Okay so I have a few topics I am trying to decide from that could easily fit into one of the questions of the common application essay questions, and I was wondering which one that you guys think would be best. Here are my ideas:
-Getting locked out of the house without a cell phone while babysitting a one year old
-my sister falling off her bike and the bicycle handle going into her leg, and me taking control of the situation and remaining calm because I was the only one around her
-staying up all night to learn a new song on the piano
-that I smile a lot/too much
-falling on stage while performing in front of an audience
I don’t even know how good these ideas are, but I was wondering which one you think is best for the college common application essay. Thanks in advance!
I would pick a topic that 1) happened fairly recently (none of these sound like an event that would impact you for a long time in the future unless you became interested in medicine after the bike incident), and 2) says something about you that is essential to your identity, something that will stand out to adcoms as a trait they want in the students of their school. I don’t know about the smiling thing, unless you have the tendency to smile when it’s inappropriate (I have friends who are like this; I think that says a lot about them).
I think overall, #1 sounds the most interesting. #2 is interesting too (ouch!), but I feel like you would have to give some very vivid and possibly graphic details to create an engaging essay, haha.
I think you’re going about this wrong. You’re coming up with a list of answers, without considering the questions. So, at best, you’ll be taking a prompt and making it fit the story.
Bad idea.
Instead, take a look at each of the prompts and brainstorm ideas. Make sure that the incident you use answers the question being asked.
The best topic is the Gettysburg Address… no, wait, Ninjas… no, 1984 by George Orwell… no, Cherry Garcia Italian Ices…no, really, it’s the Crusades.
See what I’m getting at??? The best answer is the one that answers the question. Which of those stories-- or a dozen others-- best answer the prompt???
Okay I’m sorry, I understand what you are saying… Allow me to clarify my question to see which common app essay you guys think would be best. I’ve also narrowed my ideas a bit so ill share them all to see what you think. I apologize for my lack of depth in the original post so trust me that these are much better than my original post:
1.Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution: Getting locked out of the house without a cell phone while babysitting a one year old and steps to solve this and what i learned from it
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: My interest and love for singing in the choir, how i get lost in the music, and how it effects me
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: very similar to the last one, BUT, my interest and love for playing the piano, how i get lost in the music, and how it effects me and helps me
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: my interest and love for creating things on the computer.. how I create small games and use websites to create animation videos and love all of that kind of stuff.. how that is how i know that I want to pursue a degree in computer science because I want to know the science behind all of it and how it works, and i want to have the tools and knowledge to create anything i want on computers
Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family: when my grandfather passed away when i was in the room with him, and how this had effected me and how I've handled this
Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution: being bullied and talked down to and called stupid by some really bad friends that I have had, and how I solved it by pulling away from these friends and proving them wrong by doing well in school and pursuing higher education
OK, you’re getting closer. At least now you’re considering topics that answer questions.
My next assignment for you:
For each prompt, outline what you would say… bullets would be fine. But tell the story (briefly) and then explain how it answers the question. Each answer should focus primarily on what happened after the story ended. Each should show some of your good qualities-- that you’re a problem solver, that you can think on your feet, that you’ve shown growth, that you have humility.
(let me start by eliminating #6 right off the top. It will be very hard not to come off as angry or as spiteful-- I see no upside to using this particular essay.)
Would you consider using #1 to answer the prompt about the time you became an adult? You were faced with an adult problem. You had to do what was right for a one year old. You WERE the adult-- you couldn’t sit back and rely on the adults to take over for you.
One of the trickiest things about parenting is learning when to trust your instincts, then just DO what has to be done. For example, I once called my pediatrician at 6 pm on Mother’s Day-- he has a family and I’m sure he was busy. I was unsure whether or not to take my daughter to the ER. His response has stuck with me ever since: If anyone ever asks that question, I’m NEVER going to say “no.” It it’s serious enough that you’re considering the ER, then you need to go. He was basically telling me that I needed to trust my parenting instincts and do what needed to be done.
(Totally unrelated, but here’s the back story. My 3 year old daughter had run into a glider-- one of those swings that seat 2 in my mom’s back yard. No big deal-- she cried for a minute then ran around all day. But she started throwing up every half hour or so. A few hours later, I was concerned that it could be a concussion or something, so I called. One CTscan later, and we determined it was a badly timed stomach bug.)
Likewise, one afternoon last fall, the fire alarm went off. It wasn’t a drill – it turns out there WAS a small fire in one of the upstairs rooms. While we were outside, one of the middle school kids passed out. I was the adult closest, so I took charge until one of the teachers who is an EMT found out and came over to help. I’ve had kids have seizures in my cafeteria duty… you get my drift. Being an adult means taking charge and making the right decisions for those in your care-- exactly what you did when you were locked out.