<p>So basically for one of the essays that asks about my cultural diversity along with the world i come from (not exact words but you get the gist) how deep should i go? Should i mention how my parents multiple divorces (different people), having to live with my grandparents, and struggling with little to no money for things or will writing about this just be another banal essay theyve see thousands of times? I know i can write a deep and emotional essay but i dont want the reader to be bored because its the 10th one hes read that day about this. Should i focus on something different or what? Please give your opinions. Also, how much do you think my back story will truly affect in my admissions? I hear they accept people whove come from rough pasts more so over the rich wealthy folk whove had everything handed to them. Is this just a bunch of hooey they say to sound good or is it the truth? Im not condemning MIT, just curious.</p>
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You cannot make a comparison like that. You’re a) ignoring many people right in the middle and b) really comparing apples and oranges.</p>
<p>It is likely that wealthy folk would have access to better schools, top-notch summer programs, books, and would hence be competing in a much more competitive pool (from what I’ve heard New England boarding schools are a ‘docket’ of their own in admissions, attesting to this point).</p>
<p>From a simply holistic viewpoint, I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that officers might use “to whom much is given, much is expected” as a yardstick. I know they have a special “code” for very low-income applicants (at least Amherst does – I stress the very if I recall correctly this was for people <30,000, a relatively small percent of the whole pool).</p>
<p>I don’t see how a truly well-written, and genuine, essay that is deep and emotional can in anyway be compared to the “10th one he’s read that day”. Of course, if the essay is at its heart hackneyed, I understand your concern.</p>
<p>The essay that asks about cultural diversity seems to be a lot more literal than the way you are considering it, I just don’t think you will have the space to get into what you want to. However, there is an essay that basically says “what’s the world you come from”, and to the extent your hardship has shaped this world, I think it’s a fine topic to discuss.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that conventional wisdom says that the whole “death in the family” type of essays don’t work. But I think people overestimate how many such essays are written. I think as long as you can make it relevant to you as a person, and maybe you as a learner, you have achieved all that needs to be achieved. By the same token, if you have a truly interesting topic that has nothing to do with hardship I don’t think I’d forgo that one solely for the reasons of hardship.</p>
<p>This is also something that the counselor can (should?) touch up on in his/her recommendation letter.</p>
<p>thank you very much for your reply i appreciate it very much (: and okay i see what your saying its just going to be a hard decision when it gets down to it. And its a requirement for a recommendation from the counselor ? I thought just two teachers? One science/Math and one Arts.</p>
<p>Counselor, too. </p>
<p>And not arts. Humanities.</p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>That would be a compelling essay if you can tell admissions what you learned from it and how it made you stronger or how, in spite of it, you persevered. </p>
<p>I’m working with a high school senior who lost her home in a fire and the family was displaced for two years. (She’s not applying to MIT) The fire was a major event that effected everything about her life but somehow, she managed to stay focused and do well in school. I think that’s huge. She will definitely write about that in an essay.</p>
<p>ahhh thankyou i meant humanities not arts (was just thinking language arts/ world languages/ Literature) humanities just didnt pop up in my mind. And alright thank you for the confidence im going to try and not make it too much of a pity page but more of an experience that changed me as you said.</p>
<p>I am a current MIT student who also did not grow up wealthy or particularly fortunate. I would definitely advise you (or anyone) to write about these hardships you went through in your application essays. Don’t just do it to evoke sympathy, show them what you learned from it all. Spend 10% of the essay talking about the negative thing and 90% about what you did and are going to do about it.</p>
<p>I think a huge part of demonstrating passion and tenacity in college admissions, particularly for MIT, is to show them times when things didn’t go your way (you failed, or something unfortunate happened to you) and to embrace it and show how it made you a better person. If you can tie that into your academic motivations you will have a great shot at standing out.</p>