The Holistic Admissions Process at International Universities | Enzo Agostini | TEDxPAS Youth
Enzo Agostini recounts how joining Model United Nations transformed him from a shy 12-year-old into a confident leader, using this personal story to illustrate the value of the holistic college admissions process. He argues that the process encourages genuine personal growth rather than resume-building, and debunks common myths about needing trauma essays or a laundry list of activities. His central thesis is that students who pursue genuine passions outperform those who sacrifice authenticity for admissions strategy.
Summary
Enzo Agostini opens his talk with a personal narrative about being an extremely shy 12-year-old who repeatedly refused his sister's invitations to join the Model United Nations Club. It was only when transitioning to high school — and realizing he had wasted years of time with his sister — combined with the awareness that universities scrutinize how students spend their time, that he finally committed to joining MUN. His early experiences were humbling: he bombed his first speech at a conference, feared public ridicule, and was surprised when none came. That moment of unexpected resilience became a turning point, gradually building his confidence, leadership, and communication skills across multiple MUN roles, ultimately leading him to become his school's MUN president.
Agostini then reveals that this journey formed the basis of his Common App personal essay, which helped earn him acceptance to UPenn. He uses this framing to celebrate the holistic admissions process, arguing that the pressure to build a compelling application actually challenges students worldwide to leave their comfort zones, embrace failure, and grow as people. He cites Vanderbilt's supplemental essay prompt as an example of universities explicitly asking students to reflect on this kind of personal growth, noting that most holistic-admissions schools are liberal arts institutions seeking multilateral development — academic, personal, and social.
He then addresses and refutes three common criticisms of the holistic admissions process. First, the belief that applicants must be a 'jack of all trades and master of all of them' — he counters this by noting that his own application featured only two main extracurriculars (MUN and music), emphasizing quality over quantity. Second, the assumption that universities want 'trauma essays' — he argues this is a misconception and that universities are increasingly tired of formulaic trauma narratives, preferring essays that stand out. Third, the concern that the process forces students to waste high school years building resumes rather than living authentically.
On this third point, Agostini introduces a mindset framework contrasting two types of students. The first type commits freshman year to whatever looks best on applications, slogs through activities they dislike, and arrives at college having never truly explored their passions — often struggling once the motivational carrot of admissions is gone. The second type explores broadly, drops what doesn't resonate, and deepens involvement in what genuinely excites them. He illustrates this with his own early abandonment of basketball and the sustainability club in favor of MUN and music. He also notes that authentic passion is detectable in writing — essays about genuine interests come more naturally and read more convincingly.
Agostini concludes by arguing that students who pursue authentic passions arrive at university already knowing how they want to contribute to campus life — which is precisely what liberal arts universities are looking for. His closing advice is that while college applications can be a legitimate initial push to try something new, they should never be the sole reason a student continues with an activity. Students who know what they genuinely want to pursue will write better essays, thrive more in university, and make better use of their time overall.
Key Insights
- Agostini argues that the holistic admissions process, by pressuring students to demonstrate growth outside the classroom, inadvertently challenges many people worldwide to leave their comfort zones and lose their fear of making mistakes — something he sees as a deeply positive byproduct of the system.
- Agostini claims that the 'jack of all trades' criticism of holistic admissions is largely a myth, citing his own successful UPenn application which featured only two main extracurriculars — MUN and music — as evidence that universities prioritize depth and quality of involvement over breadth.
- Agostini contends that universities are growing tired of formulaic 'trauma essays,' and that his own UPenn acceptance came with a personal essay that contained no trauma whatsoever, suggesting that standing out requires departing from this common narrative pattern.
- Agostini argues that students who choose activities purely for resume value — rather than genuine interest — tend to struggle in university because they arrive with a 'my work is done' mentality, lacking intrinsic motivation when the demanding academic environment sets in.
- Agostini claims that passion is detectable in college essays, asserting that students who write about activities they genuinely care about find the writing process significantly easier and more convincing than those who try to feign enthusiasm for strategic choices.
Topics
Transcript
[0:05] When I reached the ripe old age of 12 years old and started attending middle school, a number of responsibilities were starting to be set on me. One of these was set on me by my sister who began incessantly asking me to join the Model United Nations Club, of which she was a leader at the time. Now, a few notable things about me at this time were that one, I was adorable, according to my mother, and two, I was extremely shy. I was mortified of even looking kids who were older than me in the eye. [0:35] So, the idea of even speaking in front of who knows how many every week scared me to death.…
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