<p>Activities: nhs(11, 12) amnesty international member (10,11,12) math team member (11, 12) tutored children (10,11,12) volunteered at a hospital (4-8 hours per week 11, 12) played cello since 4th grade.</p>
<p>awards: ap scholar with distinction, numerous volunteer awards</p>
<p>parents did not go to college (mom dropped out of high school), low income family, troublesome teenage life. Does it help to write about unfortunate circumstances in my essay?</p>
<p>You already know that you will be evaluated in context of what your school has to offer and the opportunities which you have been given. You should not write about your hard childhood because it would come of as you making excuses/whining about your situation. Have your GC mention it in his/her evaluation to the extent that despite your circumstances, you have done well. </p>
<p>First gen is only a small tip factor among similiarly qualified candidates.</p>
<p>I seldom disagree with Sybbie, but let me perhaps rephrase what she said.</p>
<p>You don’t want to just write about “Overcoming Obstacles” or a woe is me type of essay. On the other hand, you may have had some experiences, particularly financial circumstances that are very different from many of the other applicants (divorces and troublesome teenage life - there are plenty of those in wealthier families, though). Think of using your background as background or setting - “As I sat on the grimy stoop with Granddad watching the young girls flounce by, as we did every evening waiting for Mom to get home from her evening job …” - tell a story about yourself that is not sappy or whiny or self-congratulatory, but is honest and true, and through careful word choice, you can convey a lot of what your life is about - it is just hard work.</p>