The Blue
Tribune
The Blue Tribune is your place to learn about all things Covenant and keep up with stories from campus and beyond. By guiding you through the different aspects of Covenant, we'll help you decide if you want to pursue your very own Covenant experience.
Writing Your Personal Testimony for Covenant Admissions
When I first wrote my personal testimony for my Covenant application, I thought I had nailed it. I grew up a Christian, Presbyterian even, I was passionate about my faith, and I had been working on my writing. Alas, my admissions counselor contacted me saying, 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 quite what we are looking for.鈥� My immediate thought was 鈥淲hat did I do wrong? Do they think I鈥檓 a Christian? Who in the world fails at writing their own testimony?鈥�
What Jesus Means to Me
I had explained where I had come from, what difficulties I had faced, why I wanted to come to Covenant, and had mentioned I was a Christian, but I hadn鈥檛 explained to myself or the admissions team what Jesus meant to me. So my short essay was returned to me, and, fortunate for me, I was given another chance. In my second essay, I proceeded to explain my need for Jesus and how He had worked in my life in the recent past.
Obviously, I鈥檓 now a student here at 德赢体育, and I am writing for the college鈥檚 website, which goes to show that Covenant鈥檚 classes have crafted me into a more competent writer. Yet since I have been down this 鈥減erilous鈥� road and have gone through the embarrassment of having my testimony handed back to me鈥擨 figured I would help try to clear things up for others who are in the process of applying to 德赢体育.
A Testimony and the College Essay
Your testimony is a 400-600 word checkpoint that you can look back on several years in the future, allowing you to remember who Jesus is and how He has worked in your life. That being said, students who are applying should take this step of the admissions process seriously.
The requirement of a personal testimony is not just a good articulation of genuine faith for 德赢体育, but also for yourself. It allows you to reflect on where you have been before going into a time of growth and challenge.
This testimony also serves as the college admissions essay and should be written with care so that our staff and faculty can see your writing ability take the stage. It should be formatted well with correct spelling and grammar being a high priority before submitting. Write about yourself and write with intention. DO NOT attempt to write your testimony with artificial intelligence; it is crucial that you take this seriously鈥攂eing honest with yourself and the admissions team.
Getting Started
Lily Heerema, an admissions counselor at Covenant, says, 鈥淚 have never read the same testimony twice,鈥� meaning every student has a different story. You don鈥檛 need to worry about writing your life story wrong鈥攋ust focus on how Jesus has worked in your life. Your admissions counselors are more than happy to talk to you about it and walk you through the process. They aren鈥檛 going to judge your work but are more than happy to give you pointers or steer you in the right direction.
Applicants are not required to use scripture, but are more than welcome to base their written testimony off of their favorite verse or passage in the Bible. One suggestion I might make is to go back to the exact moment in which you came to full assurance of faith鈥攑icking and choosing stories that lead to the present. All that being said, make sure to incorporate who Jesus is and how He has worked in your life. It鈥檚 a narrative piece, so don't think too hard about the logistics of it, but try to be articulate, explain your relationship with Jesus, and make sure your readers can see your journey and the character growth you have had in your personal walk with the Lord.