What to write on?

College Essays
1

<p>I am writing my essays for the CU application. For a second essay I am offered the choice of:</p>

<ol>
<li>Who are the influential people in your life? How have they contributed to your development as a person? </li>
</ol>

<p>or </p>

<ol>
<li>Discuss any events or special circumstances that have affected your academic record, as well as, any adversities you have overcome.</li>
</ol>

<p>The issue is this: I can write a brilliant essay for the first topic, however in the middle of Jr. year I got extended time on tests which significantly improved my grades (from ~3.3 to 3.8). For the second topic I can write about 80 words well (it needs to be 250), after which I have nothing to say. I also don't have any noteworthy adversities that I have faced (unless you consider not having long enough on tests an adversity). </p>

<p>So which topic should I write on?</p>

2

<p>I would go with #1 then… since you said yourself you can write a brilliant essay on it:) also if you don’t have much to say about the 2nd subject to not even be able to write a minimum of 250 characters, I wouldn’t waste my time trying to pad it.</p>

3

<p>thanks. so its ok to let it look like my grades just ballooned for no reason?</p>

4

<p>They may assume your grades improved because your work ethic improved as time went by. On some applications (like the common app) there is a Short Answer section where you can explain anything you feel the need to… although it’s really not a bad thing that your grades “just ballooned”.</p>