<p>I'm sure others have been in my position, but I just don't know what to do. Worth noting: My counselor is away until school without contact (and we don't officially start the search/application process until senior year anyway, so all of this is independent).</p>
<p>I have no idea what topic to write for my essay. Some people have a few interests and characteristics, like loving math/science and spending time with family when not at fairs or competitions or whatever. Or maybe a jock who volunteers at a hospital when not practicing for the football season. You get the point. Their ECs are under control and focused, and they can use the essays to illustrate some different aspect of themselves that doesn't come out elsewhere in the application.</p>
<p>I'm not in that position at all. I'm all over the place! I lived in Europe when I was younger, so I speak three languages (one of which is Latin) and I'm currently learning German. But I also love math and science, and place at state competitions (and did well on AMC/AIME too). I'm an official of our state Latin convention, but I'm also working on my Eagle Scout award. I'm co-captain of the Knowledge Bowl team, and we want to win state (we almost did this past year). I also am president of a few other clubs, and I love to play the piano.</p>
<p>I have a smorgasbord of activities, and I don't even know what traits I can focus on in my essays! They definitely won't be a regurgitation of my ECs (I'm really interested in writing a "slice of life"/"cute" one, but I feel like writing something that shows some OTHER part of me will just make me appear even MORE eclectic and without focus. I really love all my ECs. I just have a lot of interests. Should I try to find some way to unify my activities in the essays? Should I forget that and hope the adcoms won't find the...variety of ECs? How can I focus in on some part of myself when so many factors have influenced who I am? It's like tons of different things got schmooshed together and I popped out of them. It's really hard to find a way to position myself.</p>
<p>Is there anyone who has faced this problem? Any advice?</p>