Personal Essay... Overdone/Cliche?

ADad
Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:26:09 +0000

Will I be able to write this without coming off as conceited?



Sure, there is nothing wrong with honestly describing what happened, what led to your success. A college essay is supposed to be bottom-line positive about the writer (though there is room for some honest self-criticism, some self-deprecating humor); the whole point of the essay is to give the AdCom additional reasons to admit you. You have been successful, :), you have overcome obstacles, you have been determined; a college essay is an appropriate place to show and describe such success.



Can I find substance in it?



Yes. There is substance in most any form of human striving, desire for self-improvement, effort to accomplish something worthwhile in life.



Is it just stupid?



No.



Any topic can make for a good essay, since it is not the topic, it is what you do with the topic. The question therefore imo is: will your proposed topic allow you to be personal, detailed, honest and revealing?–for these imo make for a good college essay.

Since what you are talking about is obviously important to you, and since you evidently are thinking that there is some chance that it would work, why don’t you give it a try and see what you come up with?



For good advice on essays in general, see: