<ol>
<li><p>My experience when Trying out for the X Factor 2011. (How it raised my confidence in singing and confidence in myself) It's a good story...</p></li>
<li><p>My experience in training for Pro Wrestling. (Again how it raised my confidence and how I opened my shell... </p></li>
<li><p>Living with a dad who is mentally deluded</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Also, does anyone know if colleges like or hate sad/sympathy stories?</p>
<p>bump… come on 48 views and not one response?</p>
<p>First two are ok, but stay as far away as you can from the third.</p>
<p>thank you. Would the first two make amazing essays or just blahhh</p>
<p>I lime the first and the third actually. Im just not much of a sports person. The first is probably he most unique…hmmm…I’d say the third is risky but can definitely.be written in a way that shows YOU and not just your dad. It might provide useful context for adcoms about your background and show what you’ve done is spite of hardship.</p>
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<p><em>like</em></p>
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<p>thank you so much (:</p>
<p>Most colleges like Ivy League schools ,do hate sympathy stories. So I wouldnt write about your dad ( although it does seeem interesting). The wrestling story seems REALLY INTERESTING lol</p>
<p>This weekend, I actually just came from a full-say conference with 6 of the 8 ivy league schools where we had an essay workshop. The above post is not true! The adcom from upenn specifically talked about this problem and said stories about overcoming obstacles are great as long as they can end with how you got past the problem/were inspired to help others etc. Just make sure it doesn’t only focus on your dad and doesn’t dwell on your problema too much. She specifically said, “w don’t want somebody who we think is just going to sit in a corner and mope”.</p>
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<p>Wrestling! </p>
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<p>haha thanks guys 
and btw X factor is just like American idol…if you guys didn’t know. So that is also a really big choice. I’m torn between X factor and Wrestling…</p>
<p>Not wrestling. That will likely come off as a typical jock essay (colleges get hundreds of essays about <em>every</em> sport each year.)</p>
<p>The other two could both work, depending on how well you play them.</p>
<p>The wrestling though isn’t high school wrestling. It is like WWE wrestling… professional wrestling. Plus I’m a girl so thats different</p>
<p>That’s all well and good, but they’ll see it from other parts of your application.</p>
<p>If you want to do it about wrestling, just make sure to read some of the sample essays online and make sure it’s <em>not</em> like them.</p>
<p>alright thank youuu.</p>
<p>Well, I think you’re waaaaay ahead of the game, as many students struggle with what to write about, and you don’t have that problem!</p>
<p>I think #1 could make a terrific essay, as it’s not an experience many other candidates will have had, which makes you unique. Your essay topic won’t be one of the usual tired old cliches. And believe me, that will be a breath of fresh air to the person reading your essay. : )</p>
<p>Just be sure not to simply summarize the experience. You want to demonstrate, using clear, specific examples, how the experience changed you. Colleges are way more interested in how you think than the event itself. Your experience matters less than what you think of the experience.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>^___ Kimberly gives excellent advice on essays. Methinks she’s an admissions director in disguise! 
</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>wow thank you so much that was good advice ! Yeah I think I will go with #1. So 25% experience and what happened, and 75% thoughts on it?</p>
<p>haha and yeah digmedia Ik!</p>
<p>
No, no, no. “Thoughts about it” are exactly what you do NOT want. That is telling, not showing. The most powerful essays (as in stories and movies) are those which immerse the reader/viewer in the experience, and then let the reader/viewer DISCOVER what the experience was about…</p>
<p>How do you do that? Think of 4-5 “scenes” in a movie:</p>
<p>Option 1:
First paragraph: DESCRIBE a scene where you are tentative, not at all confident, even a little weak. This is the starting point of your “character development” in the story you are telling.
Last paragraph: DESCRIBE a scene in which you have overcome the lack of confidence and are now a confident, strong person.
Middle paragraphs: scenes SHOWING (not telling) how you are overcoming your issues.</p>
<p>Of course, all of these are in the context of the X-Factor story.</p>
<p>Option 2 (more interesting):
First paragraph: PART of the ENDING, with the paragraph ending in a little cliffhanger… you are waiting for the judge’s result… you are confident that you will advance… “And the judges say…”
Second paragraph - what would have been the first one in Option 1 - the start of your journey.
Third, fourth - the journey.
Fifth paragraph - Return to the cliff-hanger: You’re eliminated! Disappointment for sure, but the realization that you had the guts to try this makes you smile! In your mind, you’ve actually won - you’ve beaten your self-confidence issues. Now you don’t too explicitly say that - you show it with gestures, body language - SMILES, etc.</p>
<p>THINK of a MOVIE SCRIPT. How would it be written that the audience can SEE that you are happy with your journey, without a boring V.O. (voiceover)?</p>
<p>—Robert Cronk, author of Concise Advice: Jump-Starting Your College Admissions Essays</p>