital that is filled with passion-driven people like myself, but its Fashion Business Management program would allow me to flourish in the industry unlike any other university. It provides students with industry connections and real world experiences that only FIT can offer. I feel safe knowing that this program will give me the ability to understand multiple different aspects of running a fashion business. I have a strong desire to learn fashion business, because it is a longtime dream of mine to start a clothing line and run my own boutique.

My love for quality, well designed garments fills me with a strong interest in product development. I am fascinated with, and would love to learn, how a sketch turns into a tangible product. Courses such as Computer-Aided Product Development, Innovation in Product Development, and International Product Development Practicum align with my aspirations of turning the designs that I love to create into products that women like me can wear and love for years to come. 

In addition to my passion for fashion, I’m enthusiastic about developing my interpersonal skills. Passionate people have amazing interpersonal skills. Wanting to be surrounded by passionate people, I have continuously worked on having praiseworthy interpersonal skills throughout highschool. Whether as a friendly member of FIT’s community, an active participant in class discussion, or a team leader, my people skills can aid in creating a collaborative and elevated learning environment. My interpersonal skills are a valuable asset in the business management sector, and can aid me in utilizing FIT’s industry connections. If admitted I plan to utilize FIT’s industry connections and my own conversationalist abilities to create a network that extends beyond the classroom.

My creativity and work ethic also make me an ideal candidate for the Fashion Business Management Major, and an asset to FIT’s community. I developed a consistent and strong work ethic throughout high school, as I took numerous honors and AP classes. A work ethic like mine is important to have in an industry that requires passion-driven dedication and many hours of hard work. If accepted, I’ll consistently meet deadlines, produce high-quality work, and contribute to project success. My creativity and my work ethic were developed through my experiences being the president of my school’s fashion club, writing for my blog, and dedicating numerous hours to sewing classes.

Why I Chose Not to Attend FIT:

FIT’s main campus building (which is where all the classes are held) lacked vitality in its atmosphere. The building was noticeably old and appeared run down. There was a noticeable lack of spaces for students to hang out, and a noticeable lack of natural light. I remember sitting in one classroom without windows. The building was very reminiscent of my middle school basement where the general music classes were held. The absence of vitality in the campus atmosphere would have made it hard for me to be productive and motivated. While there were other factors that influenced my decision not to attend, this was the biggest part of it.

Final Thoughts:

Rereading this, I cringed a little because of how cheesey some parts of this essay are. However I do feel that, in this context, a cheesy essay is a good thing. The hardest part about writing this essay was getting it within the word limit. I wouldn’t sweat it too much. This is an essay that you should really enjoy writing! If you have any questions feel free to comment!