friend who died of cancer

im thinking of using it for my essay, however im unsure if I should discuss a topic like this on an essay. I also don’t want the admissions officer to think I am trying to capitalize on someone’s misfortune, because it isn’t the case, I just would like to know if this topic would be deemed appropriate for a college essay

<p>it depends on how you approach the topic.</p>

<p>It can work BUT (big but) make sure the essay is ultimately about YOU --- don't dwell on your friend but on what you learned from the experience, how it changed your outlook, what the experience helped you accomplish. And avoid being trite - "my best friend died, I was sad" type of approaches. If you can't say exactly how this changed you, motivated you, or caused you to do something important in your life, look for another topic.</p>

<p>death is a common subject. unless you know how to show instead of tell, i would say NO. DEATH IS NOT A GOOD COLLEGE ESSAY.</p>

<p>really risky... first check to see if there are other topics you think you might be able to write on... if there really aren't any I would say go ahead but you probably want to have a couple (close) people read it before you send it out b/c if they find anything questionable you know it is a no go.</p>