How to Highlight Perseverance? How to Convey It to Be Evaluated in Comprehensive Selection

This is KOSSUN Education Lab, a preparatory school specializing in comprehensive selection! Our theme this time is "How to highlight perseverance."

In comprehensive selection, many high school students write that they have "perseverance" as a strength or talk about it in interviews.

Certainly, being able to continue something for a long time is a wonderful thing. Learning at university requires thinking about a single theme for many years. Therefore, the ability to persevere is also valued by universities.

However, simply saying "I have perseverance" will unfortunately not leave a lasting impression.

This is because many applicants are saying the same thing.

So, how can you convey perseverance as a strength that is uniquely yours?

The point is to convey "why you were able to continue" and "what changed while you were continuing" rather than "what you continued."

For example, there is the story of continuing club activities for three years.

Of course, that is an admirable experience.

However, that alone is not unusual for a high school student.

So, what I want you to think about is what kind of events occurred during those three years.

Weren't there times when you wanted to quit along the way?

Weren't there periods when you didn't get the results you wanted?

How did you overcome those times?

Actually, that is what the university wants to know.

For example, there was a high school student who belonged to the track and field club.

At the beginning of enrollment, their records did not improve, and they said they thought about quitting many times.

However, they checked their running on video and continued to make small improvements while recording their daily practice content.

As a result, although they did not achieve major results in competitions, they were able to update their personal records.

What this story conveys is not just the fact that you continued for three years.

It reveals your ability to analyze problems, your attitude of repeating improvements, and your strength to keep making efforts even when results do not appear.

This is the kind of consistency that is valued.

Also, consistency does not only mean continuing something for many years.

For example, there is a person who continued the habit of reading the news every morning for one year.

At first, it was to keep up with topics in class, but as they continued every day, they became interested in social issues.

They said that the number of themes they were interested in, such as environmental issues, the declining birthrate and aging population, and international affairs, increased, and they were able to see what they wanted to study at university.

In this case, it is not the act of reading the news that is evaluated.

What is evaluated is that by continuing, their way of thinking changed and their perspective broadened.

Studying is the same.

For example, there is the experience of continuing to memorize English vocabulary every day.

By itself, that might sound like a common story.

However, if you say, 'I was a quitter at first, but I decided to study only during my commute and made it a habit. As a result, I realized the importance of continuing every day and was able to apply it to studying other subjects,' your own ingenuity and growth become visible.

Consistency is not the power to endure.

It is also the ability to be creative in order to continue.

That is why, instead of ending with 'I worked hard every day,' please think about 'what kind of ingenuity you used to continue.'

For example, a high school student had the goal of continuing to read books.

However, at first, they could not finish even one book.

So, they decided to read only five pages a day.

By reducing the amount they read, it became a habit, and they said they were able to read over thirty books a year later.

What is conveyed here is not just the number of books you have read.

It shows that you are a person who understands your own challenges and can think of ways to continue without overexerting yourself.

This mindset is also very important when conducting research at university.

On the other hand, just saying "I continued for three years" might leave you struggling when follow-up questions are asked during an interview.

For example: "Were there any difficult times along the way?"

"Have you ever thought about quitting?"

"Why were you able to keep going?"

If you cannot answer these questions specifically, people will doubt whether it was truly your own experience.

That is precisely why it is important to recall the events in detail.

For instance, the experience of working a part-time job for two years is also an excellent example of consistency.

However, it does not end with just saying "I continued my part-time job."

Making mistakes in customer service.

Experiencing busy shifts.

Being in a position to teach work to new employees.

Being thanked by customers.

By conveying how you grew through these experiences, your consistency gains persuasiveness.

Also, experiences where you did not achieve the desired results are by no means negative.

For example, there was a high school student who could not get the part they wanted in the brass band.

Even so, they continued to practice and remained active for three years while being assigned a different role.

Although their first choice did not come true, they said they learned the importance of supporting their peers and the meaning of continuing to make an effort without being fixated on just one goal.

Universities find value in these kinds of experiences as well.

This is because they are looking at what you learned during the process, not just whether you succeeded.

When talking about consistency, try not to focus only on the amount of time you spent doing something.

The reason you continued every day.

The difficulties you faced along the way.

The efforts you made to overcome them.

How you changed as a result of continuing.

And how you want to apply that experience at university.

If you can convey all of this, the impression of your consistency will change significantly.

If you currently think, 'I don't have anything I've been consistent with,' please take another look at your daily life.

Making lunch for your family every day.

Writing in a diary.

Being responsible for walking the dog.

Reading books on the train.

Continuing to tidy up your room.

Arriving at school a little early every morning.

These habits are also excellent examples of consistency.

What is important is not how flashy it is.

It is about what kind of change that habit brought to you.

In comprehensive selection admissions, the story behind the action is valued more than just saying, 'I have consistency.'

Why did you start?

Why were you able to continue?

What did you feel along the way?

How does that experience connect to who you are today?

People who can talk about these things are seen as individuals who can continue to learn steadily even at university.

Learning at university does not produce results in a day or a week.

It requires you to keep thinking while failing repeatedly.

That is precisely why universities place importance on perseverance.

However, the perseverance that is truly valued is not the fact that you continued for a long time, but the attitude of thinking, innovating, and growing while continuing.

The things you have taken for granted and continued doing until now are also packed with your own unique strengths when you look back on them.

If you can carefully put that experience into words, your perseverance will become a major asset in comprehensive selection admissions and will serve as a power to convey your unique self to the university.