I quit band this year after having been in it since 7th grade. I’ve learned a lot about myself from it, about how much stronger I am than I thought and how I have the power to control my own future and stuff. So for my common app essay, the chose your own prompt one, I wrote one about “what I learned from quitting”. Idk if it’s a good topic though. I know it doesnt look great that I quit, but I thought maybe by explaining that my heart wasn’t in it and it caused me physical and emotional stress it would offset that, then I could use it to reveal like who i am and stuff. Thoughts?
I bet you can make this work - by keeping the focus on what you learned about yourself from this - and have it reveal who you are. Your heart wasn’t in it, and it caused you lots of stress. What have you done with the time since then? How have you managed stress on other things? Being able to learn when too much is really too much is a valuable life lesson.
This is an essay about you - not about who you’re not. So if you learned that quitting something else made you more confident in being able to do whatever else better, by putting 100% into it, then you are on your way.
On the other hand, if you write the essay saying “Whenever I get stressed by anything ever, I just quit, so I don’t ever do anything except sit around and mope and be lonely all day!” - well then that isn’t exactly a message that would make admissions officers want you on their campus. I don’t think that’s you at all, based on your post.
You “have the power to control your own future” is pretty positive.
Best of luck on your essay.
Only works if quitting led to some showable and significant surge. Otherwise, it’s just about quitting and the stress. Not the picture to send them.
So what came of this? It’s not about stating you have the power to change, but showing how you did, in right ways. Show, not just tell.
Can you write an essay about what you learned in band and how you applied those lessons to whatever activities and accomplishments you did after band, how those lessons helped you later? You really should leave out all the parts about your heart not being in it, and the physical and emotional tolls leading to your “retiring”. Those aren’t what make the sale. AO’s understand that teens’ interests evolve and/or new opportunities crop up. This isn’t the “why us?” essay, but you should still keep in mind that you’re trying to show that you are a match to the college. Avoid negativity that is not necessary to the story.
So college is pretty tough and stressful. You are painting a picture to a college that you won’t be able to handle it and might just quit and not follow through.
I like the idea of leaving band or not continuing with band as a self discovery and finding something new about yourself that applies to college life, your major and how successful you will be.
If not, pick something else. As I told my kids when applying. “Don’t give them a reason to reject you” . ?.
I know this is a informal forum but choose your words carefully. Don’t use quit. Look at what I wrote ^.
Also as the same… people don’t “look up” stuff about a college. They "research information about the college… (something I found in my son’s first draft)… Lol
I would take away the word “quitting.” That word is never good unless we are talking about a bad habit.
What about changing the focus to “realizing my choices” or “seizing other opportunities” or “realizing my true passions” or “being true to me”. Same idea but put a positive spin on it.
Good luck!
In my opinion, use of the word “quitting” in the title should attract the readers’ attention.
It’s not just leaving band, no matter what phrase is used.
It’s what came next.
The essay isn’t a psychiatrist’s couch. Or party chat. Adcoms aren’t going to fill in the blanks for you (“Oh, no band, he must have used his new time and talents on something valid, made great strides.”) You have to show it.
Just saying it got you lean-back time isn’t it. You don’t need some spectacular replacement. But something that shows adcoms you get it.
I would stick with the word quit, it’s striking and memorable. The trick is to make sure the essay isn’t actually about quitting. You can see if you can do it with a slightly humorous line.