Family mantra as a college essay topic- still viable or passe?

[Anonymous]

Kill or be killed.

How a family mantra led to a life of crime. Not passe at all.

[Anonymous]

Live, laugh, love.

[Anonymous]

Early is on time and on time is late: story of a childhood savant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm disappointed OP didn't come back to tell us what the mantra is.

Must be such a good mantra, she’s afraid all of our kids will want to write their essay about it.

[Anonymous]

It's a good idea, OP. You'll get admitted to college for sure.

But what about your kid? What about her application?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:that *I* thought would be great essay material

I think that’s the issue. It’s an essay topic you want when this should be driven by the student. I bet your kid told the counselor they didn’t want to write about *your* family mantra.

[Anonymous]

"The family that transmogrifies together eats flies together."

[Anonymous]

"Mother knows best."

[Anonymous]

Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

[Anonymous]

How about an essay on picking the perfect dorm pillow instead?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have what I would consider a family mantra and DD used it in her essay. We did not have a college counselor to tell her no. I thought it did a good job on tying all her activities and interests together and what she wanted to do in college. Currently at a t10. I would guess it's all how you use it in the essay

I hate posts like this. If you think there’s any “cause and effect” involved here you’re nuts. “My kid wrote X essay and got into Y school because of it?” Nope

[phone]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Life is like a penis. When it gets hard, F it.

+ 1

😂😂😂😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better the kid’s mantra than yours.

+1 a family mantra sounds like something the parents declare and their kids have to live under that rule.

This is exactly the opposite of what your college essay should be.

Also - who has a family mantra? I mean, we often use some phrases primarily sarcastically like the soccer phrase ‘unlucky’ when clearly someone made a mistake.

But a mantra? Unless it’s on your coat of arms, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kill or be killed

“Get them before they get you” - the implied family mantra of my childhood (both parents suffered from personal and multi-generational trauma ….)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a family mantra for our household that I thought would be great essay material for DD’s application but DD was advised by her high school college counselor that it’s not captivating enough. Really?

If your kid got into college already what were they told?

A family mantra says more about the parents' philosophy and not the student's. AOs want to read about who your kid is, not who you are.

I agree with your DC's CCO not to use this topic.