Tell me about _____?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To 17:54 ... 17:51 was just answering the question posed. That's what the poster wrote about on the apps for her DCs. She didn't say it was unique, special, outstanding, amazing, awe-inducing. Thanks 17:51 for sharing!

Um, actually she did write what set your child apart. I am pretty sure that is what unique means. A child who asks boundless questions does not set them apart from most other preschoolers.

Well, the original question was "what did you focus on about your child" in response to the "Tell me about ___" question. That didn't include anything about being unique or special, just how did you describe your child. 17:51 described her child as having boundless curiosity. She didn't say, "unlike other preschoolers, my child has boundless curiosity, which makes him unique."

But this is silly. I was sticking up for someone I don't know who was getting unnecessarily critisized and belittled. I'm not going to further engage beyond this last clarification.

[Anonymous]

... and, of course, another benign thread gets snarky. I'm sorry this happened to you, OP. You were trying to ask a very legitimate question. I hope some people take the time to give you true answers.

[Anonymous]

I think that parents who believe that their child has no unique traits (or who think that all four-year-olds are exactly the same) might have a problem during any admissions interview!

OP, I thought an early poster had a good answer: you can start by talking about what excites your child, and then segue into his/her unique/funny/interesting characteristics. I think that the AD is just trying to get a feel for the child and the entire family: are you boastful, obnoxious, clueless, disconnected from your child, etc.

[Anonymous]

OP, as should be obvious by now, the answer to the question is more about the parents than about the kid. How you answer says a lot about how you perceive yourselves as parents, and about how perceptive and honest you are as parents. Are you laid back or going to be a PITA? Will you take criticisms about your child well? Are you excited and enthused about your child's education? This is what ADs really get to know from responses to this question, not about your 3 year old's "unique" qualities.

[Anonymous]

17:51 here. As a PP said, I did not write about how my child's boundless curiosity makes him unique. I used it as a springboard to talk about his many interests, and how his mind works. The best essays, I would think, are those that paint an interesting and entertaining picture of your child - a get-to-know-me and get-to-know-my-child kind of thing. You choose a trait which interests you, and make it interesting to others.

[Anonymous]

The schools are looking for a person that will fit into their school and not make too many waves or demands. So, they want to make sure your child is balanced and easy to be around ... and they want to make sure of the same thing with the parents.