<p>My dad died when I was 15 due to malpractice during a simple shoulder surgery. The experience changed me forever. I'm not planning on writing my essay on just the event, but on how it made me a harder worker, further developed my interests in science and medicine, and how it established a goal to be the best doctor I can become. I would like to use this as my prompt but I don't want to make it seem like I want sympathy. Is my idea to much of a cliche or do you guys think I can pull it off and write a great essay. </p>
<p>P.S. My teachers say I'm a great writer </p>
<p>So I wrote an essay that also had some sympathetic elements and it ended up being a successful essay. Your writing approach to your situation is a good idea but I would recommend that you also emphasize your unique experiences and background that came from that event.</p>
<p>I wrote my essay on my mother’s death. Although I can’t remember what the main elements were for it (this was 6 years ago now), I do remember receiving positive feedback from teachers and peers. Plus, I was accepted everywhere I applied. I say go for it! </p>
<p>That is a fine topic. Major events that shaped your life are fine fodder.</p>
<p>Your topic isn’t your father’s death. Your topic is how your father’s death was a catalyst for the growth you’ve shown and the goals you now set for yourself. </p>
<p>Your topics seems very powerful.
The best way to make it non cliche is to emphasize what you learned from the situations, your future goals, etc, which I see you plan to already do. I suggest not to “pull it off” but give it your absolute greatest because if you think you can stir up something powerful, then you will. If you extend this event to its absolute greatest, your goals, etc, then I think this essay can be excellent. Of course, do mention the event to some detail. You don’t want to leave your reader clueless, but you probably already know to do that! ;)</p>