<p>I've been looking for some supplements of some colleges and I realized that I can't think of anything to write about.</p>
<p>There are many essays where the topic is something along the lines of "Write about a significant challenge you have overcame" or "Write about a decision that has significantly impacted your life".</p>
<p>My life has been pretty normal. I've never saved a homeless puppy, had a disabled family member, saved orphans from burning buildings, etc....
What can I write about?</p>
<p>Talk to guidance/college counselor for ideas. I think you are thinking too big…more kids are in your situation than have saved the world Think of regular turning points in your life…did you decide to try a new sport that turned out well? Did you have a class where you didn’t click with subject or teacher and had to figure out how to be successful? Were you scared to learn to drive? Have you had to balance work and school? Did joining church choir lead to love of music? Think “disappointment” as kind of challenge. Did you not receive an office you ran for and how did that push you into other things that ended up being good. The decisions don’t have to be good ones…did you not join a group because you thought it wasn’t cool and then realized your bad decision and how has that affected more recent decisions.</p>
<p>College essays are not that long. It’s more about good writing and some insight into your personality.</p>
<p>Isn’t there usually a second choice? Usually the questions are Select one: “Write a challenge in your life blah blah blah” and the other is usually “Write about something that interests you and is beautiful and blah blah blah”</p>
<p>The challenge doesn’t have to be that dramatic. It can be as simple as learning a new instrument or doing bad on a test and doing better next time through hard work. You haven’t had bouts with cancer or anything but I bet sometime, during high school, something happened that taught you something about life, something that made you a little bit wiser, more mature, whether it be humbler, kinder, more hardworking, etc…
Some decisions/problems that a lot of ordinary folks might face include:
deciding to join/not join a club, take/not take a class - basically, trying something new
community service, did you learn anything from it
getting a job or learning to drive, did it teach you any life lessons
It’s hard to find a good, original one but I think it’s more important to write well and to just show the colleges that you have acquired some life wisdom, not just school smarts, during your high school career :)</p>
<p>What is your reason for being a vegan? I’ve had lots of bad things in my life and plenty of material to write about, but instead I wrote about the United States prison system and how it presents a challenge to morals. The US prison system punishes (with right to do so) by sending murderers to life long sentences in jail. The Norway prison system mends even murderers and rapists by sending them to a therapeutic “jail” where no one wheres uniforms, chains and has nearly complete freedom on beautiful campuses. Convicts are never referred to as anything other than people and they go through psychiatric treatment with the goal of returning to the social order. I wrote about how it’s a fight of my morals because on one hand the victim/victim’s family deserves justice, but Norway’s system clearly produces better results (20% recidivism versus United State’s 66%). It’s something that bothers me and challenges my thinking.</p>
<p>AA: I don’t think your essay needs to convey a particularly <em>unique</em> experience. I think the readers are looking for indications about you as a person. Do you display maturity in thought? Are you able to develop an argument and write cohesively? Do you display certain qualities such as tenacity, resolve, self motivation? </p>
<p>PxAlaska: It is an interesting topic and I immediately related to how this challenges one’s way of thinking.</p>
<p>The purpose of these essay questions is to learn a little more about you, while assessing your ability to write clearly and construct a logical argument. Admissions people understand that many (probably most) applicants have not faced a serious tragedy. But surely in your life you faced something that was difficult at the time: Making new friends in a new school; Getting your nerve up to ask someone to the prom (or tell someone who asked you, ‘no’); Feeling awkward or insecure; Telling your parents you dented the car; Getting a horrible haircut. You can talk about how you dealt with it; if you dealt with it poorly, you can say that. If it seems silly in comparison to serious issues in the world at large, you can say that too. Have fun with it!</p>
Think of regular turning points in your life…did you decide to try a new sport that turned out well? Did you have a class where you didn’t click with subject or teacher and had to figure out how to be successful? Were you scared to learn to drive? Have you had to balance work and school? Did joining church choir lead to love of music? Think “disappointment” as kind of challenge. Did you not receive an office you ran for and how did that push you into other things that ended up being good. The decisions don’t have to be good ones…did you not join a group because you thought it wasn’t cool and then realized your bad decision and how has that affected more recent decisions.</p>