okay topic or stay away?

College Essays
1

<p>I didn't have a conventional childhood in that I was raised by a parent who suffered from a mental illness that was long undiagnosed. I dealt with a lot, such as constant moves and times without power or food/etc. I think it was a huge part of who I am today, and I think I came a long way to come to terms with it (or at least start to). But I'm worried about writing my essay about this.</p>

<p>What would a college admin think about an essay like this? Is it just too personal, too dramatic? </p>

<p>Agh I'm very conflicted. I've seen some supposedly "outstanding" essays on college websites and they never seem to cover heavy topics. </p>

2

<p>This would be a fine topic, but you need to keep the focus on how ithese experiences shaped you, what you’ve learned, how your point of view is unique, etc. don’t let the focus become the stories that happened to you.</p>

3

<p>I agree with the peanut. Those things will definitely have a major effect on you and contribute to your personality, but make sure it doesn’t turn into a sob story. Make sure to focus on the topic and talk about how these things made you a stronger person and more motivated to succeed. You’ve seen failure and you’ve starved, and you’re determined to never go back there again.</p>