I know that this essay topic will probably come off as pathetic to everyone that reads it, but I have been thinking about it for a while and thought to myself: Who else that is applying to the colleges I’m applying to has been famous on a Minecraft server?
It all started in 2009 when I joined Pixie Hollow. It was pretty crazy to my 7 year old girl self to be one of the first 2000 members on the site, definitely one of the most crazy accomplishments of all time. I played for years, and realized that I really liked finding and meeting new people on the internet. In 2013, I joined a Minecraft server that is known by many as the most famous and popular Minecraft server. My months of hard work led me to becoming possibly the most famous female member of that Minecraft server; I ended up getting tens of thousands of views on YouTube, and I collaborated with someone who now has half of a million subs. I was a Minecraft-household name to some of these people and people would even upload videos screaming when I accepted their friend requests, etc.
I dont associate with Minecraft anymore, but I created some long-lasting friendships on there and met people from all over the world. It has warped and drastically changed my perspective- coming from a small suburb of Philadelphia, I had barely had any experiences from people from different places. I also constantly lived under the guise that I was an introvert, but the internet has really led me to discover how much I love interacting with people and how many more perspectives out there I can learn from and how they can change mine. I have so many more people to meet before I die, and I’m not so sure I would be discovering this without my whole experience with Minecraft and interacting on the internet as a whole.
Obviously it’s a long shot, but I honestly have not met many people that can say this has happened with them. I realized that I love interacting with people and I think colleges are looking for someone that loves to interact. It’s a raw, unique experience in my life. (Also, I’m a girl, if that helps break the stereotype of being some nerdy kid who plays Minecraft).
Is there any chance that this idea can work? I can be real in that essay - acknowledge that it might be a little silly, but it’s part of who I am, and has made me appreciate all the relationships I’ve had the ability or build a little more.
This is a risky essay because you admit that you are, or at least were, an introvert addicted to internet video games. In my opinion, this is not an attractive profile. This does not reveal any intellectual curiosity or growth. Plus some may question how you know others’ reactions when you accepted their friend request.
There is nothing positive in this essay beyond the claim that you now are open to human interaction.
P.S. Delete your post within the allotted 15 minutes editing window so that an internet search does not indicate possible copying.
@saadnc This isn’t my essay. This is an idea for an essay. If I were to write this essay, it would look nothing like what I posted here. I wrote this in 5 minutes.
Why doesn’t it show a moment of growth? I have written down EVERY single positive thing about me. I think I’m a unique person. The main obstacle I have faced as an individual is overcoming depression which obviously isn’t something I can write about. I think realizing I love interacting with others has been a moment of growth for me. I always thought I hated opening up to other people until I actually started opening up to others, and now being around people has made me love making new friends. This experience was the catalyst for me - without going through this, I wouldn’t have became the person I am. It is a raw, unique part of who I am.
@Publisher I never indicated anywhere that I have been addicted to video games. I played video games, just like any other teenager has. I’m not only “open” to human interaction, I have become a person who enjoys talking to others. This has translated into my everyday life, where in high school I started talking to more people, and I got more involved, becoming officers of clubs, trying out many different sports, and becoming friends with basically everyone I could. I am now someone who has decided to jump out of my shell and I am never afraid to do new things.
If you really think this is a bad idea, then should I just shy away of any essay that indicates how I grew from an introverted individual to an extroverted one a bad idea? I think learning how I like to talk to people has been a huge area of growth for me in high school. I walked out of middle school cringing at the idea of human interaction, and now, as the woman I am today, I am walking out of high school excited and eager to experience the many positive relationships I’m going to make in the future. I love groupwork, I love talking, and I love hearing others talk. I thought talking about this area of growth could really showcase a positive part of me.
I don’t think it is as bad as others are saying it is. Especially because you have now moved beyond it. If you were still deeply involved, I’d think it might not be a thing you’d really want to admit. I think if you can maybe show some direct line between it and some of the qualities you say you have now, it might make a little more sense.
