<p>Saying how my parents are poor, but still saved as much as they possibly could, so I could go to a private school all of my academic career. I had to work in high school, in order to buy my books for the following school year. Etc. Etc.</p>
<p>Aim for an essay that is personal, detailed, and revealing. There is good advice here:</p>
<p>[Essays</a>, Admission Information, Undergraduate Admission, U.Va.](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html]Essays”>http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html)</p>
<p>Thanks for the link.</p>
<p>Perhaps this is already in your plan - write about whatever their actions taught you and how it shaped you: long term goals are to be kept in mind, much of what the average consumer “needs” is really a “want”, search hard for opportunities and use them to their fullest, etc. Let the admissions people get a sense of your values and the attitude you would bring to campus.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>oh yeah. but make sure that you don’t look like “whining” or “crying for sympathy” - which i know u are definitely not. but it’s really hard not to cross the line and make it overwhelming emotional.
and u may want to see if it shows your major qualities. having a hard life is not a “quality”, but you may want to focus on “the strengths a hard life has brought you”.
good luck</p>