<p>First of all congratulations and good luck to the future class of 2012. I hope to be in your shoes just a year from now.</p>
<p>I am writing my personal statement and am having a bit of a hangup on the "describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity". I show horses at a competitive level and would like to write about a trailer wreck that severely injured my two horses and changed my goals from In-the-ring Performance to Leadership. I am now President of a 30,000+ member horse organization, and probably wouldn't have gone that direction if not for the wreck. </p>
<p>I just wondered if that fit the prompt. my alternative was 9/11 but the prompt said to make it personal (even though someone on this forum used the USS Cole as theirs and is now at USNA). </p>
<p>Slightly Confused???</p>
<p>-Z-</p>
<p>(even though someone on this forum used the USS Cole as theirs and is now at USNA)</p>
<p>That's what I did. I went the route of explaining my personal reaction to the event and my enlightenment, but to each his own. I think you could work with the idea you have.</p>
<p>thanks. I hadn't thought about it like that! </p>
<p>any other opinions.</p>
<p>Have you written it yet? Your first idea is usually your best idea and the one you're most passionate about. Just write it and send it to a couple of people to get their opinions.</p>
<p>You have to remember that the Academy is getting hundreds of applicants writing about 9/11 and the Cole (no offense intended to Soylent). The admissions person has about 10 minutes to brief the rest of the board on your packet, so you might as well make it memorable. Writing about how that crash changed your direction towards a major leadership position is great. I know if I were an admissions officer I would be much more interested in hearing about that than hearing about another kid talking about 9/11.</p>
<p>Very true, Jaybee. My choice probably wasn't the best as far as originality, but it was heartfelt and got me in. I just wanted to explain how you could make a public event into a personal experience.</p>
<p>thank you! I think I will go with my first choice! JB what did you write about?</p>
<p>Yeah you should definitely write about something personal like that.</p>
<p>I talked about how different experiences throughout my life built up my character to be who I was and it culminated last summer where I lived on my own in Colorado for a month and worked as a fly fishing guide.</p>
<p>Memorable stuff like that helps.</p>
<p>I talked about how I lost the election for freshman/sophomore class president by a landslide and was pretty broken down by it. I then came back junior year, changed my campaign motives and strategies, and blew my opponent (the incumbent) out of the water. And then I got re-elected senior year.</p>
<p>Specific is good. Originality is awesome.</p>
<p>Zanerdude- your first idea sounds great, and as it was personal to you, no doubt you will be able to tell your story in a very unique way! Go with it and make those 500 works count!</p>
<p>Write it from YOUR heart. I do not think you should request ideas or comments. If this is what you want, then it will flow from you naturally and effortlessly. Go with what is in your heart and I think you will be surprised with the results.</p>
<p>thank you! and trust me I'm making my 500 words count. When I first wrote the statement it was way over the correct word count. I've revised and re-edited many times and I have an unofficial copy that is at 499 words.</p>