<p>Hi, I am having difficulty of how I should start my essay for college.
Prompt: Considering your lifetime goals, discuss how your current and future academic and extra-curricular activities might help you achieve your goals.</p>
<p>I plan on writing about how I want to be an accountant and that I like to be the helper or the "sidekick" behind the scenes. Every leader needs a partner to assist them when they are too busy to deal with every little detail. My only problem is how I should start the introduction. Can anyone give me any suggestions on what intro strategies I should use or how I should organize the entire essay?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t reccomend writing an essay about how you DON’T want to be a leader…</p>
<p>Where are you applying? </p>
<p>you could talk about teamwork! </p>
<p>@AnnieBeats Alright, I’ll leave out the leader part then. I wasn’t sure before because I know colleges love leaders but I wanted my essay to stand out by saying people at the side are just as important and vital.
@Sakacar Sorry, but i was told that it is best not to mention the college I’m applying to avoid idea stealers. </p>
<p>@stupidgenius i think the behind the scenes angle as someone who helps without necessarily demanding much recognition (if that is what youre going for) could be good if tactfully done, though i would refrain from calling yourself a hopeful sidekick too much.</p>
<p>@caerusk Thanks for your opinion. As for the sidekick part, I’m not actually planning on calling myself that but instead more on saying how I want to be a significant piece to success by dealing with important tasks that some leaders might not be able to do. </p>
<p>OP, doing things that other leaders wouldn’t be able to to is considered leadership lol.</p>
<p>But yeah, no top college is gonna want to admit the person who willfully stays in the background. Every college wasn’t a their students to matriculated as leaders</p>
<p>@AnnieBeats Oh, well then I guess that’s fine then lol. I’ve changed my focus to wanting to be a partner instead of like a sidekick to make it seem like a bigger role. It may seem like the same thing but I’ll try not to make myself look like I’m striving for a minor role. Can you tell me if you think this is ok to begin my essay with? : “Like a piece to a puzzle, I strive to play a significant role in creating a greater image and to become the key to solving a mystery. To contribute to other people’s successes is to give myself a sense of accomplishment and happiness.”</p>
<p>Watch Simon Sinek TedTalks. He talks about leadership a lot and if you follow his lead you might be able to write about being a team member and how you can contribute as a silent leader.</p>
<p>It seems kind of cliché… Try something that will catch the readers attention and make them want to read more. </p>
<p>I respectfully disagree with Anniebeats unless you’re applying to HYP, which your aren’t, because the prompt doesn’t fit. 
Not everyone has to be a leader, and you have to be true to yourself. Instead of viewing yourself as an accessory, though, focus on how you maximise the productivity of the team. </p>
<p>Being a detail-oriented person, who happily deals with minutiae, may not be as sexy as someone who screams “look at me, I’m the leader” but it has a value. If that is the picture your resume paints, embrace it, enhance it, and own it.</p>
<p>Just my .02, but I read about 450 application essays a year, and the one thing I can tell you is that authenticity is the most important quality you can bring to your essay.</p>
<p>@AnnieBeats hahaha I know the whole puzzle thing is cliche but I’m using it for now until I find a better comparison to use.
@Sakacar3 Thank you for your advise. That’s exactly what I’m trying to go for it’s just that I was having trouble explaining how I want to present myself. I think I have an idea on how to start this essay now.</p>
<p>@Sakacar3 Even if he isn’t applying to an elite school, it’s still cliché. All colleges read hundreds of essay and nothing stands out. It’s not necessarily the puzzle analogy. </p>
<p>“Like a piece to a puzzle, I strive to play a significant role in creating a greater image and to become the key to solving a mystery. To contribute to other people’s successes is to give myself a sense of accomplishment and happiness.”-- OP, if you were an admissions officer, would you want to continue to read this essay? No offense, but it sounds more like a cover letter instead of a personal essay. You should be able to remove your name from the essay and still have it be completely unique to you.</p>
<p>Anyone, is this a better intro?
Pumping blood throughout the body, I give nutrients to all cells and remove any dangerous wastes. Like a heart, I desire to give strength to the people around me and eliminate any problems they have in order to bring success to all. </p>
<p>It’s definitely better. It’s a much more original beginning. I like it. If you are into science, it would actually be really cool to weave that theme throughout the essay. I’m gonna PM you something.</p>
<p>Ok thanks. I also thought it would be cool if my lifetime goal was related to science. However, I’m going to write about how I want to be an accountant and couldn’t think of any comparisons to math XD</p>