<p>"But the topics that really illuminated an applicant's personality were the ones that dealt with setbacks--a divorce or a death--and showed resilience or depth."</p>
<p>I think this statement illustrates why an essay about the death of someone close can be a good basis for an essay -- despite opinions to the contrary!<br>
Because, of course, the person died; the essay becomes about you and how you dealt with this adversity and how it influenced you. Certainly, it must have changed your role in the family, for example.</p>
<p>Again, I have read essays of every topic under the sun, written as responses to prompts very similar to the ones given by most colleges, and a heartfelt essay about how you coped with a tragic loss is probably much more interesting than an essay about winning a speech and debate tournament or about seeing poverty for the first time on your Jamaica vacation.</p>
<p>Just my two cents.</p>