College Essays - What does your suburban, well brought up, problem free, applicant write about?

[Anonymous]

Last year, my DS wrote an essay about his favorite sport, how much he loved playing it, and what it taught him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even suburban, problem-free children have had to overcome challenges, no matter how trivial they may seem to, say, world hunger. It's not the challenge that matters, I don't think. It's the lessons learned from meeting the challenge.

Another tack is to write about something the child failed at and what lessons were learned from failure. Just sprinkle it with a couple of good quotes about success from failure, etc.

Plus 1 for first paragraph in this post.
IMO- Wealth and privilege so often do not always give one a perfect (or even a good life.)

[Anonymous]

My D is writing about her experiences growing with a chlidhood friend who had a life changing event happen to her and how it affected their friendship.

My nephew (also a senior) wrote about his love of fashion and how as a jock this has helped him develop a thick skin.

Both beautifully written.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My D is writing about her experiences growing with a chlidhood friend who had a life changing event happen to her and how it affected their friendship.

My nephew (also a senior) wrote about his love of fashion and how as a jock this has helped him develop a thick skin.

Both beautifully written.

This is key. A college apps go, a well-written essay on dirt is better than a sloppy essay on a cure for cancer.

[Anonymous]

*As college application essays go,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If DD had to write hers today, I think her college essay would be "How I Almost Missed The Justin Beiber Concert When My Parents Made Me Go To My Great Uncle's Funeral". Oh, the horror of it all.

Mine should have been "How I Missed Lollapalooza In Three Different Cities While My Parents Dragged Me On The Shittiest Road Trip Vacation Ever And My Floozy Frenemy Used My Ticket And Caught Eddie Vedder's T-Shirt." But I'm over it.

Then I helped out DD with a potential subject last week when we dragged her to Detroit for a family event and she missed the BEST CONCERT EVER.

[Anonymous]

How about experiences while volunteering?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about experiences while volunteering?

No, too common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about experiences while volunteering?

No, too common.

I think it really depends on whether the kid can come up with an interesting angle. Sure, the "I went to Nicaragua last summer and fed poor children and it changed my life" essay has been done to death, but there are other ways to talk about what this experience meant to you. Maybe you had to do something outside of your comfort zone? Maybe you changed your mind about a long-held opinion? There is room to make the topic interesting and not just trite.

[Anonymous]

My college essay was about how my helicter mom thought I was writing about one topic but I had been struggling to break free from her and this was my first big step in doing that and I I didn't know if I would be able to sneak this past her, etc. I got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't have them write about the obstacle of an ACL injury prior to a sporting event!

We went to an information session for BU and the recruiter stated this is one of the most common topics for a college essay and has been WAY overdone.

Or mission trips. Don't write about your mission trip. They get a ton of those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college essay was about how my helicter mom thought I was writing about one topic but I had been struggling to break free from her and this was my first big step in doing that and I I didn't know if I would be able to sneak this past her, etc. I got in.

Sweetie, maybe you should get off DCUM and go back to writing that middle school english essay you've been procrastinating on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college essay was about how my helicter mom thought I was writing about one topic but I had been struggling to break free from her and this was my first big step in doing that and I I didn't know if I would be able to sneak this past her, etc. I got in.

HA, love it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college essay was about how my helicter mom thought I was writing about one topic but I had been struggling to break free from her and this was my first big step in doing that and I I didn't know if I would be able to sneak this past her, etc. I got in.

You must have had a great editor for your essay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about experiences while volunteering?

No, too common.

I think it really depends on whether the kid can come up with an interesting angle. Sure, the "I went to Nicaragua last summer and fed poor children and it changed my life" essay has been done to death, but there are other ways to talk about what this experience meant to you. Maybe you had to do something outside of your comfort zone? Maybe you changed your mind about a long-held opinion? There is room to make the topic interesting and not just trite.

What about if we are sctually living in the Third World b/c of DH's job and this is how my kids do spend their summers?