<p>When looking at other people's essays 90% of the time I see them talking about ONE incident in their life that signifies their intellectuallity.</p>
<p>For example: one guy wrote about how crazy he felt when his computer program didn't work until he found that a semi colon was missing in the code and then concludes by saying these little things are why he loves coding</p>
<p>However, I think my life story is very inspirational and would feel like I'm missing out if I don't let the admission officers know about the essential bizzare inspirational story of my life.</p>
<p>I feel like I'll be the only one who will do this. Is this a stupid idea?</p>
<p>You should aim to write an essay that tells the admissions/reader who you are so they get to know your personality, ambitions, motivation etc. There is nothing wrong with writing a larger story, but the danger is that you may write more about external circumstances than about yourself. And things that happen to you as a young child may not be that relevant to the young adult applying to college. In many cases, it is easier to focus on YOU by writing a small slice of life. But if your life story is interesting and the reader will know about YOU after finishing it, then go for it. </p>
<p>See my obnoxiously long comment on this thread: <a href=“Why are Anecdotes so Popular? - College Essays - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/1662444-why-are-anecdotes-so-popular.html</a></p>
<p>(Also be aware that I’m only a recent high school grad so nothing I say is an “expert’s opinion” by any means. Just my take.)</p>