I have trouble writing directly about myself, and even more trouble judging it..?

<p>I'm talking about essay prompts such as "Introduce yourself". Is there any way to approach essays like this? It seems extremely awkward to me..I mean WHAT do you want to know about me? And how do I say it? The common app has a larger word limit, so I can write about me in a more roundabout way, and show certain aspects of my life. But for prompts like these, I have no clue, and even when I write things, it seems arrogant at times, sometimes it seems like I'm trying too hard to be witty, and when I tone it down, it seems as though it loses personality and substance. When I make some nerdy references, I later tend to think of the writing as too pretentious. I'm at a loss.</p>

<p>Any solid advice?</p>

<p>Stop being so hypercritical of yourself. While arrogance is definitely a no-no, wittiness and nerdiness are ok. If you’re unsure, ask people you trust such as your parents, teachers, friends etc to read it for you and give you advice. Also, you should read other people’s essays—lots of good ones on the Uchicago essay thread—to give yourself some idea of what it could look like. Good Luck :D</p>