<p>I want to write about my family because they are most important to me. My family is not just blood relatives, and I tried writing about all the people in my family that I am not related to, but that got too chunky. I'm trying to write about my 3 Kenyan "brothers" now. Does that work for a common app essay?</p>
<p>It’s just that looking back on my life, the major events all had to do with family - biological and not. I haven’t thought of any good stories that are appropriate yet to fill an essay.</p>
<p>Otherwise, I considered writing about a class debate when the teacher had everyone argue the side opposite their opinion or about civil liberties or about public speaking.</p>
<p>Any opinions at all?</p>
<p>Your application essay needs to be about YOU. You can write about your “brothers,” but you need to do it in a way that reveals something about you, your character, or your passions. So, for example, why do you consider these three men your brothers? What does that term mean to you? Does your idea of “family” (as being extended and not necessarily biological) affect the way you see other relationships, other people, or the world? I think you could turn this topic into something cool and unique, but just remember that at the end of the day the admissions committee needs to feel like they learned something about YOU that they didn’t learn from the rest of your application.</p>