Bored? Read my common app essay?

<p>What do you guys think about it - I can't express how much I would appreciate a quick read and comment</p>

<p>I chose the topic of your choice (250 - 500 words)</p>

<p>As you listen to the upbeat chorus, repeatedly singing the same line over – “all the other kids with the pumped up kicks” – you can’t help but to sing along. Then the whistling kicks in, so whimsical, so lighthearted, and you begin to tap your feet along with the beat of the song. It’s as if Mark Foster deliberately used this sense of playfulness to overshadow his more twisted thoughts, implying that maybe, just maybe, even our darkest hour can be somewhat sprightly. That is, until you realize the rest of the chorus is, “All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you better run, better run, faster than my bullet.”
Hospital food, at least in my opinion, is severely underrated. People just fail to see the quality of macaroni and cheese most hospital cafeterias serve. Whether it’s because most people’s main concern when they go visit someone involves enjoying a good meal or not, I always felt that if I’m going to be sad, I mind as well be sad on a satisfied stomach. So I’d take the elevator down to the first floor cafeteria with a ten-dollar bill in hand. Mac and cheese for me, and a pack of DIBS ice cream for my dad. After his first brain surgery, he obtained a strong but weird liking for DIBS. After returning to his room, we’d sit and eat together on his bed, discussing the Flyers, acting as if he didn’t have terminal cancer in his brain.
Fortunately, there were many other fun things other than eating at the hospital. Being there almost every day for two years, I was able to find distractions from all the disease. My mom’s hospital offered free Internet and television service, which often included some of the best channels. Since this was about six months before my dad got sick, he would take me there right after school. Upon entering the room, my mom would always ask if I finished my homework before we came, which I didn’t. But since she was recovering from a heart attack, my dad just told me to say yes to avoid the argument. After watching the three o’ clock showing of Ellen, I’d explore Virtua Memorial’s maze-like hospital by myself, often looking at the outrageous prices of what I found to be mediocre paintings. This was also the time when I’d invent my own games. My favorite involving the simple concept of jumping as high as I could, trying to touch every “EXIT” sign in the building. Sometimes I believed that if I jumped high enough, I’d jump right out of the building, right out of this world.
By the time I was fifteen, there were no more hospital visits. No more macaroni and cheese, no more hospital Internet service, no more exit signs; just a scarred form of myself, my mom, and an empty spot at the dinner table. There was also anxiety – lots and lots of anxiety. But maybe Mark Foster wasn’t trying to hide that dark message under that playful tune, just as I don’t try to hide my darkest hours under children’s play. It’s all there, for everyone to see, in black and white; but so are the exit signs, the free Internet service, and all that delicious macaroni and cheese.</p>

<p>****ing terrible.</p>

<p>thanks, I guess?</p>

<p>Kinda agree with RVA. It’s all over the place, and doesn’t seem to have a coherent message. Did you learn anything from the experience other than “Mac and cheese is good”?</p>

<p>(sorry if that seems harsh, just trying to help)</p>

<p>Lol, I guess I came to the wrong place for help if you think that Mac and Cheese literally means…mac and cheese…</p>

<p>let me start off by saying that I’m no expert, but I like the concept. Unlike the above posters i dont think it’s effing terrible, it just needs to flow better.</p>

<p>to me the transition form the first paragraph to the second was a bit weird, moreover in the 2nd para you have : “I always felt that if I’m going to be sad, I mind as well be sad on a satisfied stomach.” i think you meant for “mind” in the sentence to be “might”.</p>

<p>Again if you work on the flow i think you’ll have really powerful essay</p>

<p>thanks a lot - yeah, I actually worked on the flow after posting it, well transitions, but thanks a lot.</p>

<p>It’s going to come down to whether the symbolism shines through - I agree, if the symbolism of the mac and cheese and all that other simple stuff doesn’t connect with the reader, it is very amateur.</p>

<p>Im just glad someone got it</p>

<p>Not to mention I just read it on here and the paragraphs don’t space properly - this is actually like a 6 paragraph essay, but it looks like 3 on here…just realized that.</p>

<p>And for anyone who could give a helping hand, the concept I am trying to achieve is to relate my family loss to the song “Pumped up Kicks”. The mac and cheese and exit signs don’t just represent mac and cheese and exit signs.</p>

<p>They represent that whimsical chorus - hospital food and adventures helped me get through the death of my father and the near death of my mother. Im focusing on these childish things because those are the things that help me get through times. basically, Im saying, when Im faced with tragedy, there’s always a big old bowl of mac and cheese to turn to.</p>

<p>If you ever heard the song pumped up kicks you barely recognize the lyrics - you recognize the chorus. The lyrics are why I was at the hospital - the dark events in my life. The chorus is the lighthearted techniques I used to get through the hospital visits, and ultimately used as life long lessons to get through anything.</p>

<p>Maybe I just get it because I wrote it</p>

<p>BUT IF ANYONE could help me think of a good transition from the first to second paragraph I’d buy you something nice ;).
Seriously though, its the only part that I can’t get to flow correctly.</p>

<p>I like the idea, because I was actually trying to accomplish something similar. Lol.
But it can be confusing, especially because you can explain in person what the mac and cheese really means. It feels like you’re trying to fit a lot into a 500 word essay. Why don’t you think it over again. Set your focus on what you think is most important. Too many focuses = a confusing essay.</p>

<p>P.S. Don’t forget to proof read!</p>

<p>I always felt that if I’m going to be sad, I *mind (might) as well be sad *on (with) a satisfied stomach.</p>

<p>I think it’s got promise, but I also agree it needs to be tighter and more focused. I really like the paragraph about your Dad and the food. I’d just start the essay there.</p>

<p>I would forget the song thing. Your theme will be clearer and more powerful if you don’t have to waste words explaining how it relates to a pop song.</p>

<p>It seems like you’re trying really hard to sound creative and unique… but you’re failing miserably.</p>

<p>For some constructive criticism, the writing sounds elementary- don’t force adjectives like “whimiscal and lighthearted.”</p>

<p>Also, tie your points together. I read this twice and still have no idea what the point of your essay was. You just mentioned random memories from your life. If you can’t easily sum the theme up in one sentence, your whole paper is no good.</p>

<p>Not sure if you should be posting the essay in here…? Anyway…just my opinion as a parent. It didn’t keep me on the edge or interested enough. I agree with the above post(Alex15). I had no idea myself and not sure if I should be feeling sorry or not (by the way, I do feel sorry that you had to go through with your parents illness). But to just judge the essay, I felt lost reading it.</p>

<p>Thank you everyone - I re read it and agree, it is confusing for people who don’t know me that well.</p>

<p>I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts and opinions - I am currently editing it and even trying a new topic</p>

<p>Thanks everyone :)</p>

<p>I might have also been confused by not knowing the song you were referencing :P</p>

<p>I’m also sorry about your parents’ illnesses. I just felt confused while reading your essay.</p>

<p>tizzy26 I love the song, and understood the essay. If you listened to the song it would make a lot more sense.</p>

<p>You could tie things together better to make this into something. Focus on the song OR the mac n cheese not both. Also you r other essay about the grandmother with dementia makes you seem like you are trying to garner sympathy with your essays. Both shouldn’t be about hardships in your life, in my opinion.</p>

<p>I actually liked the essay. Your personality really came through. But yeah, it can be better organized structurally.
But what do I know?</p>