How To Write an Essay on Death?

College Essays
1

<p>I am a rising senior and have written a few college essays thus far, however my larger 500 word common app essay haunts me! </p>

<p>I wrote the essay on my father passing away from cancer and how it made me want to become a doctor, but I'm not sure if I did it right. </p>

<p>How should I go about writing it without trying to get sympathy (I am in no way going for sympathy) and in the meantime convey how the experience led me to my future career path? Should I not talk to much about him or would devoting half of the essay to him be okay?</p>

<p>Thanks so much, hopefully I'm not too vague.</p>

2

<p>As a general rule, you don’t want to talk about death in a college essay. If you’re absolutely set on this essay topic then make sure that majority of your essay is about you not him. They don’t want to hear about him in the common app essay; they want to learn about you. How he impacted you, how he changed your goals and aspirations, etc.</p>

3

<p>That’s how I feel too, but I feel like it impacted me and will continue to impact me so much that it would be avoiding the topic if I don’t write on it. Thanks for your input!</p>

4

<p>I am very sorry for your loss.</p>

<p>There is an example of a “good” college essay on death, as well as excellent advice, at:</p>

<p>[The</a> Art of Writing the College Essay](<a href=“http://www.docstoc.com/docs/93185054/The-Art-of-Writing-the-College-Essay]The”>http://www.docstoc.com/docs/93185054/The-Art-of-Writing-the-College-Essay)</p>

5

<p>Thank you, ADad, I appreciate the help! So would you agree with the article in the sense that my essay on death wouldn’t be clich</p>

6

<p>Yes, I would agree with the article. Remember:</p>

<hr>

<p>There are no cliche topics.</p>

<p>There are only cliche treatments of topics.</p>

<hr>

<p>Btw, if you are interested, you can print out the article at:</p>

<p>[The</a> Art of Writing the College Essay | Tips for College Application Essays](<a href=“http://www.justcolleges.com/essays/art-of-writing-the-college-essay.htm]The”>http://www.justcolleges.com/essays/art-of-writing-the-college-essay.htm)</p>

<p>However, this link does not seem to have the example essays, as far as I can tell.</p>

7

<p>See, the cliche treatment is what I am worried of. I wrote the essay and I feel that it has potential, but I have never sat down and read other people’s essays on death so I cannot tell if I am being cliche (which I probably am). I am trying to sit here and turn it around, making it miraculously unique, but I feel that in doing so I am doing exactly what I shouldn’t do!</p>

8

<p>The article is more accessible here:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.southfayette.org/high_school/guidance/documents/WritingTheEssay.pdf[/url]”>An Error Has Occurred!;

<p>I suggest rereading the Parke Muth essay. Think about this line:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Your essay should be personal, detailed/specific, and revealing. It should, ideally, be so personal and detailed that only you could write it.</p>

<p>Don’t try to make your essay unique. It will be unique if it captures your own self, regardless of what other people may have written on your topic.</p>