<p>One important thing about the essay is that it should be structured around a specific incident instead of a string of stories or generalized assertions. So your S should try to think of an instance in which he made a difference: did he help someone out with his/her homework? Has he tutored someone else? Does he do volunteer work? Did he give up his seat on a crowded bus or subway to an elderly person or someone who seemed more in need of sitting down than he? Did he shovel the snow in front of the neighbors' while doing your own? (We have a snowstorm coming, so that's on my mind!). Did he go from door to door raising funds for a good cause? These small acts of kindness and helpfulness are what makes a difference. Writing about one such act is what the prompt requires.</p>
<p>Or, your son could combine some of the ideas suggested here: In response to this question, he began to re-examine his life and (a) came toe realize what is important to him; or (b) recognized that he could not answer this question to his own satisfaction and became motivated to reach those new standards; or (c) write something completely different, using the question as a springboard. Here, I'm thinking along the lines of: Asked his friends for suggestions and heard about THEIR essay questions. He wished he were asked this question because this is how he would have answered it; or this question, because he could write about the time....</p>
<p>Thanks again. He's got a first draft done (or I'm calling it that). Basically he wrote about his listening skills, and being there for others, for his friends, his girlfriend, and how by doing this it has helped him learn more about himself too. He talks about while there may not be one particular time to point to, all the small ones add up change the community and school around him. It needs some fine tuning, but the gist of it is there, and it does sound like him. He doesn't get on CC, and I'm not sure how he'd feel if he knew I'd been asking for ideas. I think this has helped me just as much in knowing that I probably was already on the right track with him.</p>
<p>It sounds like the kind of sincere, true essay that a nice kid would write. :)</p>