<p>The best essay my daughter submitted, IMO, and the one that earned the most merit aid made me cry. She was just alive in it, and it was about being part of our family. It wasn't funny, it listed no accomplishments, it was very real and from the heart. I cried because it was so genuine, and I think the merit committee felt her come through the paper. The prompt was something banal and begging for a list of accomplishments, something like "What makes you unique among our applicants?" She listed not one achievement or honor; she focused on no golden moment of recognition. It was simple, direct and very narrative. I was terrified. I knew that I loved it, but I was worried that it didn't sell her enough. Looking at it again, I realize that it subconciously sold character rather than consciously selling achievements.</p>
<p>Savvy, just make sure she keeps in mind that as the Adcom's are reading about her height, they'll be reading essays from kids with Cystic Fibrosis, kids who've survived Hodgkins disease, kids who are dwarf's, etc. Important to distinguish between being "socially challenged" like your daughter, and someone with a life-threatening illness, or a life-long height related disability.</p>
<p>As long as her tone is appropriate, could be a strong essay....</p>
<p>The best thing is to mention the height only in passing rather than make it the central point of the essay. Or else, write a lighthearted essay discussing the many short people who have been successful, eg. Robert Reich, who is about her height, but rose (what apun)--using real boxes to deliver public speeches-- to Secretary of Labor in the Clinton Administration. Maybe she could talk also about people with Napoleon complexes. :)</p>
<p>My D did a really great essay about being flat chested. It had some humor, of course, but she used the topic to talk about how someone who is "overlooked" socially can have distinct advantages in personal growth, deeper friendships, closer family relationships; how being different made her comfortable with striking different paths in life; etc. It was successful because she really came across as the sane, smart, wise, sweet person that she is in this essay.</p>
<p>The topic of the essay is less important than the tone, theme, and personality of the essay. As your D <em>is</em> a go-getter, the topic here might seem like "more of the same"; maybe she could use the essay to show other sides of herself? </p>
<p>I proof-read a great essay for a kid who got in to several HYPS schools (just found that part out via a PM!) It was about learning to swim-- as a teenager. The whole essay was so humble & funny-- she wasn't afraid to show herself as the dork flailing in the baby pool-- and I thought it was a really nice and personal piece of writing. Little did I know at the time, but she must have had some powerhouse grades & stats too, to get in to all these schools... </p>
<p>Now imagine the picture for the adcom: the kid is an academic "winner" but she is also someone who is not afraid to laugh at herself or to look foolish; she can also deeply enjoy something even as a novice... That shows a lot of balance, IMO.</p>
<p>Being the "little engine that could" may be just too close to the whole rest of the application.</p>
<p>I only read two of daughters essays
One essay dealt with gay-dar except a step further in which people were visually identifiable according to their sexual preference. ( shades of blue- I think she won $$ for that one)
Another was dealing with ADD in a family of ADD+ and strategies that she had, had to come up with to cope.
If your daughter was a dwarf or actually had an extreme disabilty that she had to develop coping skills for- then an essay can illustrate that college will not present obstacles that they can't over come. But being just a tad shorter than the average woman- isn't really something that is physically disabling and by drawing attention to it other than as an aside in an essay could be a real turn off</p>