I don’t get how these essays are cliche, are there really that many kids who have a dead parent by the time they are 18? I honestly think that it was the most influential experience of my life, it completely changed a childhood that I expected and wanted. People say it doesn’t show anything about the person writing the essay. But isn’t overcoming that experience, and attempting to live a normal life enough? I think it shows tremendous character to escape the depression and shock that follows. Its not like losing a parent when you are 30 or 40, its more analogous to losing your children before you die, its just not supposed to happen that way.
I was going to write this essay but everything I have read says not to write it unless your showing how you changed. Personality wise, it changed me for the worse. I became extremely introverted as a measure of protection; if I didn’t know anyone well then I wouldn’t have to go through all the pain if he/she died. Only after about 4-5 years did I start to revert to my old self. The only thing that his death changed were my intrests, which began to mimic his passions for medicine, spanish, and central america.
So is it worth writing this essay if I only talk about how it influenced my passions? I have 2 other ones that I could use instead, one funny and one just light. However they are stories that tell about my personality now, not how it grew.
<p>Send in the essay that shows the most about you, cliche or not. IMO, nothing is cliche if written well. Honestly, there is no experience that only one person on this earth has had, but you are the only person on this earth who was affected the way you were. I wrote my essay on anorexia, which you would think is a really over-done topic, but I don't think it crosses over into sappy dribble, and my experiences with it really did form who I am. As long as it isn't a "pity me" essay, is well written and reveals yourself, I think it's a fine topic.</p>
<p>You could even turn the "cliche" expectation to your advantage. Put in a sentence in the conclusion noting that people told you not to write about this, but it is such a central part of yourself that you couldn't possibly express your character without adressing it. You don't have to, you could just write it really well and that part would be unnecessary. That's just my take.</p>
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I was going to write this essay but everything I have read says not to write it unless your showing how you changed. Personality wise, it changed me for the worse.
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This is a very difficult area to write about. Everyone who reads this type of essay can empathize with the writer and understands on some level what a blow it must be. </p>
<p>On the other hand, and without meaning to diminish what you lost or that it hurt you, colleges are generally looking for the upbeat or inspiring ending in essays. Even if something horrible has happened they want to hear how it taught you something, how you took away something of value. The problem is that real life doesn't always come this neatly packaged.</p>
<p>I'm waffling on this one, so I guess the best I can pass along is to discusss this with someone who is VERY experienced in college essays; a guidance counselor if your school sends applicants to very selective colleges, or perhaps even the paid review service on the this site's front page.</p>
<p>1 in 20 children will experience the death of a parent before age 18.</p>
<p>Losing a parent is upsetting, but in no way is it like losing a child. You also can't claim that it isn't like losing a parent at 30 or 40; you have never lost a parent at 30 or 40 so you wouldn't know. Believe me I know that this was a life-changing experience for you, but an essay doesn't necessarily have to be about the most MAJOR thing that happened to you, and sometimes making a smaller event more important is more interesting. </p>
<p>That said, I think most colleges will sympathize with you, but they make think you are trolling for that sympathy. You can't help that one of your parents died, and it doesn't make you a better person because they did. If you write about this topic, you better make sure that you make the essay about yourself. You definately don't want to sound like you're just trying to get adcoms to feel sorry for you.</p>