Talking about abuse in your essay?

For the prompt “What makes you unique?”, I wanted to briefly mention about my parent’s physical and mental abuse and getting bullied at school, and how the experience taught me to speak up and challenge the circumstances I’ve been put into. I won’t get into too much details about the abuse and bullying itself, but rather focusing on how I overcame the situation by speaking up.

Lastly, I wanted to tie up the essay by how the lessons I’ve learned from the past experience of challenging myself and circumstances pushed me to study abroad since 14, for the better education system. I guess the main Idea I’m trying to appeal is that I’m always challenging myself.

I’m worried that the essay might sound like I’m provoking sympathy or if challenging and being ambitious is too cliché as an essay topic? Should I be just focusing on being an international student instead? Thanks in advance!

I truly wish that being abused would make you unique.* Very sadly, it will not.

Rather more happily (in general, though not for your purposes) being a person who challenges themselves is not unique either.

In fact, ‘unique’ in headline terms is a tough thing for most applicants to identify.

Studying abroad since age 14 is unusual (and often considered a sign of privilege, even though abuse and privilege often coexist). But it’s just a fact- in what way are you unique b/c of it?

What do people who know and love you think is unique about you? Start there.

*Obviously, I wish it hadn’t happened to you or any child

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Thanks a lot for your reply! Your advice gave me a whole new way to look at it.