Appropriate Essay Topic????

College Essays
1

Hi everyone.
I am currently a junior in high school, and am beginning to consider possible application essay topics. I was reading over some of the “College Essays that Made a Difference” from the Princeton Review, and thought of a particular topic that I would like to include in my future college applications.

When I was 14 (or maybe 15), there was a large scandal with my group of best friends. Over the summer, my family discovered that my best friends of 5+ years had been breaking into my house and stealing money, cameras, xbox controllers, and other expensive items. This may have been the most devastating moment of my entire life. Never have I felt so impacted by an event, and I still think about that moment to this very day. Coping with that loss and betrayal has significantly shaped my personality and perspective.

I would like to elaborate on this moment in one of my essays, but I am not sure if it would be appropriate. I certainly would not want to appear as a “thug” coming from a gang of thieves and burglars. I have also heard that admissions officers can find negative/depressing essays to be dull. Would this be a good topic to write about, or could it negatively affect my application?
Thanks.

2

How awful for your family!!

My question is this: what does it show the reader about you? How would reading this essay make the adcom more likely to want you on his campus?

The point behind this essay is to “give them a reason to say yes.” Can you use this topic to write an essay that accomplishes that goal?

3

Many students want to write about traumatic events. I get that it was a big thing to you, but do adcoms need to hear about this? What will it tell them about the kind of person you are? Are you a person who misjudged your freinds, and experienced loss and betrayal? If you can find a way to spin it positively, give it a try. But the fact that you have come here tells me that you are very unsure. Follow your instinct.

4

Any topic is fine – what is most important is how you choose to write about it. The essay should be about you, your journey, your growth etc. It should show admission officers a side of you that can’t be seen elsewhere in the application. If you can do that with the topic you mentioned, great – if not, then move on to another topic.