I'm not sure what to write about for Michigan State's essay. Can anyone provide me with suggestions?

College Essays
1

Hi. I realize that this will be really hard to help me with since none of you know me, but I am completely alone in this process. My grandpa went to Michigan State in the 1980’s, but he was in his 30’s so his admissions process was a little different than mine will be. My family pretty much consists of community college dropouts, vocational school graduates, and technical school graduates. Nobody in my family can even comprehend what I am doing in school right now.

Here are the 2017 prompts

  1. Michigan State University recognizes that an assortment of interests, viewpoints, and life experiences are important in student learning and enhance the university community. Describe an experience, passion, or characteristic that illustrates what you would contribute to the MSU community and how this will add to the overall richness of campus life.
  2. Has there been a time when you've had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?

I’m absolutely stuck on what to write for both of these. I have not been allowed to participate in any EC"s throughout high school because I have been expected to stay home and take care of the house. (In all honesty, this does not take that much time since we live in an apartment.) So I don’t really have any “experiences” that would illustrate what I would contribute to the campus. I have passions, but I would not be able to back any of them up because I am not allowed to do anything outside of school. I want to steer clear of just writing about my characteristics, if I can, because that seems like it could come across as arrogant.

I am kind of limited with prompt 2 as well. I was very severely bullied through most of my academic career. It took me acting like an absolute a-hole to all of my bullies for them to leave me alone. (I still turn on the a-hole side when people try to mess with me.) When high school came around, I met a lot of new people from the other side of the district. I made more “school friends”, but no matter how hard I tried to connect with these kids, it just did not happen. I feel like I am 30 while they are 16. The lack of socializing throughout high school has allowed for me to never have anybody challenge my beliefs. I was also not impacted enough by any circumstances to have a belief changed or challenged.

2

OK, let’s see whether we can find something. Keep in mind that the point here is to help sell your application to the school-- it’s not a journal entry, Confession, or a time to unburden your soul. It’s a question of salesmanship.

  1. What are you hoping to major in? Why? What do you "want to be when you grow up"?? What DO you do with your spare time? What are your interests? What are those passions you speak of?
  2. I don't think they're necessarily talking about big ideas here. It could be something as personal as belief that you can accomplish great things against a background that seems to accept less than that. It could mean learning to be comfortable with being a 30 year old in a 16 year old body-- that you don't have to be just like everyone else, and that's OK.

But I would steer away from talk of being bullied, and from not being allowed to participate in ECs at school. This is about selling what you are, who you are, to a school.

Does that help at all?

3

Wait and see what the 2018 essays are - they come out Aug 1 and may be different.

4

I sure wouldn’t tell them that you acted like an a-h- to get them to stop. You want to write something that makes them want you on campus (honestly – I think part of the reason for essays is to try to weed out a-h-s).

5

@bjkmom That is helpful and much easier to work with. Thank you for providing me with your interpretation of it.

@Rollout I hope they are, but it doesn’t hurt to have a game plan if they aren’t.

@intparent Hey it worked. I did tell teachers when kids were trying to physically hurt me, but that didn’t always work. People don’t like speaking to a person who ignores them, gives them dirty looks, or mouths off to them. LOL. I had to do it for so many years and to so many people though which has lead to many nice people being scared of me. It is very isolating. :frowning: :frowning:

6

I don’t care if it worked. It isn’t appropriate for your essay if you want them to let you in.

7

Right. No one is questioning your actions, just whether or not they’re the best way to sell your application.

I’m glad I could help a bot.