I mean, you might have done all those things anyway without Minecraft. Most students start talking to more people and trying new things in HS. So the connection seems weak to me. I guess I don’t see it as an inherently bad topic, but I just wonder if you’d have come out of your shell anyway.
@intparent I see what you are saying - I think I can definitely feel a connection between the two because of how a lack of friends caused me to think I didn’t like making friends, then I really started making connections and it was like I finally realized how being around people makes me happy. I’ll have to demonstrate the connection through the essay strongly - it will probably fare well to draft it and get feedback from there. Thanks.
EDIT: Also, I think my transcripts, test scores and extracurriculars can definitely demonstrate that I’m not some introverted, video game obsessed kid. I am a cheerleader and in many clubs - I don’t think that someone addicted to video games would exactly have time to do all that lol. I quit video games in high school to focus more on school.
“Why doesn’t it show a moment of growth?” What growth do you think it “shows?” All you’ve told is meeting people via this. Not extending yourself in the face to face world. Not climbing out of the introversion to take on other challenges, collaborate, or go do some good.
And gaming isn’t one of the attributes colleges look for. They want kids who will interact in real life. What you tell us is you were introverted in ms and look forward to new people in the future…but what about the last 2 years? How can you show us (convince us) you really did grow? Think about it.
This isn’t a hs essay, it’s the college app. Think about how to show adcoms what makes you good for the class.
I do agree that the connection still feels pretty tenuous to me.
@lookingforward I think the connection is that I would not have came out of my shell if it weren’t for all this. I joined things - became Key Club officer, started a STEM club, became DECA president, volunteered for a wildlife preserve, joined my school’s musical - I am confident I wouldn’t really have done any of this if I never became comfortable talking to other people. I really turned myself around in high school and became a very interactive individual; now, I am outspoken, and I want to spend the rest of my life working with others. The gaming isn’t where I became an extrovert - it is the catalyst that made me realize that I wanted to start doing things with and for others, which I translated into doing stuff both with and for people in my school and community all throughout my high school career. I think the magic is in the fact that I won’t be focusing on my experience gaming, but how it enabled me to want to be around others, and how I translated that into my real life.
^ Now you’re getting it.
This shows far more.
But unlike a hs essay (often with a thesis statement and mandated structure,) you should consider only briefly referring to the gaming. Focus more on the realization and turnaround, as you do in this post. Show them the attrubutes- nice, open, activated in the right ways. There’s more but see what your targets seem to like and look for.
“now, I am outspoken, and I want to spend the rest of my life working with others.” Realize, this is “telling,” not showing. If you mean conquering the introversion, ok. If you mean working on behalf of others, making the world better, show how you do this now.
I think there is some potential “gold” in there, since you can show how your notoriety as an online gaming persona enabled you to push outside yourself “in real life” and expand your experiences in high school.
My reaction was not nearly as negative as others. I think it can work as an essay by showing your growth as a person through your Minecraft celebrity.
@lookingforward I see what you’re saying and I’ll definitely have to focus on this on my essay. I could talk about how I joined DECA because I was excited to try something new even if I wasn’t comfortable - now I am the president of the club and am actively mentoring kids in the club to try to make it to the state and national competitions. I could say how I am in my school musical, which I didn’t even want to join at the time, but it is my fourth year in the club now. How I have started my school’s first ever STEM club by reaching out to the middle schoolers and incoming freshmen, etc. Many experiences I can touch base on that I would never have even considered in middle school. I think I have the potential to make a great essay - I just have to write it well and make sure I’m writing about the experiences I’ve had after my whole gaming life.
@katnissjul: I like your last five posts in this thread much better than your original post.
Whether or not you were addicted to video games is irrelevant because that is the picture that you painted.
Once you reacted to my criticism, a very impressive person came out and defended herself.
You want to write as you did in your last five posts, not what you posted as a possible essay.
i think youre essay really cool, it’s definitely original 
I think it is a great idea. Perhaps I am biased because my son wrote one of his college application essays about his experience as an administrator for a Minecraft server. We all thought the colleges would like it.