I need some essay topic advice!

College Essays
1

<p>Okay so basically I'm trying to start thinking of how to write my college application essays. I've read through some documents and I know that I'm supposed to show ME in my essays. I know not to make them cliche and to try and show a unique aspect of myself, and I've been trying to think about different ways to do this. </p>

<p>I've been trying to think about what aspect of myself I want to get across in my essay, and I've come up with a few things such as my analytical and logical way of thinking. But that's not what I'm having trouble with right now...</p>

<p>The problem is that my father is telling me to make sure I write about all of the leadership activities I'm involved in to make sure the reader knows. He also said I have to write about how my family may be well off, but how I'm only second generation of hispanic in my family to go to college and things about how my family isn't well off financially or has only been financially secure for a short amount of time etc.</p>

<p>I don't agree with these things. I think if I can show one or two aspects of myself in my essays that show the reader how unique I am and how I can (and will) make a difference in the world, that this would help me to get in more than bragging about my accomplishments would or making them pity how I might not have enough money to be able to get through college... </p>

<p>Basically I want to know what route I should take with my essays? I have never written an essay of this magnitude before and I really want to be able to get into some very high grade institutions. I have the grades and the EC's and the test scores to do it, but the essay is a very big part of my application and I want to get it done right and not screw it up. </p>

<p>So here's my question in a nutshell. Should I write about what makes me unique? Should I brag or make the reader pity my financial state? Or should I try to integrate both of these into my essay? What would help me get A. Into a school. and B. The most help financially...</p>

<p>Thank you (:</p>

2

<p>I don’t think the essay will have any impact on how much financial aid you will receive. Your financial aid package will be determined by things like your family’s income or whether you have siblings in college. </p>

<p>That said, I definitely think you should write about what makes you unique. You said yourself you don’t agree with your father. If you write about something you’re not comfortable with, it will show.</p>

3

<p>thanks (: Anyone else?</p>

4

<p>Your father might not fully realize that lots of people are in the second generation of their family to go to college. Many, many grandmothers of current college applicants could have felt at age 18 that their reasonable prospects for the future were limited to becoming a nurse, a teacher, a secretary or a homemaker, and only the first two required college educations. Many grandfathers could have joined the military or their father’s business after high school. It was just a lot less common and a lot less necessary to get a college education then. I haven’t seen any applications that ask about grandparents’ education (except those that ask for names of relatives who went to that particular college). </p>

<p>The only impact that I can see that an essay would have on financial aid would be in the case of a school that automatically considers all students for non-need-based merit aid based on their applications. In those cases, a well-written, interesting essay that shows how you could make a contribution to the school would be much better than one that is designed to evoke pity for your financial situation.</p>

5

<p>bump 10char</p>