Greatest Challenge Essay: two options, what do you think?

[cactusinmyhead]

Should I write about:

1. My best friend's drug addiction and how I helped her get into rehab (from late high school)

2. Death of my brother's best friend and how I coped (from late college)

Please don't advise me not to pick the first one just because it's from high school, unless that is actually a concern to adcoms. And I don't know which was a bigger challenge... they both sucked A LOT.

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[Goro]

Why not both? They're both heartrending. But if you have to pick one, #1.

Should I write about:

1. My best friend's drug addiction and how I helped her get into rehab (from late high school)

2. Death of my brother's best friend and how I coped (from late college)

Please don't advise me not to pick the first one just because it's from high school, unless that is actually a concern to adcoms. And I don't know which was a bigger challenge... they both sucked A LOT.

 

[cactusinmyhead]

Why not both? They're both heartrending. But if you have to pick one, #1.

Yeah I think character limits would prevent me from fully describing both situations and how I coped with them, but perhaps in some cases that would work. Thanks for your vote!

 

[cactusinmyhead]

Ooh another question--

For the "proudest accomplishment" question should I write about

1. Graduating summa cum laude (I'm guessing lots of people applying to medical school have this though and it's kind of a boring answer)

2. Being financially independent as a 21-23 year old whilst living in an expensive city (also kind of dumb, but most of my friends are still on dat parental support program)

3. Working for months on a sculpture that I entered into an art contest and won 1st place (only problem was this was senior year of high school....)

What's the best thing to write about? I'm still trying to brainstorm, but I can't think of anything else. I feel I haven't accomplished anything that great or interesting at this point in my life..

 

[LizzyM]

Ooh another question--

For the "proudest accomplishment" question should I write about

1. Graduating summa cum laude (I'm guessing lots of people applying to medical school have this though and it's kind of a boring answer)

2. Being financially independent as a 21-23 year old whilst living in an expensive city (also kind of dumb, but most of my friends are still on dat parental support program)

3. Working for months on a sculpture that I entered into an art contest and won 1st place (only problem was this was senior year of high school....)

What's the best thing to write about? I'm still trying to brainstorm, but I can't think of anything else. I feel I haven't accomplished anything that great or interesting at this point in my life..

What do you value?
1. Academic achievement for its own sake
2. Financial independence
3. Honor or a prize for a tangible piece of work
4. Your artistic talent
5. Having your artistic talent valued and acknowledged
6. Tangible evidence of your hard work without regard to its artistic value

What you are proud of tells us something about what you value.

 

[cactusinmyhead]

What do you value?
1. Academic achievement for its own sake
2. Financial independence
3. Honor or a prize for a tangible piece of work
4. Your artistic talent
5. Having your artistic talent valued and acknowledged
6. Tangible evidence of your hard work without regard to its artistic value

What you are proud of tells us something about what you value.

I think the sculpture is the thing I'm genuinely most proud of, but I feel weird writing about something from high school. Is this looked down upon?

 

[Mr Magpie]

I'm in a similar boat concerning using high school experiences in some of my secondaries (concerning my greatest personal challenges mainly) ... but I feel like if they've truly helped define you as a person and that you can genuinely talk about them without hyperbole, you should be fine.

After all, your primary should be full of your more recent experiences. Giving them a glimpse into some of your earlier, yet still formative years should be okay.

 

[LizzyM]

I think the sculpture is the thing I'm genuinely most proud of, but I feel weird writing about something from high school. Is this looked down upon?

If you won an Olympic gold medal while in HS would you feel weird writing about it or think we'd look down upon you for dredging up that ancient history? I don't believe anyone would look down on you for being proud of an artistic accomplishment from HS.

On the other hand, coping skills essays should be of more recent vintage.

 

[cactusinmyhead]

If you won an Olympic gold medal while in HS would you feel weird writing about it or think we'd look down upon you for dredging up that ancient history? I don't believe anyone would look down on you for being proud of an artistic accomplishment from HS.

On the other hand, coping skills essays should be of more recent vintage.

Good point, LizzyM!

So for my "greatest challenge" you would recommend the more recent college experience (from first post in this thread)?

 

[LizzyM]

Good point, LizzyM!

So for my "greatest challenge" you would recommend the more recent college experience (from first post in this thread)?

One presumes that your coping skills have changed over the years. That is why the coping skills you used as a kid might be different than those you use now (or more recently). The one thing that seemed a bit weak about the loss of your brother's best friend is that it is one degree removed from YOU. Was your brother's best friend a friend of yours? Why not just say, "the death of a friend". The fact that the friend is also your brother's best friend can be explained and perhaps your coping skills including helping him cope with his loss. But it is the loss of a friend. If you didn't know your brother's friend, how is this something you had to cope with? I can imagine that you could identify "dealing with my brother's grief at the death of his best friend" as something you coped with even though you didn't know the deceased but you see the object of the coping is your brother's grief and not the death itself.

 

[Holmwood]

I feel like #1 would be easier to write about than #2. You can write an entire book about coming to terms for mortality, depression, and the eventual catharsis. I don't think the character limit will do you much justice.


I think you can combine the financial independence and sculpting essays . . . @_@

 

[cactusinmyhead]

One presumes that your coping skills have changed over the years. That is why the coping skills you used as a kid might be different than those you use now (or more recently). The one thing that seemed a bit weak about the loss of your brother's best friend is that it is one degree removed from YOU. Was your brother's best friend a friend of yours? Why not just say, "the death of a friend". The fact that the friend is also your brother's best friend can be explained and perhaps your coping skills including helping him cope with his loss. But it is the loss of a friend. If you didn't know your brother's friend, how is this something you had to cope with? I can imagine that you could identify "dealing with my brother's grief at the death of his best friend" as something you coped with even though you didn't know the deceased but you see the object of the coping is your brother's grief and not the death itself.

Yes, I knew him very well. But I might opt for the other answer instead, because of what you've said.

 

[cactusinmyhead]

I feel like #1 would be easier to write about than #2. You can write an entire book about coming to terms for mortality, depression, and the eventual catharsis. I don't think the character limit will do you much justice.


I think you can combine the financial independence and sculpting essays . . . @_@

Thank you for the input!