<p>Our son is mulling several essay topics, and one of them would hinge on a fairly grim episode in a friend’s life and the effect it had on him. (He was directly involved in the situation, so it wouldn’t be like writing an essay about somebody else’s story.) He thinks–and I agree–that using this topic might result in a very focused and eloquent piece of writing, because it was a situation that moved him and changed him deeply. OTOH, we worry that nobody likes to be depressed, and maybe we should consider a more lighthearted topic. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Writing a rough draft of the essay might help; sometimes things that sound great in theory just don’t work on paper, and writing a rough draft could help tell if it’s “working” or not. I wouldn’t worry too much about the mood of the essay, rather, just make sure it’s sincere and tells something about himself. :)</p>
<p>Think about the admissions officer. Picture a dark, cold, rainy night in December, and the admissions officer is packing up. Then he realizes he has to read one more application to meet his goal for the day. He picks up yours. He’s tired, got no more coffee left, just wants to go home and sit by the fire. By reading your essay, what will he think of you? If the essay focuses mainly on depressing stuff, maybe not, but if it has an uplifting ending or lesson learned, maybe it just might make this person’s day. Think about it.</p>
<p>Got it. The success of the concept will depend on the execution. Lump in admissions officer’s throat = good; admissions officer’s head slumped in hands = not good. :D</p>