Would it be bad to write a CommonApp essay about a first love and/or failed relationship?

I read on the “Ivy Coach Admissions Blog” that you shouldn’t write a college essay about a relationship because colleges don’t want to hear a sap story about a break up. First off, I’m not aiming for an Ivy League and my #1 choice school has a ~50% acceptance rate (which is definitely a lot less competitive than an Ivy).

Second, my first “love” was actually a profound experience for me; it crashed and burned, and I learned a lot from it. Long story short, I learned that relationships aren’t black and white and that it takes both partners to uphold it. I clung so desperately and so childishly to my ex-boyfriend that I didn’t realize that I was suffocating him. Originally I blamed him for not caring about me, but later I realized that I contributed a LOT to his negative sentiments. Even though this was a romantic relationship, it affected the way I viewed my friendships and it made me a lot more cognizant of how I treat other people.

It’s not about how some jerk broke my heart; it’s not even really about love. It’s about how my relationship failed and how it affected the way I treat other people now. Is this still too cheesy?

If you really feel like 1. The relationship story is the best way to convey the most important things about you that you want colleges to be aware of, and 2. You can focus on the tangible lessons and changes in your behavior, rather than the emotions of the event itself, then it’s fine. The sappiness probably stems from people’s inability to do #2 effectively.