redsexton

I'm applying to Wellesley, Smith, Holyoke & Bryn Mawr.

Which essay should I run with: the one about my Dad who left school at 12 & how that influenced me... Or the one about the first woman president of my country & how she influenced me?

Think the second one would be apt for Wellesley, but could having a near-illiterate father be my hook?

ADad

Imo choose whichever topic allows you to write the most personal, detailed, honest and revealing essay.

The mere fact that your father is near-illiterate is not a hook imo. Experiencing adversity may add to diversity and is imo good preparation for possible setbacks in college, but it is not, by itself, a "hook". However, if writing about your father allows you to write in a personal, detailed, honest and revealing manner, then that topic could help you in admissions.

Before you write an essay about a woman president, look at the material about Thomas Jefferson in this link from UVa:

U.Va. Office of Admission Essays

There is a lot of good advice there.

If you do decide to write about a woman president, be as close to certain as you can be that your essay is so personal, detailed, honest and revealing that no one else on earth could write it.

redsexton

Thank you for your time. I really appreciate your opinion and the link!