Regarding your setting preferences, these Newsweek articles will offer you ideas for schools to research further:
https://www.newsweek.com/25-most-desirable-urban-schools-71889
https://www.newsweek.com/25-most-desirable-suburban-schools-71867
OP, if you aim high, the essay needs to show some of the traits the college wants to see. Not just a recounting, hoping they’ll read between the lines. Not just dealing with things. Not expository. After all, it’s for your college app, not a school teacher.
I’ve long thought the best topic is the old challenge prompt. You describe some hurdle and how you overcame and went on to do something more. In describing a situation, this prompt has its own narrative, has its own timeline (structure.)
But you have to end up with something that shows more than just, eg, “And now I’m more confident.” How did you change in ways relevant to the colleges?
Try to get a read on what your possible targets want from you.
And that’s why I agree, the gas station can be a charming jumping off point.
Btw, lots of colleges have a range of vegan options. Make that a point you check.
I don’t know how accurate this source is, but it’s a great idea of how many unexpected places serve an array of vegan options.
https://www.bestcolleges.com/features/best-college-dining-halls-for-vegans/
So, research your possible colleges on several fronts. Also maybe get the Fiske Guide to Colleges.
The only reason I have been wary to use the gas station in my essay is that I haven’t really encountered many struggles working there. It is actually a family-owned business. And I don’t know how I would be able to tie it back to my passions about medicine and research.
Really depends on what you did at the gas station and who you encountered. You say “working at a gas station” and it conjures up images of you pumping gas and checking the oil, but you could have been inside ringing up the cash register for sodas and candy bars. The idea is interesting - but you’d need an interesting story or two about the experience to weave in. Where was this gas station? Was it a small mom & pop operation? Or just another ExxonMobil or Hess?
The essay isn’t about tying anything to your “passions.” A number of us on CC feel it’s simply a nice narrative that shows the traits they like and gets adcoms smiling and nodding their heads. It is NOT about proving out or declaring your interests in medicine/research. In fact, with tippy tops, the wrong emphasis on post college goals can be a mistake. They want to see you for the four years there, the sort of kid they want now.
Nor is it about “struggles,” per se. A challenge can be anything that stops you and changes you, leads to some impact around you. Just the image of a top performing Indian kid working the gas station in a rural area of MS can lead to a lot of great essay ideas.
First, see if you can understand what traits they look for. After that, what writing will show some of those.
From my research, it looks like they’re looking for students who are driven, curious, and will give back positively to the community. Is this correct? And no it is just a small independent gas station, not owned by a big corporation.
That’s a start. But you also show these traits (and more) in the rest of your app- what ECs, what’s relevant to college, how you answer supp questions. Show, not just tell.
Doesn’t matter if it’s an independent gas station. Start thinking about some interesting things that happened there. What you learned from that, how it turned around a view or shows growth.
I think you may be one of the kids who needs to relax into this.
what do you mean by relax into this? just curious
I sent you a pm. Rather than see this as some onerous task, have some fun thinking about topics. We typically say the essay is a way for the adcoms to get to know you, behind all the stats, courses, usual ECs. They don’t want an opinion piece or “the day I saved the world.” Or how you really want to do med research. Just a nice look at you, in the frame of a narrative.
What shows (just picking one example) how you impact the community around you? Your openness, despite being an immigrant in an area that may not be so receptive to others?