<p>When colleges ask you to describe a moment in your life that has helped you define one of your values, do they mean anything beyond the stereotypical “I value honesty, integrity, and hard-work” stuff that a lot of people will inevitably talk about? Is this essay topic doomed to result in a vacuous essay that will bore admissions officers?</p>
<p>I may not be seeing into the question enough–is there anything else they may be asking for as well but I am just missing?</p>
<p>That’s my essay topic. From the three lovely teachers I’ve harassed into reading my essay, I’ve heard from all that my essay is very unique and “meaningful.” For this topic, I think it’s best to focus on the plot-- the change.</p>
<p>Have you ever read Aristotle’s Poetics? I wrote my essay as a narrative according to Aristotle’s concept of unity, and I think that helps with writing a good essay a lot. If not, google “Freytag’s Triangle.” That pretty well summarizes Aristotle’s theory. Show your story according to that, and you’ll probably have written an amazing change. Which is what colleges are looking for.</p>
<p>Isn’t the word limit sort of hampering when it comes to fitting an essay to Fretag’s Triangle? Could you give an example of what you know might work? Say one of the values that someone wants to talk about is cliche, like “I value hard work” or “I value honesty” could one still write something great if the story behind how you came to value those was good?</p>
<p>About the word limit, I don’t think so. I mean I’d say the word limit is ~800 words, I did my essay in 700 words. It’s basically just a structured flash fiction story. </p>
<p>And yeah, the theme behind all literature is a cliche. All of it. The trick is just not to say something like “Derp I value honesty.” Show how/why you value honesty. Although you have to steer clear of annoying, obvious plots too. I’ll give a weak outline example.</p>
<p>Intro: Media res sort of thing, something isn’t working for you. You’re failing class, this scene is a description of your parents yelling at you for that. No dialogue/very little though.
BP1: Friend criticizing you for not participating in a class wide cheating thing, everyone “helps” each other on tests and whatnot
BP2: Everyone in class fails test, you don’t get your test back, you freak out
BP3: Teacher hands you back your paper later with a B or something and says she’s happy you didn’t cheat or some BS, blah blah blah
Conclusion: Closing image of you reading The Count of Monte Cristo or something</p>
<p>This is the most annoying, obvious plot I can think of, but I really don’t feel like throwing out awesome essay ideas for the hundred or so people who see this thread to steal. I’m just trying to show the basic structure of what I mean.</p>
<p>Just be concise and everything will be awwright. Brevity is the soul of wit~
Which I know is horribly ironic in the context of this post.</p>
<p>Thanks. I understand that you wouldn’t want to share what a good topic might look like, since many people will probably go use it. From what you are saying, that means one would need a really unique experience. For example, what of someone did come to value honesty through that situation that you described? My only point is that my own stories are definitely not the stuff of legend or anything of that sort–nothing out-of-this-world attention grabbing material. I’ve heard sincerity is where uniqueness comes from, and not the event itself. Is that what the idea is here?</p>