I have written my college essay and it actually happens to be about my Dad but I don’t want my parents reading it. It’s pretty personal and I am not super close with my parents and I tend to get embarrassed easily. I really don’t want them reading it and thinking anything of it because I know I will be super embarrassed by them saying it’s “cute” or they “love it” or anything like that. Not that I don’t love their support I am just too shy. I just really don’t want them to read it and I don’t know what to do.
Your essay needs to be about you. You’re the one applying to college. It’s fine to use your dad as a talking point though. Read your essay again in a few days. Ask yourself what the admissions officer will learn about you after reading it.
As far as not showing it to your parents, just tell them it’s private and you’d prefer they don’t see it.
Strongly agree with @Lindagaf.
Your essay should be so much about you that you could switch out the specifics of the other part and the essay would still make sense. Think of the ‘facts’ about your Dad as the catalyst, not the heart of the essay.
How much you share with your parents is up to you.
OP: Your college application essay–as noted above–should be about you, not about your Dad.
It is okay, however, to write an essay which focuses on how your Dad influenced your life (your growth & development as a person and your career goal); essentially = how you became who you are & decided what you want to become.
Just to get an opinion on this. The essay itself is actually about something my dad told me and how it has impacted me throughout the rest of my life and the role that hearing that has played in many other situations. Do you think thats ok?
@Lindagaf @collegemom3717 @Publisher
@am12976 I think that sounds okay, since its less about your dad, than it is a moment or quote that inspired you. I showed my essay only to trusted friends and one sibling who helped to edit. I think its necessary to have editors, but even though my essay had nothing to do with my parents, it was not written for them to read. It’s for admissions, and I felt that having my parents read it and critique/praise/say nothing about it would psych me out too much. It’s okay to keep for yourself, and if they want to see how you write, offer other samples from school that you are comfortable with showing them. Best of luck!
Yes-the ‘substitution’ idea holds: somebody important to you told you X, you took X and it shaped your response to life and over time you have applied it in other situations and here’s how it applies to the choices you are making /want to make in your adult life. etc. In other words- it’s not about your Dad per se but about the impact of some advice he gave you.
I think that’s fine. Good luck.
@am12976: See post #3 above.
If you’re not comfortable showing your parents, that’s completely fine, but make sure you get a second opinion on your writing from someone you are comfortable showing. It’s crucial to have a fresh pair of eyes to correct errors you may start to gloss over. I’ve been editing my own essay for a couple of days now, and it’s honestly starting to sound like gibberish to me.