"Mind that does not stick" was actually an essay prompt of University of Chicago in 2006. It was the entire prompt, and the college wanted to hear how you would respond.
To different people, the quote can mean different things. But I bet you even though the prompt was designed to be unique, admissions officers received hundreds of essays that sounded alike.
Be careful about writing an essay that just mimics conventional wisdom. Let's say you want to write about a leadership experience, like many, many students do. You can simply describe an activity that you led, or a project that you were in charge of, but think of how many other students are writing a similar-sounding essay? Your mind is sticking on conventional wisdom on what sounds like a good essay, but in actuality is not very unique.
The best essays are personal. It actually takes a lot of thought and is very hard work to be personal in an essay. By being personal, your essay is bound to be unique because you are unlike anyone else out there in the applicant pool.
To be personal, your mind cannot stick. If you want to convey leadership, think about leadership in different ways. Everyone says they are a "leader," but what does being a leader mean? By digging into the specifics, and not being satisfied by buzzwords, you can probably come up with a message that is unconventional.
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