I’m not yet applying to colleges but I will be starting this summer. I’ve done my first program application with the QuestBridge College Prep Scholars program, and my dad recently wanted to read my application (but didn’t request to see my essays explicitly). the reason why i was so adamant for him not to see my writings is because for my biographical essay, I wrote some things that might be interpreted as a negative towards him. i have some history of my dad finding out i wrote unsavory things about him on the internet and i was afraid that seeing this might get him mad again. long story short, he thought it was unreasonable that i was keeping my essay content hidden from him since “he is my dad”. I feel that I can’t actually express my thoughts if i know that my parents might try to read them at any time. my dad believes that he should be able to read my essays because “why can’t AOs see them but not him?”. am i wrong for trying to keep my essays hidden from him?
Nope, you are not being unreasonable. As parents, we chose not read our teens essays. We wanted our teen to be able to write freely, without our commentary and input. We hired a college counselor to help with editing the essays. Maybe one day we will read the essays, but for now we are grateful for the decision we made as parents. Applying for college, is the start of becoming an adult and expressing who you will be in adulthood.
You are not being unreasonable. It is your right to share or not share. Your essays will be less impactful if you feel compelled to change them to appease your father after he reads them.
I don’t think you are being unreasonable at all. I’m a parent and I totally understand if my child doesn’t want to share any of his/her writing.
I’m really sorry you are getting this pressure from your parent. Perhaps just let them know you are still editing?
We did read our kids applications and yes there were small mistakes. We didn’t read their essays but had someone else do it for errors. They like did it with us. Your english teachers should be able to read the essays for errors.
My son didn’t share his essays with us, and that was fine with us. In fact, to this day, I don’t know what the application itself looked like.
After his apps were submitted, his CC encouraged him to share his common app essay with us - and it was incredible – and only he could ever have written it!
It’s 100% fine to not share these essays with him. You definitely don’t need to. All you say is true. I suggest asking for a meeting with you, your parents and your school guidance counselor. Alert the GC to the situation beforehand and ask the GC to slip into the conversation why it’s not a good idea for parents to insist on seeing what their kids write.
Having said all this, please ensure that each of your essays is about YOU and not your dad. The goal of these essays is to learn about you and the topic is usually yourself. Too many students make their essays about someone else. You can read this, which might give you some ideas about how to approach your essays, though this post is not specifically about QB essays. Supplemental essay tips (plus the COVID question on the CA) - #15
There are many other helpful pinned posts in the essay forum, or post there if you want feedback on how to approach your QB essays.
i just wish my parents did that 
I’ve mentally struggled frequently because of disagreements with my parents and i want to put that in my app but looks like it’s impossible now.
but on the other hand my dad feels it is also his right to read them. i may write a “fake” essay to show him if i do decide to write about my mental health.
i can’t do that, at least not with my questbridge app since he already knows i submitted that last month. i don’t think he has read it yet but he would not be happy if he did.
im glad your son had such a strong essay :] im just afraid that my dad will get mad if i do decide to write about my mental health. it’s not just a privacy thing, it’s kind of a fear thing.
thank you !! i definitely think i made my qb essay a little too much about my dad, but it was about having to break away from him and not align myself with him all the time despite our similarities. maybe if i talk about myself, i’ll stay away from topics my parents “don’t like”, per se.
I will send you a pm.
How you write about your parents is more about you than it is about your father.
If your writing blames your father or finds multiple faults with your father, that usually reveals the writer’s maturity level.
In answer to your question, no, you do not need to show your essays to your father.
In my opinion, your father is justified in asking to read your application as you have written about him in a negative fashion on public internet forums.
I understand.
I wish I had more to say than “good luck.” 
i don’t blame my father. at least, not anymore. i used to, but i haven’t really blamed him in a long time. as a clarification, in my essay i actually wrote about how much i was similar to him, and how i learned to break away from some of his faults despite how much i was like him.
i understand. i might just choose to write about a topic unrelated to my father and my mental health then.
thank you so much :(( it still means a lot.
I don’t think there’s any reason your parents need to read your essays, though you should get some outside advice (counselor, a teacher who knows something about the application process) and not go it on your own. Even if you do go it alone, you may get acceptances on the weight of other factors if you have good grades and extracurriculars, but you’re not optimizing your opportunities.
i definitely will do that. i’m definitely going to ask my guidance counselor, and i’m signing up for Matriculate so that should be some help. im also going to ask a few teachers for essay feedback so i think i should be OK.
Sounds like you are going through a lot. You don’t have to share your essays. I showed my mom, only because I wanted her opinion but you don’t need to. I showed my GC and English teacher as well. Good to bounce it off others.
As far as coming out…they have no idea? they may be more open than you think?? only you know. good luck.