<p>I'm having a bit of trouble deciding my Common App topic. I'm thinking of writing about either:
1) my family's eviction; explaining what had happened to my family (without going into too much detail) and the focal point would be how it shaped me. I'd talk about the overall experience of having to live in a family friend's house where all we owned were the clothes on our backs, school supplies, and toiletries. I'd also talk about how it adversely affected everything from my school attendance (I was consistently late to classes as a sophomore and even had to miss the first few weeks of junior year) to my grades to my social life to what I watched on TV. In the end, I'd mention how this adversity severely impacted my sophomore year grades, but how it spurred me on to work harder in junior year and also humbled me as a person.</p>
<p>2) stepping up in time of need; this would be my leadership activity about my late schoolmate. I would detail how his death shocked my school community, and how loved and cherished he was in the short time he was in our town. The main focus would be how a friend and I both honored him (the Facebook page and the candlelight vigil, which actually received media attention) and how this shaped my character and made me feel like a good person. I had also just met him about a week and half before he passed, so I was truly gutted about not getting the chance to know him. The essay would end with me saying that serving his memory had made me a better person and more appreciative of life.</p>
<p>I think death is typically overused in application essays, but that’s just what I’ve heard - I think it’s like, don’t write about Depression, Disease, or Death? It’s up to you, but those are allegedly frowned upon</p>
<p>These both feel like TMI to me… the first one sounds like an excuse (information better provided by your guidance counselor than in your essay), and the second one sounds like it is blowing your own horn about what a good person you are. Sorry…</p>
<p>Out of those two alone, I like the first one better. It is touching upon something that not many students go through and could be good if done right. The second one sounds awfully cliche and I dislike the idea of using a friend’s death to show “leadership.” Just my two cents.</p>
<p>The first essay sounds more interesting, as long as you relate it back to how the experience strengthened you as a person. Try to put a positive spin on the essay; as @intparent said, you don’t want it to sound like an excuse. Adcoms don’t like to read too many depressing essays, but you’ve overcome a lot of tough circumstances, and this is a great opportunity to let your strength of character shine through. Good luck!</p>
<p>@Hawkace @shawnspencer @meganwilkey519 I agree with what you all have said. It most certainly would not be an excuse, but I’d have to word it very carefully. I wouldn’t detail exactly how it was, but I’d definitely touch on some aspects of the experience. However, as I said, the main focus would be how this experience humbled me and made me a better person, and also more appreciative of the simpler things in life. </p>
<p>The first essay sounds better, but focus more on how it shaped you for the better. I don’t know if I’d mention how it adversely affected your grades at all. I think that talking about how it humbled you is a great start. Good luck!</p>
<p>First, remember that it’s your college app. It should somehow present you as the right candidate for that school, what adcoms like, want and need to learn about you, for their college. So ask yourself if your homelessness (including a drop in school performance) is relevant and on point, for them. If you feel the later strengths are that strong and want to go with this, don’t make it 3/4 the scenario and challenges and then a quick wrap with a few final lines about the changes. Remember, when it comes to your growth, “show, not tell,” is effective. </p>
<p>Okay. So I told my GC about what had happened. Surprisingly, she had already surmised that from the fact that I had to miss some time in school. She agreed to mention it in her LoR for me, and also to give any essay draft feedback within a week. Currently in the process of thinking how to start this.</p>
<p>So… if your GC will put it in the recommendation, you don’t need to double up and use your precious essay space for it. Find something else unique and interesting about yourself to write about that makes the admissions committee say THAT person would be some special to add to our campus. The essay is your chance to market yourself to a college… you shouldn’t use your ‘billboard space’ to talk about something they already know, and that doesn’t draw them to you as an applicant.</p>
<p>@intparent well, that’s the topic that I think will grab their attention most. Sure, my GC will mention it, but only briefly. I need to explain how this life-altering event changed me for the better instead of the worse.</p>
<p>It’s not “grab their attention.” I could give all sorts of examples that backfire. So be careful. They’re vetting kids as potential students at that college, making your leap to that college. You’re right on the triumphs (again show, not tell.) But watch the delivery. Good to show resilience, determination, understanding, etc. Then they get a picture that, faced with college challenges, other life issues, you have what it takes to pick yourself up, perhaps positively influence others. There are so any ways to do this, using a surprising variety of topics. </p>
<p>Well… sounds like you are determined to use this topic. You aren’t just trying to “grab their attention”… you want them to see you as multi-dimensional and (honestly) not hung up on the hardships in your life. Very hard to thread that needle. </p>
<p>Lbad96 had posted his entire essay here, and as others pointed out that could have led to being plagiarized. So the replies below are to what used to be posted here.</p>