Hey, so for the Duke Essay asking about your background and what makes you a unique individual, what are some things you guys think would be good to include? Thanks:)
I personally think that HOW you write about yourself is more important than WHAT you write about (as long as your subject topic is not inappropriate). A “good” topic does not always mean good writing, and good writing can make up for a “boring” topic. My family is half Chinese and half Mexican (stepdad’s side), so I wrote about the effects of growing up in two different cultures and how they have shaped my own perspectives in contrast to a traditional Chinese household. You can include pretty much anything about yourself. Don’t try too hard to look special; as long as the essay is a good reflection of you and well written, you should be fine 
So for me, personally, I was born premature and half blind, so if I wrote about how that limitation has challenged me over the years, yet I’ve learned to overcome it, would that be a good reflection? I know that it’s really hard to tell, I just wanted to get an assumption.