Prompt #1 Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- I have lived in a very amazingly diffrent boarding school for the past 7 years. I am thinking of giving 3 examples on how it makes me different, and how living there has shaped me.
- How reading has shaped me.
Prompt2 The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
- Loosing a competition(too much of a cliche I think)
I like the first one; I think it’s the most unique.
How reading has shaped you is not very unique or interesting compared to the boarding school one. Also yeah, losing a competition is a little cliche for the failure one
So do I go with the ‘examples’ route or should I try something else?
ANY suggestions on how to go about it are welcome 
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I think either of the first prompt ideas work. If you do the first one I would definitely do only one example and expand on it. This isn’t a typical five paragraph essay. Take one point, describe it vividly, drive it home, you know? The only thing that concerns me about that one though is that I’m not sure how well it fits the prompt. I think this prompt is meant for people who know what they want to write about before they even look at the prompts. But that’s my personal opinion.
If you do the second, you’ll need a specific example, with details that make the story unique to you. Ask yourself if anyone else could have written the essay, or if it’s unique to your own experiences. This goes for both.
Losing a competition is very cliche. But again, it’s how you write about it that’ll make it unique.
Keep thinking of ideas. I think your essay ideas are too broad. Think smaller experiences. Sometimes it helps to think backwards - think of what you want to write about, then think of a topic you could fit it into. Doing the opposite is what leads to cliches.
@dragonfly26
one point: one incident?
I don’t think anyone else could ever have written the same essay, or even about the same experience as me.
I think the boarding school example can be boiled down to a couple of smaller incidents. This topic would be unique, and if written properly, could mean the diffrence.
How do you think I should go about it?
I think the most important thing is to not go about writing “Another example of how boarding school makes me different is…”. The college essay is meant to be more of a narrative.
Because you have a limited amount of characters I would definitely pick one incident and describe it in detail rather than vaguely describing all three examples, you know? Your reader will probably find that much more interesting.
I am almost positive that your English teacher will spend the first few weeks of school going over the college essay, so no need to stress it now. Unless you have an early deadline. They will know exactly what you can do to make the best of your essay.
I heard that the first prompt was more designed for people who had gone through significant hardship? Not entirely sure - just what people are saying at my high school…
@sansculottes I think generally this is true. But some people have done hobbies or other things that don’t fit anywhere else on your application.
That’s another thing. Because your application will already say boarding school, it might be a bit of a redundant to have this as your essay topic.
@sansculottes I don’t think so.
@dragonfly26 I have already graduated out of high school, taken a semester off. I am from an Indian school, and my teacher(s) have no idea about anything relating to admissions in the U.S. really. I would still request him to review it though. I am doing the whole admissions thing myself.