Parents criminal past and drug use

My father was a high paid drug deal(weed) for 30 years before it was illegal and was a millionaire before I was born but gave it up(mostly) bc it was risky and my mom wanted him too, we then were very poor and he is also a drug addict(high functioning I suppose) all of this is of course important to my life and I think it could be a very good essay I would of course right it delicately and also the main focus of my life before the change in laws (it is legal in our state now and has been for years) I however don’t want any of this information used against my parents can they use this against them(apart from not accepting me but in actual legal matters)

The essay needs to be about you and what you bring to the table as a person. I would not write about your parents, especially their illegal activities.

I would not write about your parents. This is your chance to show how YOU would be an asset to the college if they accept you. Don’t confuse the readers, it would take half your allotted words in an essay just to explain your situation.

I think ur missing the actual point, it is not about them it’s about how that affected me and shaped me and also how the drop form rich to poor and then working back up to being stable and also not the question

that is more helpful ty

Bad topic. While pot is legal under state law in some states, it is still illegal under federal law.

Also this wasn’t my own idea it is actually based off a family friends kid who wrote a paper of her dad going to jail for acid and how it effected her and she got a full ride, I am not looking for every college to like and accept me I want one who is risky and is okay with more controversial backgrounds so the point is weather I should or shouldn’t it’s is dangerous

The thing is that you have a very unique story. If you write it well, it can make you stand out and get a ticket in. But I also agree with what everyone else said, how it can be harmful to your chances. Especially if you don’t talk about who you are as a person. I recommend looking at “thecollegeessayguy” 's website and youtube videos. If you still think that it is a good topic, go for it. Just know there are going to be a lot of risks. Also do you know who your regional officers are? They are going to be the very first ones that look at your application. Sometimes knowing who they are is helpful. Good luck!

Colleges arent looking for your parents’ backstories. They want to know how you will fit and contribute. Has zip to do with what you think got a friend a full ride.

You don’t need a college excited about a “controversial background.” And they don’t admit or give money because they feel sorry for you. You need them to want you for your accomplishments and outlook. You. Who you’ve becomr in the past 2 years.

Aka how you match what they want for the class. All of it.

Adding: you aren’t just writing a story for a hs class. This is for your college app and admit shot. It’s not whether drugs are illegal. It IS about whether you understand what does matter to your college targets.

Overcoming adversity is one thing, but I doubt any college wants a kid who would throw his/her parents under a bus for a shot at admission. That just isn’t a quality they’re looking for.

Tell the riches-to-rags story if you want, but leave out the how and why, and everything about your parents.

Despite the widespread opinions of parents and applicants, the “I overcame adversity” theme is not a “winning topic”.

First, because, for the AOs, it’s just a story. They have no idea whether you’re telling the truth or whether you are a reliable narrator, and, however difficult your situation was, somebody else has a worse story. Second, it rarely tells the AOs much about the writer, It’s almost invariably about the experience. That does not give the AOs much insight as to who you are, and how you would fit in their college, or, more importantly, whether you would do well in their college. AOs, especially for colleges with many applicants and few acceptances, are rarely risk takers. They want to accept students who have a good chance of succeeding. Most of these essays focus on all the difficulties the students has had in their life, and then will end up with a couple of sentences on the theme of “but I persevered, etc”. This can leave the reader with the feeling of “this person is still suffering from their trauma, and we don’ think that it’s a good idea for them to attend such a challenging college as ours.”

Finally, these types of essays are the ones for which students commonly try to tell the reader about their experiences, violating the most important rule of creative writing.

@MWolf: Very interesting perspective.

Dealing with adversity has a maturing effect on individuals & also develops different perspectives. Both should be valued qualities in any community of learners.

Publisher- and if the OP’s parents decide to apply to college, their story might make a very compelling essay. But for the OP to devote limited real estate to explaining and describing a struggle with addiction which is second hand seems to be a stretch.

OP- talk about you. If there are family issues which you need to allude to in order to round out your story, then fine. The issue isn’t whether an essay is “risky” and you’re looking for a college which is OK with a risky back story. The issue is that writing an entire essay about your parents doesn’t answer the question “what will this student add to campus”.

@blossom: I think that you may have missed my point.

My post #11 above was in response @MWolf & not to OP"s particular situation.

Too cliche. I would want to see an essay so I can learn about you and how you add value to the campus. But adding a line “my family situation was far from perfect and I had to overcome lots of adversity” to set the tone…

BUT there are lots of writing mistakes and use of words in your writing samples on here. Please have someone reread your essay like an English teacher. That stood out more to me then your proposed topic.

I agree with you, however, I think that it would be better as the focus of a letter of recommendation. As the theme of an essay, I think that there are potentially too many ways in which it could harm the OP’s chances.

That’s an essay topic that might get someone’s attention, but not in a good way. In fact, that would likely backfire. I don’t think it’s appropriate.