For my Commom app essay, I chose the 5th prompt: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
I talk about attending my first hackathon where I was a double minority, and how I had been naive about what a career in engineering would entail.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
The topic is for you to illustrate the transition from child to adult.
I’m not sure what a hackathon is, but in order to address the topic, you would attend with that sense of being naïve. Then, during the course of the hackathon, you would mature in some way-- in terms of attitude, responsibility, etc. Make sure that the majority of your essay talks about the new, adult you.
But be careful!! Don’t go from "naive’ to “cynical.” Remember, the point of all this is to “give them a reason to say yes.” So the unwritten agenda is not just that you became an adult, but you became an adult they want to welcome to their campus.
@bjkmom A hackathon is an event where you create and implement an idea under a certain time limit (mine was a mobile application).
I didn’t mention about how I was naive till the end, but I did discuss how I “matured” throughout the essay.
Thank you very much for your advice. After reading how others approached the prompt, I was worried that I didn’t respond to it directly.