<p>I just finished writing up a rough draft for my common app essay, and I'm kind of troubled at the moment because I don't know for a fact if the content I am writing about is true.
Now you might think I'm being stupid or trolling, but I'm writing about a topic that happened when I was like 4 or 5 and I think it might have been a dream. but I'm like 95% sure it happened. What should I do? I mean I know it will be a great essay, but I don't know if it ever occured.</p>
<p>What does it matter? They’re not going to check your facts, unless you’re writing about historical events or something.</p>
<p>You could say you don’t know if it is true or not but it was meanful enough to change your life and you don’t even care if it was real or not.</p>
<p>I agree with @ZombieDante.</p>
<p>If you think it’s going to be a good essay, write it and at some point say that it was like a dream, admit that you are not 100% sure, but do it in an eye-catching manner. Dig in literature, for instance, and you’ll find some good examples of how to turn a dream-like story in a really meaningful and worthy piece. Check out “Alice in Wonderland”. Contemplate over how Lewis Carroll represented Alice’s dream in a way it was like reality. </p>
<p>You can even say that it was actually a dream, to admit that you don’t know whether you really saw that rabbit.</p>
<p>Is it an event that maybe a parent or other family member could verify?</p>
<p>I hope this is a good one and not a “someone did this to me” sort. As long as you don’t seem loopy (space aliens visited,) I don’t think- in general- that it matters whether your recall is 100% accurate. What matters is that you convey the right picture of yourself as mature, having perspective, able to tackle a challenge and grow from it, etc. And, that the readers don’t question your judgment in topic or presentation.</p>
<p>OTOH, if this is really a question about a complete fake- that’s iffy. Many times, adcoms can spot hints of bluffing.</p>
<p>I recommend that you consider whether something that might have happened when you were 4 or 5 is relevant enough to college admissions officers that you should include it in your application essay.</p>
<p>Something major happened to my D when she was in middle school, and reputable people advised her that she should change her topic and write about something that happened more recently.</p>
<p>Also, could something that may or may not have happened affected your life enough that this is the one thing you want college admissions to know about you?</p>
<p>Yeah I decided on making a new essay because I just didn’t want to deal with that essay anymore. I mean it was good, and I could have made it very well written, but I don’t want the adcoms to read something I’m iffy about.</p>
<p>Yeah and don’t worry… the event did not include any aliens, etc…</p>
<p>PM me the essay then xD I’ll use it XP</p>