What type of things should I mention in my essay?

<p>I don't have a lot of interesting hooks and I am an Asian-American so I feel like I'm in a difficult position to make myself stand out. Throughout my entire(or most) high school career the only thing that I have been truly passionate about is weight training and volunteering. I don't have a lot of hours because I only started volunteering last year(sophomore) and got involved in key club this year(junior), and I was told that I shouldn't write about it if I don't have over 300+ hours to really prove my passion. I don't even know if it is a good idea to talk about weight training. Also, I had an accident in the middle of my junior year, requiring me to get stitches on my forehead, which led me me to drop out of tennis for the season. Another thing that I could possibly talk about (if all else fails), is my social anxiety disorder and my scoliosis and how I overcame the challenges that faced me throughout my years of high school. I'm not sure if those are very good ideas to use. The last thing that I could talk about is having to grow up without my parents being active in my life, as this affected me a lot, causing me to be more independent but also becoming isolated and losing many chances at the same time (not able to have the necessary transportation to go to all the places I need to go or the money to get involved in a sport). </p>

<p>Sorry for the long paragraph chunk, I just started jotting down all these random ideas. Are any of these good topics to base my essay on? Any suggestions? =)</p>

<p>Don’t talk about social anxiety disorder. Think of the essay as your chance to show colleges the traits they want to see. (If SAD had a significant impact on your grades, your counselor could write about that in his or her letter.)</p>

<p>If you decide to write about your parents (or lack thereof), don’t let the essay become a “woe is me” sob story. Instead led the essay show your learning experience: what have you gained as a result.</p>

<p>Don’t worry about “proving” your passion anywhere but in the essay. If you can write about how much volunteering means to you—and substantiate that meaning with experience and reflective self-analysis—you should be fine.</p>