Why Smart Students Rethink What They Believe (feat. WashU Case Study)
Part 3 of the VIBE Framework: B is for Beliefs
Happy Saturday!
Welcome to the third part of VIBE, my framework that breaks down the four critical elements of standout college essays. Today, we’ll be going over “B” for Beliefs.
For a refresher, check out my previous posts on Values and Identity
Before we begin, I want you to ask yourself: What do I believe in?
Does effort beat talent?
What about nature vs. nurture?
Or, what’s your greatest strength?
Thing is, there are no right or wrong answers. That’s the cool thing about beliefs. Your beliefs are your personal "truths" about who you are and how the world works.
Why Beliefs Matter
From an admissions perspective, how you form, question, and revise your beliefs shows critical thinking skills and intellectual growth - qualities colleges deeply value. In fact, one of the common app personal statement prompts specifically asks about beliefs!
Prompt #3: Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
In essence, colleges aren't looking for specific beliefs, but rather evidence that you're a thoughtful person.
Let’s Break It Down
There are two main types of beliefs:
Beliefs about yourself - How you view your identity and capabilities
Beliefs about the world - How you think things work or should work beyond yourself
Put simply, one is internal and one is external. You can focus your essay on just one or both, as long as you show how your beliefs and perspectives have evolved through time.
“The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.”
— Albert Einstein
WashU Case Study: The Power of Evolved Beliefs
To show how beliefs can evolve, lets go through a sample personal statement from a student who got into WashU. Her essay about photography demonstrates a belief transformation about the world.
As a child, this student believed "photos were kind of magical because they could preserve something as fleeting as time." A simple but meaningful worldview.
But when she began taking photos herself, her belief shifted. Photography didn’t just freeze time - it became a way for her to discover beauty in unexpected places.
In high school, an even more profound change came when she went on a service trip to a rural region in China. Confronted with extreme poverty, she realized: "the power of photography does not lie in its ability to capture moments or even beauty, but rather in its ability to tell a story."
This evolution in her belief—from seeing photography as a way to capture memories to recognizing it as a powerful tool for storytelling and social change—transformed her actions. She soon began documenting underrepresented communities and sharing their stories online. One day, she dreams of launching a Humans of China photography blog.
Ultimately, what makes this essay successful isn't just that her belief changed, but how this change shaped her into "a much more curious and empathetic individual who sees the world with an open heart and mind."
Your turn. Take 5 minutes to try this simple exercise.
"I Used to Believe..." Exercise
"I used to believe..." (identify initial belief about yourself/the world)
"Then I experienced..." (moment that challenged this belief)
"Now I understand..." (how your belief has evolved)
"This matters because..." (how you’ve grown)
Examples:
I used to believe that my cultural background was something to downplay to fit in.
Then I experienced a heated classroom debate where my perspective as a third culture kid completely shifted the conversation.
Now I understand that my unique cultural identity gives me insights others don't have.
This matters because I've stopped trying to erase parts of myself and instead bring my full perspective to every challenge I tackle.
Your version might reveal something meaningful, potentially becoming the foundation of your standout essay.
Next week, we'll explore the last letter in VIBE: “E” for Evolution.
As always, thanks for reading.
Hit reply and let me know what you found most helpful this week. I’d love to hear from you!
Cheers,
May
Great work!