My Road to Independence (essay topic)

College Essays
1

<p>Hello, I am currently a Junior and am just thinking of what I am going to write for my essays in a more general sense. If you could, please tell me what you think of something along these lines.</p>

<p>There have been a number of events that I am definitely going to write about in the essay, including my father’s sudden and unexpected death when I was 11 and my mother’s fight with cancer starting almost exactly as I began freshman year and through sophomore year (although she still is facing a number of problems and may have a recurrence). I am hoping to relate this through the independence, maturity, and free-thinking that I have developed, facing events that most high school students do not go through. As a young boy, I was completely devastated by my father’s death, but over time I realized that I had to follow in his footsteps as a compassionate, giving, and far-reaching man. I have always considered myself an independent and free thinking person, but as a freshman in high school working on my own and without much support, I was able to grow in a unique manner. I made my fair share of mistakes without a guiding parent as I faced this lack of support at first, but over time I grew and developed and my grades continued to rise every semester. In the end, I have come out feeling more mature than other teenagers my age and I feel that these events have made me a unique person.</p>

<p>So, I would be interested in hearing some opinions and advice on where I should go with this type of essay. Also, as a student whose grades rose greatly in high school ( 3.63 GPA first semester to 4.0 to 4.0 to 4.33 to 4.33 to 4.83), how much do you think colleges would consider my hardships in relation to my grades as I began high school?</p>

2

<p>Bump…</p>

3

<p>Bump…</p>

4

<p>Bump…It would be nice to get at least a bit of input…</p>

5

<p>bump…</p>

6

<p>Thanks, but that doesn’t seem like a legitimate post to me… would like to get an actual opinion!</p>

7

<p>Just one real opinion?</p>

8

<p>Sure - I’ll give you one. Bad stuff first, then good stuff.</p>

<p>You’ve definitely faced a lot of hardship, and I do think it’s more than the average college applicant. But, don’t underestimate the numbers of kids applying with stories similar to yours. I’m not going to compare the relative awful-ness of any hardships. But there will be plenty of students applying who have lost one or both parents, who have lost friends or siblings, who have been ill themselves, who have/had a parent in Iraq/Afghanistan, who have been through foreclosure, who come from a dangerous neighborhood, etc. </p>

<p>I do think there is a way to turn your ideas here into a successful essay. Remember first of all that the purpose of the essay is to reveal you and your character in a way that the rest of your application won’t. Remember also that you should show, and not tell.</p>

<p>So what I suggest is thinking about finding one or two incidents or anecdotes that would reveal the kind of person you are today, and use that as the focus on your essay. The hardships get worked in as background - they provide context without taking center stage. In other words, don’t tell me that you are more mature than your peers. Instead, relate an event that reveals your maturity.</p>