In persuasion, ethos, logos, and pathos are the three main appeals speakers or writers can use to convince the audience about an idea. In the case of ethos, this appeal focuses on the credibility of the speaker or writer, this means, the writer or speaker does not focus on providing arguments that prove his main claim but instead shows to the audience who he is and the reasons to believe in his words. This is the appeal used in the essay described because the speaker includes mainly information about his experience rather than reasons to be admitted in the college, which shows the speaker relies on the credibility he has.
I think the answer to your question would be Ethos because the definition of ethos means the characteristics of the era or culture which could include the speakers experiences.i hope this helps enjoy the rest of your day :)
